There’s a lingering question on the minds of many: How will the unseasonably dry winter affect the wildfire season in Northern California?
It’s an important question given the recent history and impact of wildfires.
They can be destructive, deadly and disruptive.
This year, vegetation in Northern California is drier than usual for July. This fact follows a historic drought from 2012 to 2016. Rainfall average fell to nearly half in the Bay Area this winter while Southern California enjoyed normal precipitation.
Nevertheless, lack of rain in the early parts of the year, coupled with recent hot weather in Northern California, left vegetation in a vulnerable high-risk state.
Experts point to Alameda, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties as the communities most impacted by drought-like conditions. The snowpack is also lagging behind last year’s trend. By the beginning of April, the Sierra snowpack was just 45 percent of historic averages and pales in comparison to last year’s 161 percent level.
Over the next four to five months, fire experts expect an elevated fire danger across the region, which is only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
If and when fires spark, firefighters will be briefed over the radio rather than in person. They will also practice social distancing measures and eat in shifts.
At home, residents face elevated fire dangers while also worrying about whether their electricity will stay on when they need it most. Utility companies implement electricity shutoffs as a way to help stop fires from spreading from powerlines and other infrastructure.
As a consequence, millions of customers must prepare for life without power, sometimes in the dead heat of summer.
Planned power outages come at a high price, but with solar power and solar battery storage, it’s one you won’t have to deal with.
A solar battery lets you store excess energy generated by your solar energy system so it can be used when it’s needed most.
The potential for solar energy storage is tremendous and allows customers to reap the benefits of a comprehensive solution to the unpredictability, inconvenience and stress of power outages.
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, and other eco- and wallet-friendly solutions, please browse our website, or contact us today.
For more than 40 years, Aztec Solar has provided sensible, inexpensive and quality energy solutions to residents and business owners across Northern California.
Now it’s your turn.
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