(SAN FRANCISCO) — A smoky haze is currently blanketing the San Francisco Bay Area due to wildfires burning in the northwest, creating unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups.

The smoke stemming from multiple wildfires that continue to burn in rural areas of Northwestern California is getting pushed southward across parts of Northern California, including the Bay Area. Much of the smoke and haze is located in the upper atmosphere.

Fire officials are letting them burn out since they are not threatening people or property.

The smoke was so thick on Wednesday that the San Francisco Bay Bridge was barely visible from the coastlines along the bay and the San Francisco skyline was barely visible across the bay from the Port of Oakland, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported.

The Air Quality Index for San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon was at 113, or “Code Orange,” signifying unhealthy air pollution levels for sensitive groups.

Much of the smoke and haze is located in the upper atmosphere. The National Weather Service has not issued any air quality alerts for the region, but the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a “Spare the Air” alert through Thursday, which bans burning wood, fire logs or other solid fuel to prevent from further contributing to the poor air quality.

A fire weather watch was in effect for much of Wednesday for the North Bay Hills and Solano County due to gusty winds and low humidity. Red flag warnings were also issued for portions of Napa County, according to the NWS.

San Francisco resident Sarah Ryherd told KGO that it smells like a campfire around the city.

Another resident told the station that they had put a mask on after he began to feel the effects of the air pollution in their throat.

Some schools in the region canceled sports activities due to the smoke, KGO reported. The fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, contained in wildfire smoke can cause serious health problems if inhaled, especially for vulnerable populations, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Air quality will likely not improve in the region until Friday, said KGO meteorologist Lisa Argen.

Residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.

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Vallejo, California-based Lind Marine, through its boat building division Moose Boats, has delivered a new dockside launch to San Francisco-based Westar Marine Services. The newbuild, named after the daughter of Westar Operations Manager Eric Morrow, Madison Lynne, will be used in the San Francisco Bay Area for duties such as crew/passenger transfers and cargo transportation.

The newbuild has a length of 75 feet (22.86 meters), a draft of just 3.25 feet (0.99 meters) and capacity for up to 28 passengers, including 25 seats in the main cabin, and weighs 15,000 pounds (6,803 kilograms ). Charge. The carrying capacities are greater than those of previous ships in the Westar launch fleet.

The passenger cabin also features USB charging ports, under-seat storage, a lavatory and a crew lounge with kitchenette and beverage station.

Photo: Lind Marine

The propulsion system includes a Volvo Penta IPS with two 700 hp (521 kW) D13 engines connected to thrusters built into the catamaran’s hulls. The propulsion arrangement allows Madison Lynne to reach a top speed of 27 knots and to turn on her own length or even maneuver sideways without the need for separate bow thrusters.

The wheelhouse contains the primary helm station as well as joysticks to control the port and starboard pod thrusters for more precise manoeuvring, e.g. B. when operating alongside other ships during the transfer. A secondary aft helm station is also available with a helm station, radio and electronic throttles similar to those in the wheelhouse. This allows the single crew member to safely maneuver the ship alongside without having to change its orientation.

The wheelhouse and passenger cabin are each equipped with an HVAC system. The wheelhouse electronics include Furuno GPS and radar, em-trak AIS, Rose Point navigation software, Green Marine Monitors ICOM radios and displays.

The fuel capacity of 1,200 gallons (4,542 liters) allows the ship to sail up to 400 nautical miles. For power, the ship relies on a 25kW Northern Lights generator installed in the port hull. Also installed is a Novec 1230 fire suppression system from 3M.

Madison Lynne was built in accordance with US Coast Guard Subchapter T requirements.

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Demetrius Ivory, Bill Snyder and Jennifer Kohnke

1 hour ago

The second storm system, arriving in the Chicago area late Friday through Saturday in colder conditions, has the potential to produce wet snow for parts of the area with some accumulation possible

The “Bomb Cyclone” continues to chop down trees, cut power and bring torrential rain to California. It continues to open, but you can still see the well-defined counterclockwise vortex south of San Francisco.

STRONG AND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONCENTRATE IN BACKCITY AREAS AND OVER THE SOUTHERN PLATES

Heavy prospects Thursday through Thursday night

THREAT OF HEAVY, POTENTIALLY DEPLOYING RAINS IN AREAS SOUTH OF CHICAGO

Excessive rain forecast for Thursday and Thursday night. Plus, Friday and Friday night excessive precipitation prospects

QUANTITATIVE RAINFALL FORECAST THROUGH MONDAY, MARCH 27

A total of 1-1.5 inches of precipitation is expected in the Chicago area over the next 5 days, but areas in the US state could experience a total of 4-5 inches of precipitation, increasing the likelihood of flooding

COLDER THAN NORMAL PATTERN THAT LOCKS UP IN THE 50’S AFTER 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS

High temperatures

How much below normal?

