A large and growing wildfire is raging near Mt. Adams tonight. That fire, the Cold Springs Fire, is a tough one to fight because the weather just isn't cooperating. Hot temperatures and low humidity are the main culprits, and there isn't much relief on the horizon.

Of course, here in the Pacific Northwest the ocean - and cool and moist ocean air - is never all that far away. Unless you live on the eastern side of the Cascades. The Cascades act as a natural barrier, keeping the cool and moist Pacific air from making it any further east than the Cascades crest. You can easily see the impacts when you compare a photo of the Willamette Valley to a photo of the high desert of Oregon. Lush forest compared to a much drier landscape that's not all that far away.

All this has huge implications for the Cold Springs Fire. The Willamette Valley will be cooling off this week as cool Pacific air returns to the region. The humidity in the valleys will be going up a bit, too. But that cool and moist air - air that would be a huge relief for firefighers near Mt. Adams - that air won't make it that far east. It won't make it to the site of the Cold Springs Fire. And the reason is the Cascade Range.

Here's to wishing those brave firefighers luck...

Joe

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