Notable impact of wildfires in the western United States on weather hazards in the central United States.

ABSTRACT: Increased wildfire events constitute a significant threat to life and property in the United States. Wildfire impact on severe storms and weather hazards is another pathway that threatens society, and our understanding of which is very limited. Here, we use unique modeling developments to explore the effects of wildfires in the western US (mainly California and Oregon) on precipitation and hail in the central US. We find that the western US wildfires notably increase the occurrences of heavy precipitation rates by 38% and significant severe hail (≥2 in.) by 34% in the central United States. Both heat and aerosols from wildfires play an important role. By enhancing surface high pressure and increasing westerly and southwesterly winds, wildfires in the western United States produce (1) stron

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9636965 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature