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As predicted a few posts ago, with the high heat/low humidity here, wildfires are busting out all over. All that is needed is our autumn winds to turn an already bad situation worse.

I could smell smoke all last night here at my house, but checking all of my wildfire resources it doesn't look like there are any fires particularly near to me. I kept my windows shut.

Judy, I forget when you said you were heading to Oregon (hope you are dried off by now ) but Interstate 5 (for those of you not in California, I-5 is the major connecting freeway between California and Oregon) was closed in both directions yesterday due to the Mill Fire near Mt. Shasta volcano (this fire ignited yesterday).

I have been looking for updated information on this closure this morning, haven't found anything solid yet. Every effort to re-open 5 will be made (north-south commerce basically stops when I-5 closes) but with wildfire on both sides of the freeway (as of yesterday) information is slow to come out.

So be aware. Traffic is always a bit iffy in that area (winding road and steep grades) and with the closure traffic back-up is surely a nightmare.

On to more cheerful news!

I posted a day or so ago about predicted high temperatures in my area over the next several days, these predictions have been revised upwards (of course, Barbie, you can probably beat these temps hands down - but it isn't desert here - at least not yet )

Saturday 102
Sunday 106
Monday 112
Tuesday 114
Wednesday 112
Thursday 110
Friday 108

Sue, please send a suitcase (or two!) packed full of Fall to me Special Delivery, just as soon as you can.

I'll happily pay freight.

Anne

I'll be headed north on Tuesday morning, and I was hoping to make it to Mt Shasta/Weed for the night to get out of the heat. Hope the freeway is open by then.

Judy its 90's in Weed and weather through end of next week predicted Hot and Hotter through at least Friday.
Velda

This is one of the best maps I have found for incidents, road closures, weather with lots of cameras and warning signs. The Weed cameras are not available so I suspect the fire disabled them.

https://oss.weathershare.org/?clat=41.4 ... 86&zoom=13

JudyJB wrote:I'll be headed north on Tuesday morning, and I was hoping to make it to Mt Shasta/Weed for the night to get out of the heat. Hope the freeway is open by then.

Judy, the Mill Fire started in the town of Weed (many homes in Weed have burned); there is a second major fire burning in the Shasta area also, that being the Mountain Fire. Difficult to know what conditions might be like by Tuesday.

If you want to avoid the entire Shasta area fire mess (and if you are not in a hurry) you could go to Susanville (main town near Eagle Lake, where we first met at the GTG there) and then take 139 north all the way to Klamath Falls. I have driven 139 several times, it is a good two-lane road, very scenic, and usually very little traffic - I haven't been up there since the start of the pandemic, but it probably hasn't changed much.

The worst part would probably be driving up the mountain to get to Susanville in the first place; 139 north (once you are out of Susanville, there is a bit of a grade there - it should be smooth sailing. It will add time and miles to your trip if you go this way - but with fires raging around Interstate 5 in the Weed area (with possible gridlock traffic) you might actually come out ahead.

You could also take the turn-off to Eagle Lake, and drive around the lake to where it connects to 139 and avoid Susanville altogether.

Good luck!

Anne

Judy, I am also reading that there is a power outage in the Weed area, probably due to the Mill Fire.

Anne

Thanks for all the updates. I am going to wait until Monday night to decide what route to take the next morning. Hopefully, by then, I-5 might be open. I see right now that there are two closed places near Weed.

The detour they are currently showing goes from Shasta through Bieber and Tule Lake along 299 and then 139, and it is 602 miles long. The other option is to take the coastal route 101. I have driven that in the past and know it is curvy and slow, but it is only 442 miles long. The place where I have reservations for Thursday night is Bullards Beach, and it is on 101, directly on the coast, so it is the most direct route. I have three days to drive it (two nights) so I can go slowly. Going through Eagle Lake is a long way out of my way.

Anyway, I hope they get that fire under control soon.

Judy, sounds like staying on the 101 is your best bet all around. Campgrounds in and around Weed are probably closed now anyways, not to mention the traffic nightmare and smoke.

According to the news that I saw last night (Sunday), the fire is growing larger.

Sue, most recent reports show the Mill fire still 4263 acres but the Montain Fire is now over 10,588 and moving north and west away from I-5 and Weed. Today's heat and wind will push it further. The Mill Fire is now 40% contained, which means natural or man made barriers around about 40% of perimeter, but wind can push past those barriers.
Velda