Fueled by strong winds and bone-dry vegetation, the Dixie Fire grew to become the largest single wildfire on record in California — and it threatened to reduce thousands of more homes to ashes.
Climate change already is making wildfires, hurricanes, heatwaves and droughts more frequent and intense; the devastating effects are in the headlines regularly. A warming climate also changes lives in subtler ways — such as summer vacation plans.
Interstate 70 in Colorado's Glenwood Canyon remains closed because of damage from mudslides — the latest in a string of closures over the past two years on the key transportation corridor through the Rocky Mountains.
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
After one of the driest Julys on record in parts of Minnesota, the drought conditions affecting the region show no signs of letting up to start the month of August.
Much of the state will be blanketed by smoky, unhealthy air well into next week. Health experts say the polluted air can be harmful even to healthy people. The fine particles in wildfire smoke are smaller than a human hair and can penetrate into the sensitive tissue deep in our lungs.
The current drought is helping researchers who are studying the history of flooding in the Red River Valley. They’re collecting samples of old trees buried in the muddy river bottom to help build a regional climate picture going back hundreds of years.
When it comes to staying informed in Minnesota, our newsletters overdeliver. Sign-up now for headlines, breaking news, hometown stories, weather and much more. Delivered weekday mornings.