Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has been tracking daily weather since 1960, providing over 60 years of data to understand the local climate changes. This data shows that it’s getting warmer, especially at night. Since 1960, the daily average low temperature has increased by 4.5 degrees, while the daily average high temperature has increased by 1.6 degrees. These rising temperatures can affect visits to the park by making it hotter, especially during the night.
In late July 2018, during the start of the Carr Fire, temperatures hit 111 degrees, tying the all-time high for those days. The Carr Fire was the most destructive fire in the history of the National Park System, burning 97% of the national recreation area and destroying over 100 structures. The fire started during a record-tying heatwave, highlighting the impact of global warming.
The annual average rainfall of 60 inches has remained steady since 1960, but winter precipitation varies greatly from year to year. Before and after the Carr Fire, the park received nearly 100 inches of rain during the winters. However, the period from 2019 to 2022 was the driest three-year span on record.
In summary, Whiskeytown is experiencing warmer temperatures and fluctuating precipitation patterns, which have significant effects on the park’s environment and visitor experience.
The Effect of Heat on the Redding Eagles
There is an excellent citizen science video on YouTube illustrating the effects of heat on the death of eaglets at Turtle Bay in two years of unusually hot weather. The video compares temperature ranges historically and at the time of eaglet deaths in two separate years. This was an individual effort but many of the volunteers of Friends of the Redding Eagles played an important part. The video is 54 minutes long but if you divide it up into two sessions it is easy to absorb. This video will teach you a lot about the biology of Bald Eagles and is well worth the time and a bad omen for our warming climate. See Eagles at Risk: A Race to Survive on YouTube by clicking here.