Another Summer Of Fires And Floods Looming? We're Off To A Bad Start

Satellite photo shows two smoke plumes from large
fires in northeast Minnesota merging into a cloud of
smoke crossing the border into Canada. 

Fire and flood. 

I guess it's going to be that kind of summer. Again.  

As of yesterday, forest fires were raging Minnesota, Arizona, and up in Canada.

Our neighbors to the north were experiencing large fires in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we start seeing the smoke here in Vermont. 

Meanwhile, destructive and dangerous flash floods hit Tuesday in Maryland and West Virginia.  

Lately, probably in part due to climate change our summers in the United States are either under water or on fire.  Hot, dry weather is hotter and drier, so wildfires can burn more easily. 

Meanwhile those of us who get storminess experience especially heavy rains and flooding. Remember, warmer air can hold more moisture, so if conditions are right, that humid air can dump extra heavy rain. 

It's already been a bad year for both wildfires and floods in the United States.  Summer is the peak season for both, so put on your seat belts, it's going to be a rough ride. 

Here are some specific trouble spots currently

NORTHERN US/SOUTHERN CANADA

The hot dry, weather continued unabated in the northern Plains and adjacent Canada. Normally frigid Grand Forks, North Dakota "endured" its coldest day since Saturday. It only got to 96 degrees Tuesday, obviously shattering another record high for the date.

Normally it's in the low to mid 60s there this time of year.

Winnipeg and Carman, Manitoba, Canada reached 98 degrees Tuesday. 

The arid weather and high winds have really fueled wildfires on both sides of the border. 

In Minnesota, the North Woods is a vast stretch of trees dotted with vacation homes and cabins. So far, an estimated 140 structures have been destroyed in the huge fires burning in these woods.  The word "unprecedented" keeps coming up in Minnesota.

Unprecedented heat.  Unprecedented fires spreading in unprecedented ways.

As KARE reports, a typical year in Minnesota brings total of 1,190 mostly small wildfires that burn about 12,000 acres.

Just five months into 2025, 970 wildfires have burned 37,000 acres.  The acreage scorched will increase rapidly, as the largest fires were still 0 percent contained as of last night. Today will be another hot, dry, windy day in Minnesota.

The good news is rain and colder temperatures will sweep into the Northern Plains, including Minnesota starting tomorrow and continuing through Friday night. 

Meanwhile evacuations were ongoing in southeastern Manitoba, Canada as forest fires spread in the province.

Fires were burning in Canada from British Columbia to Quebec, raising the specter and fears like the incredibly destructive and - here's that word again - unprecedented Canadian wildfire year of 2023.

SOUTHWEST US

Meanwhile, the fire danger has gotten critical in the United States southwest, especially in New Mexico and eastern Arizona.

A new wildfire started near Greer, Arizona, forcing evacuations of much of that town and reportedly destroying several homes.

FLASH FLOODS

Flash flooding in western Maryland Tuesday. 

Parts of the Mid-Atlantic states had the opposite problem: Flash flooding created a lot of damage and hasty evacuations on Tuesday,.

A flash flood emergency was declared in western Maryland, where students in two elementary schools had to be evacuated by boat after water quickly rose around the schools.  All students ended up being reported safe after the evacuations.  

Video showed cars bobbing in deep floodwaters in the school parking lot while a rushing river raced down streets in Westernport, Maryland.

Destructive flash floods also hit parts of West Virginia Tuesday.  Southern Pennsylvania was also hit by flash flooding Tuesday, flooding streets and homes and forcing evacuations in Meyersdale. 

More flooding is possible in scattered areas of the United States for the next week as several storm systems pass through. 

VERMONT EFFECTS

Here in the Green Mountain State, we're still having Goldilocks weather, at least compared to everybody else. 

Warm but not hot weather so far this week will continue through Saturday before a cool down hits. 

It will also turn rainier on Friday and the weekend, with showers and thunderstorm likely, though so far, it looks like the rain won't be heavy enough to cause flooding. That will have to be watched, though, as the air will turn humid Friday and Saturday, opening the door for local downpours and thunderstorms.