European Model 2M Temperature Anomaly – 2M temperature is 2M above ground

After Thursday’s showers, mostly early in the day, the next weather system comes late Friday through Saturday bringing cool rain – then possibly some wet snow, particularly in areas north and northwest of Chicago

CLICK TO ENLARGE

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LOS ANGELES — Rain and snow battered huge swathes of California on Friday, forcing statewide highway closures and a major dam to open its spillway for the first time in nearly four years.

About 9,000 people were under evacuation orders in the state, said Nancy Ward, director of the California Office of Emergency Services.

In Tulare County, evacuation orders have been issued for parts of the small community of Springville and the city of Exeter due to flooding and swollen waterways, the sheriff’s office said. Evacuation warnings were issued along the Tule River in Porterville of 62,000 people.

President Joe Biden on Friday approved an emergency motion from Gov. Gavin Newsom, triggering federal assistance to state “tribal and local response efforts” caused by ongoing “severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides,” the White House said.

“We’ve been here about 20 years and really haven’t seen anything of this magnitude,” said Eric Diekmann of Soquel in Santa Cruz County, whose home is across a washed-out road.

Even after Friday night’s flood concerns taper off, more bad weather is in store for the weekend and the coming days, National Weather Service forecaster David Lawrence said.

John Bays clears snow from his driveway on March 8, 2023 after a series of storms in Lake Arrowhead, California.Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

“We will see more rounds of rain and heavy mountain snow throughout much of northern and central California throughout the weekend,” Lawrence told reporters at OES headquarters in the Sacramento suburb of Mather. “And we’ll also likely see that weather pattern continue as we head into at least the first half of next week.”

Weeks of incessant snowfall have kept the state transportation agency busy clearing roads of 45 million cubic yards of snow over the past month, enough to “fill more than 100 rose bowls,” said California Department of Transportation assistant director Mike Keever.

Recent storms prompted the state to release water from the main spillway at Lake Oroville on Friday noon, with snowmelt likely to continue to raise lake levels in the coming months.

This is only the second time water has been released from the rebuilt spillway, following the 2017 disaster that turned life upside down around Gold Country and forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 people.

People walk along a path at the Golden Gate Overlook in San Francisco on Thursday.Jeff Chiu/AP

Some of California’s most famous and busiest roads were temporarily closed Friday due to flooding.

• A portion of Monterey County’s Scenic Highway 1 has been closed due to falling rocks, water and debris.
• U.S. Highway 101 southbound near Gilroy State’s Garlic Center could not be used.
• Interstate 580, a major highway through San Francisco’s East Bay, finally reopened around noon.
• Main Street in Soquel, a Santa Cruz County community of about 9,900, was washed away. Evacuation orders were issued in Kernville, northeast of Bakersfield, due to flooding in the Kern River.

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State authorities have warned California residents that lots of running water can be dangerous.

As little as 6 inches of flowing water can easily knock a person off their feet, while one foot of water has the power to sweep a car away, the San Luis Obispo Office of Emergency Services warned Central Coast residents Friday.

“Remember, don’t walk, swim or drive through flood waters and avoid unnecessary travel today,” the agency said.

Transportation Department officials urged residents of the state to check their weather before going outside.

The department warned drivers to “be prepared for delays and pack extra food, water, blankets and other essentials, and pack cell phone chargers.”

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The heaviest rain had pulled out of northern California by Friday afternoon, but not before dumping about 3 to 4 inches of rain in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service.

Flood watches were in place for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties through 4 a.m. Saturday, but the National Weather Service in Oxnard said Friday night the heavy rain had stopped and the water was beginning to recede.

More than 10 inches of rain fell in Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo County through 10 p.m., the weather service said, although other areas were lower. More than 5 inches of rain fell in the village of Cambria, where evacuation orders had been issued for some residents but were later lifted.

In Paso Robles, Chimney Rock Road was washed away. A spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County said they had had road problems and temporary fixes since January, but these failed as of Friday morning.

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Fresno County first responders rescued, including three women, two in their 80s and one in 104, who were trapped in their home after a culvert was washed out, Sheriff John Zanoni said Friday.

Difficult weather conditions will also bring heavy snow to parts of the northern plains on Friday and parts of the upper Mississippi Valley on Saturday.

Rain is also expected to develop over parts of the middle Mississippi Valley and snowfall is expected to make its way to the Great Lakes by Sunday.

