Responding to the letter by Kevin Charles about global warming and the Southern California fires, I would like to state that the warm temperatures during the fires were not caused by the greenhouse gasses released by the fires. In fact, the weather pattern during the fires fueled the flames. According to NASA, the fires “were driven by strong offshore winds, known locally as the Santa Ana winds.” As you read more on NASA’s Web site, you will find that the Santa Ana winds move “from the high deserts of the Great Basin southwest toward the Pacific Ocean.”
“These blustery, dry, and often hot winds blow out of the high-altitude deserts of the Great Basin and race through canyons and passes in the mountains on their way toward the coast.” Temperatures in San Luis Obispo were warmer during the fires. Also, there was little or no fog here during that time. Why, because of the offshore winds. When there is an offshore flow of wind (the Santa Ana winds), the fog is pushed away from us, thus allowing radiant heat from the sun, combined with warm dry air, to create warmer weather for us. I am simply stating that the warm temperatures experienced during the fires were not due to the fires, but were merely a natural weather phenomenon. Not by coincidence, wind is blowing onshore now, during our cooler weather, and the fog is back! Clearly, the recent heat wave was caused by Mother Nature, not the Southern California fires.