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Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

cliffmass.blogspot.com

171–180 of 332 posts

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And as someone in the PNW these last few weeks were going to be our last hurrah of nice warm weather before the long gray winter too.

That part, to me, is the least frustrating. I'm rather tired of having hot indoors because the PNW doesn't have air conditioning as standard in most of the apartments... It hasn't gone under 81 in my apartment since this whole smoke started; and my office tends to sit at 83 on the ground.

> the PNW doesn't have air conditioning as standard in most of the apartments

That's because it wasn't necessary until the last 10 years or so. 90 degree days were uncommon and night temps would dip low enough to cool most places in the evening through the next morning.

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#172
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source? What makes combustion particulates from coal substantially worse than combustion particulates from wood?

> Source? This one is easy to research. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just being helpful.

Spreading dangerous misinformation is not helpful, and you are trying to convince them of something- namely that this air pollution is no big deal.

PM2.5 pollution, even at levels far lower than being seen now, is associated with literally hundreds of negative outcomes- lower IQ, worse test scores in standardized tests, more depression, worse ADHD, more asthma, more cancers (of both the lungs and other body parts), emphysema, as well as a whole host of issues related to full-body inflammation (ranging from auto-immune disorders to digestive problems).

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#173
This what you get when you elect corrupt politicians and foster an uneducated population. Poor management and climate change deniers. As the US is one of the largest polluters of the world, larger than but close to China, there is a lot debt owed to other nations. That debt tho is not repayable because the damage is beyond repair. Thanks ‘murica for destroying the planet along with china and other failed states.

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#174
post #96
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you say likely? I would have said that after the Camp Fire and I would have been wrong.

The less forest that there is left after the fire, the easier it is to clear the rest and replant with tree species that are better at holding onto water in drought conditions, and/or species that are hardier in the face of heat exposure.

The native trees in CA are types that need forest fires for the next generation of seeds to grow. Obviously there are many different trees with different ways to breeding, but we would lose biodiversity if CA followed your plan.

What CA needs to proper forest management, which means different things to different parts of the state. Often parts of that mean regular prescribed burns (which courts have historically stopped - lesson learned: shoot smokey the bear...)

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#175
post #113
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, that's not the takeaway. I wear my N95 outside, run my air filter inside, and avoid strenuous activity. However, there's no need to panic if you get a cough from the smoke. Don't exaggerate my statement.

Wood smoke kills around 2 million people a year, though that generally takes long term exposure. So, while you’re not incorrect that individual wildfires are not a major concern, living in places where such exposure is common is a significant issue.

I've never heard this number, but I find it really interesting. If you remember where you got this number, could you please share a link?

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#176

Use room air purifiers with hepa quality, those remove particles down to Furnace filters are not designed to filter as much, or else they would need changing too often and put too much pressure on the furnace motors when people forget, which is a hazard in its own right.

Wow, corona viruses are ~0.1um in size, maybe a bit bigger. HEPA filters of appropriate quality then should trap many of the viruses. Thanks for the heads up!

True, if you must have an indoor gathering these days you should have a few HEPA filters scattered around. Nothing is 100% stop transmission but every little bit helps.

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#177
post #43
post #2

I’m in the midsts of this right now and it’s depressing. I spent yesterday morning with a sore throat and itchy eyes and most of the afternoon hopelessly driving hours away for a box fan and furnace filter (I finally found them). All the while I should have been working. Some of my coworkers have complained of week-long headaches. If anyone else is suffering from this: you are not alone.

There's no good timing for these fires but now just seems really bad. Can't socialize inside because of Covid, can't socialize outdoors because of smoke. Tough time to be in the West Coast.

(Please don't take this as making light of the situation in the PNW. I realize it's awful and don't wish it on anyone.)

I can think of one, small silver lining to these fires:

I recently read that Asian giant hornets had recently been found in the PNW, and if they weren't wiped out in a few years they'd become permanently entrenched. I find that prospect absolutely terrifying, so perhaps we'll get lucky and these fires will wipe them out.

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rephrasing what someone wrote in an uncharitable way is a toxic form of communication that will limit your ability to experience diversity of perspective. It annoys everyone around you and will hurt you in the long run. Instead of slapping malignant narratives on people, try asking explorative questions that invite the OP to clarify or make an ass of themselves.

I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't follow the aforementioned blogger and don't live on the west coast. That said, your response is interesting, how is my query toxic? To be honest, I don't even think I'm being uncharitable; if a previously reliable information source starting being unreliable then I would expect folks to pay attention to notice that and cease to use it as a source. Since you have an opinion on…

“are you advocating for continuing to follow a blog that is known to give misinformation because you like the writing style?”

If you look at op’s comment, there is no mention of style.

I also have no visibility into misinformation from the blogger. Not sure that OP does either.

With respect to his weather writing, he’s been around for quite a while and is perceived as authoritative. He had a radio show dedicated to the weather on NPR. This isn’t some rando with a blog.

Questions you should have asked: “how do you feel about this posting where he makes this claim that is clearly misinformation?”

You may be right about your above questions- but as an outsider looking at this thread, I don’t see why you believe the things you do and I don’t know why OP would ever agree to that phrasing. You assumed conflict rather than misunderstanding by asking ~“are you advocating reading misinformation because it’s well written?” Is a question that assumes someone knows your context.

Trying not to be adversarial here- just underlining where reasonable people would not be super thrilled with the questioning style.

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#179
post #164
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The University of Michigan made an instructional video showing how you can easily make an air purifier out of a box fan and a HEPA-rated furnace filter for $25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU It won't be as good as a purpose-built machine, but it will be far better than nothing at all. TheWirecutter found it reduced particulate matter in a room by 87%, if you do it right. They also make clear important c…

Even easier: just place the 20”x20” filter BEHIND the box fan. The vacuum will keep it in place nicely. Be sure to note the airflow direction arrows on the filter.

I put it behind the fan as well, but now I'm curious if there a difference in air quality between the two methods?

Re: Smoke has caused temperature forecasts to go crazy

#180
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are winters normally like? You seem to be about as far from the equator as places like Miami, so I'm not sure what to expect.

At São Paulo, it should be usual to have days where the maximum temperature is around 15°C, but most should reach high 20's. It should rain a lot of the time too, but with a small amount of water. But hot and dry days are not unheard of, they are just unusual.

I'm sorry you guys are experiencing this. I hope that my question isn't foolish, but is it possible that the deforestation in the Amazon is partially causing the reduced rain?
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