A storm system threw snow and rain across the Great Lakes of the Northeast and Southeast on Friday, with totals of 12 inches in Mequon, Wisconsin, 10 inches in Milwaukee, 9 inches in Woodstock, Illinois and 4 inches around Detroit.

Rain and snow showers will continue to move from the eastern Great Lakes through the mid-Atlantic region.

Western New York and Northeast Pennsylvania could get between 4 inches and 8 inches of snow.

Alicia Victoria Lozano is a California-based reporter for NBC News, focusing on climate change, wildfires, and the changing politics of drug laws.

Chantal Da Silva is the Breaking News Editor at NBC News Digital, based in London.

David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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Millions of Americans could feel the effects of a major storm system bringing rain, wind and snow to much of the West. It is then expected to migrate across the heartland and into the Northeast in the coming days.

As a major winter storm sweeps across the country, millions of Americans brace themselves for treacherous weather conditions.

In California, high winds uproot trees and down power lines, leaving homes and businesses dark.

A rare snowstorm warning remains in effect for parts of Southern California — including the Los Angeles area — Saturday as some areas endure heavy snow and record rainfall that has led to dangerous flooding.

Severe weather conditions on the west coast have brought unfamiliar wintry conditions at higher elevations, particularly over the mountainous areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where up to 30 inches of snow can pair with winds of 80 miles per hour, the National Weather Service said.

The Blizzard warnings should last until Saturday afternoon. The Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service had not issued a snowstorm warning since 1989.

And the threat of more power outages lingered on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

The heavy snowfall and strong winds can ultimately mean that visibility for people in the area is close to zero even when the snow stops falling, as strong winds can blow the flakes off the ground. Weather warnings have called for extreme caution when travelling.

There was between 20 and 40 inches of snow over the course of three days Friday night at high elevations on Southern California’s Big Bear Lake, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency also reported that many vehicles were stuck Friday morning, prompting state officials to close roads.

At the same time, torrential rain is expected to continue pounding the Los Angeles metro area on Saturday after the area was flooded a day earlier.

“A cold, strong and potentially dangerous winter storm will bring bouts of heavy rain and mountain snow with gusty southerly winds to most of southwest California through Saturday,” the weather service said.

Thunderstorms resulted in a ground stop at LAX. Departures to parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona were delayed, with some arrivals being diverted to Ontario, California.

The heavy rains are also raising the water level in the Los Angeles River several feet higher than usual.

Motorists and vehicles were seen stranded after water levels rose and some roads became impassable. A driver was stranded on Interstate 5 in flooding.

A flash flood warning for around 1 million people in Los Angeles, Glendale and Santa Clarita remained in place during the late night hours through Saturday morning.

“It’s pretty treacherous conditions up north. There’s a lot of snow, a lot of ice,” said Joshua Greengard, PIO of the California Highway Patrol.

RELATED: Winter storm Delilah creates perfect conditions for ice ball formation in Lake Michigan

Further north, the San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing its second day of snow.

“Real snow, no joke, not just a little bit of dust, but real snow here in the East Bay Hills,” said Michael Sullivan, an Oakland Hills resident.

Ten-year-old Jackie Pierce got the chance to build her first snowman.

“Thank you weather that it snowed,” she said.

Portland, Oregon was also hit with more snow.

A road worker was injured after stopping to help a motorist after a van driver lost control after driving on ice.

The same weather system is expected to move east over the weekend, bringing damaging winds to parts of the Midwest where residents are already digging out after a storm earlier this week.

Michigan’s outages won’t fully return until Sunday

The aftermath of the same weather system that ravaged California and numerous states across the country earlier this week is still affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the Midwest.

Nearly 500,000 Michigan homes and businesses were left in the dark Saturday after a strong winter storm created dangerous icing conditions, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us. Wayne County recorded the highest number of dropouts with more than 150,000.

DTE, one of Michigan’s largest electric providers, is restoring power to affected areas but warns most customers will be able to resume service before Sunday.

The storm hit several western states and the Great Lakes region, delivering masses of snow for several days.

Crews in Wyoming were in search and rescue mode after more than 40 inches of snow fell in southern parts of the state over the course of several days, leaving motorists trapped in heavy snowfall, the state highway patrol said on Twitter.

In Minnesota, Minneapolis officials on Friday declared a one-day snow emergency due to heavy snowfall, and city crews have been plowing and treating roads. The city was hammered by more than 13 inches in three days this week.

Since the storm began Monday night, accumulated snowfall has reached dozens of inches in some cities, including 48 inches in Battle Lake, Wyoming, 32 inches in Dupuyer, Montana, and 29 inches in Park City, Utah.

