Modis imagery captured the smoke from the Dump Fire fairly well this afternoon. Fire-weather conditions are unfortunately very difficult. Temperatures at valley level are in the 90s with strong winds at some locations.
The MesoWest site near Eagle Mountain is presently 94ºF with a relative humidity of 8% and winds gusting to 30 miles per hour.
Things aren't going to change much until late in the day when the sun finally begins to set, although it probably won't be a quiescent night given the large-scale flow. Fire weather conditions will improve, but be difficult compared to the nighttime climatology. Further, this pattern will dominate through the weekend. It will be hot, dry and windy with southwesterly large-scale flow. Perhaps there will be a slight increase in dewpoint and a few cumulus on Sunday (with a slight risk of thunderstorms that will almost surely be dry, but that's about it.
All in all a terrible situation. Let's hope the firefighters can somehow keep the fire at bay. It's going to be a very difficult task.
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