Bighorn Smoke Cloud Creates Its Own Weather

At first, it looks like a thunderstorm.

Technically it's not, then again, it kind of is.

Did you know fires can create their own weather?

Large plumes of smoke rose from the northern end of Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains on Sunday.

Those things can make their own weather, and it's not a good thing.

Two wildfires sent massive plumes high into the atmosphere that could be seen for hundreds of miles around.

What you see below is an aeronautical chart. The area in red is called a TAF. (Temporary Flight Restriction).

Firefighting crews on the ground as well as planes and helicopters are battling the blaze.

ELK INCIDENT
Type: WF - Wildfire
Area Acres Burned: 2,762
Percent Contained: 0%
Discovered: 9/27/2024 8:36 AM

PK LANE INCIDENT
Type: WF - Wildfire
Area Acres Burned: 0.2
Percent Contained: Not Available
Discovered: 8/6/2024 4:26 PM

Over in Dubois the Pack Trail Fire has grown nearly 3,000 acres today, September 29.

The actual fire was over 9,000 acres with an estimated 11,881 acres burned so far.

Large wildfires can create their own weather, including thunderstorms, fire whirls, and even thunderstorms. Sorry to say that those thunderstorms do not produce rain which would help to put out the fire that created it. But they do produce lighting, making more fires.

The fire's extremely hot air rises and creates pyrocumulus or pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which are also called "fire clouds" or "fire storm clouds". Those clouds can then build and lead to thunderstorms.

You may have seen videos of fire tornadoes. They look like dust devils, but on fire.

Imagine being a firefighter inside all of that.

Or a firefighting pilot trying to drop water on from above.

It's not a good situation to be in.