In New England, freezing conditions likely contributed to a massive pile-up of 15 vehicles on the Massachusetts Turnpike Thursday night, according to a tweet from Massachusetts State Police.

The Northeast, which hasn’t seen much wintry weather so far this season, could feel the effects of this westerly storm by Tuesday.

ABC News and CNN contributed to this post.

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Vehicles drive in storm in Millbrae, California, the United States, Jan. 4, 2023. A winter storm hit northern California, bringing rain and snow to the local area. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — A heavy winter storm hit the US San Francisco Bay Area with strong winds and downpours throughout Wednesday, killing at least two people and injuring several others, officials said.

A 19-year-old woman died in Fairfield in the early hours of the storm when her car crashed into a utility pole. In the town of Occidental, Sonoma County, a baby died when winds knocked a tree into a mobile home in the afternoon. The other three people in the house were injured.

Nearly 100,000 customers in the Bay Area lost power, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

California issued a State of Emergency on Wednesday morning to support the response to the storm and recovery efforts across the state.

Nancy Ward, director of the governor’s office of emergency services, said that California is facing “one of the most challenging and impactful storms to touch down in California in the past five years.”

At a press conference Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed advised residents to hunker down for the night and stay off the roads.

“With the ground so saturated, we’re going to see more trees down on roadways, more power outages, and we’re still primed for flooding and more damage because there’s more rain and wind coming,” Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service was quoted as saying in a report by The San Francisco Chronicle.

The National Weather Service Bay Area office issued a flood watch for Tuesday night through Thursday morning for the entire San Francisco Bay Area, and a high wind warning is also in effect for the region till Thursday.

Last Saturday, at least one person was killed in the Bay Area during a historic weekend storm. ■

Vehicles drive in storm in Millbrae, California, the United States, Jan. 4, 2023. A winter storm hit northern California, bringing rain and snow to the local area. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

A pedestrian walks in storm in Millbrae, California, the United States, Jan. 4, 2023. A winter storm hit northern California, bringing rain and snow to the local area. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

A pedestrian walks in storm in Millbrae, California, the United States, Jan. 4, 2023. A winter storm hit northern California, bringing rain and snow to the local area. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SFG / AP) – An emergency ordinance from Mayor London Breed aimed at addressing drug trafficking and overdosing in San Francisco’s tenderloin neighborhood has been heavily criticized ahead of its board of directors to vote on Thursday.

The public health declaration of a state of emergency enables the emergency management department to forego licensing, zoning and contracting rules in order to speed up hiring street cleaners and security services and building a new temporary center where people can be treated and counseled, Breed said.

CONTINUE READING: 2 dead found in a flooded vehicle in the Millbrae underpass

The order has nothing to do with a police operation, but critics are calling on the board of directors to reject the statement amid Breed’s broader plan to flood the area with officials and jail drug users if they refuse to accept treatment.

“Threatening people to arrest doesn’t work to bring addicts into treatment,” said San Francisco supervisor Dean Preston, who wants the mayor to spend money on expanding mental health services, alternatives to the police and hotel rooms for the homeless.

“We can do this, but only if we learn from past mistakes instead of repeating them,” he said on social media.

The tenderloin includes museums, the main public library and government offices, including the town hall. But it is also teeming with people who are homeless or in marginal homes, with a high concentration of drug dealers and drug users.

Breed said last week it was time to “be less tolerant of all the bull – that destroyed our city”. She said it wasn’t fair that residents couldn’t use their parks or leave their homes.

CONTINUE READING: Increase in COVID-19 cases is forcing Contra Costa to request test appointments

“If someone openly uses drugs on the street, we give them the opportunity to take advantage of the services and treatments we offer. But if they refuse, we won’t allow them to continue consuming on the streets, ”she said on social media this week. “The families in the neighborhood deserve better.”

The number of overdose-related deaths in San Francisco has increased more than 200% since 2018, and over 700 people died from drug overdoses in the city last year, more than the number who died from COVID -19 died, according to the proclamation.

Nearly 600 people died of drug overdoses this year through November, with nearly half of the deaths occurring in the Tenderloin and neighboring South of Market District, the proclamation said. These areas make up 7% of the population of San Francisco.

Politically liberal cities in the US are grappling with crime following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, when their elected leaders pledged ways to reduce friction between police and vulnerable color communities, especially African-Americans like Floyd.

San Francisco Prosecutor Chesa Boudin joined the city’s public defender earlier this week in denouncing the mayor’s plan, saying that detaining people struggling with addiction, mental health problems and homelessness would not work .

They want her to use the money to build additional treatment beds, shelter, professional training, and other social services.

MORE NEWS: Tuolumne County Sheriff issues evacuation advice after cracks are found in Twain Harte Lake Dam

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