Prediction Unit Helps Forecast Wildfires
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It's barely dawn when Mike Fitzpatrick starts his shift with a blur of colorful maps, figures and endless charts, but already he knows what the day will bring. Lightning will strike in places he expects. Winds will pick up, moist places will dry and flames will roar.
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By The Idaho Statesman, Boise  Sep. 19--The air has turned cooler and clearer, promising the end to a long fire season.
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Scientists are planning to take the pulse of the planet -- and more -- in an effort to improve weather forecasts, predict energy needs months in advance, anticipate disease outbreaks and even tell fishermen where the catch will be abundant.
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The National Weather Service on  Thursday predicted above-normal August temperatures for the  Southeast, Rockies and Western regions.
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Maverick, the new supercomputer from Sun Microsystems and the University of Texas at Austin, promises speedier data analysis for global weather prediction, emergency response management
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Low-pressure systems were expected to cause thunderstorms in the Southern Plains and Southeast on Friday. The West was expected to remain generally clear.
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A panel reviewing last fall's deadly Southern California wildfires called Friday for additional personnel and equipment as a means of responding quickly and with overwhelming force before small blazes spread.
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Heavy winter rains that have drenched the Southwest may mean a delayed, less severe fire season, said an outlook report from a government monitoring group.
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By GILLIAN FLACCUS  OJAI, Calif. - Hot, dry Santa Ana winds gusting to more than 50 mph Saturday stoked the flames of a three-week-old wildfire in Los Padres National Forest and ignited at least two new fires.
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By Dan Voelpel, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.  Jun. 24--In meteorological terms, we have a new extended outlook on that whopper of a Wi-Fi cloud predicted to materialize over Pierce County -- it's no longer in the forecast.
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By Sally Connell, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.  Feb. 4--In the short term, the San Luis Obispo Fire Department is hoping for new equipment to fight wildfires.
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Gusty winds forecast for this afternoon are adding to the worries for firefighters battling a wildfire that already has burned at least 276 homes and buildings near Lake Tahoe in California. On Tuesday, winds breathed new life into the fire, causing it to jump across a fire line and threaten additional buildings, a fire official said.
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By P. Kim Bui, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.  Feb. 8--A round of storms predicted for this week could help the county avoid a drought.
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While the military is lending assistance to battle wildfires in Southern California, it's also keeping an eye on the horizon in case it has to evacuate bases there.
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The nation set a record for wildfires this year and climate experts say 2006 will probably end as the third warmest year on record for the contiguous United States.
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Huge wildfires, such as the ones that have charred more than 460,000 acres this week in Southern California, are becoming more common in the Western United States, and scientists say warming trends and other climate factors may be responsible.
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Ferocious Santa Ana winds of up to 70 mph were expected to arrive by Saturday morning as crews struggled to surround a large forest fire. "They haven't materialized yet, but we anticipate extremely strong winds by morning," said Dan Bastion of the U.S. Forest Service.