What’s new in the Golden State?

In California, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is nearing 750,000.

During this past 3-day Labor Day weekend (September 5-7, 2020), temperatures fluctuated between 97-103 °F (36-39 °C) in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live.

On Sunday morning, we had a relatively small (yet still scary to me) 3.4 magnitude earthquake.

At the same time, wildfires burned throughout the state. Sadly, hundreds of firefighters are still trying to contain them.

Today is Wednesday, September 9, 2020 and look at the sky:

Skies over San Francisco: Sept. 9, 2020 at 9:45 am (PDT)

I took this picture with my phone (no filter) at 9:45 am (PDT) today, which also happens to be the 170th anniversary of California’s statehood.

The orange glow is said to be a result of wildfire smoke that’s trapped in the atmosphere, which explains why there is no smoky smell.

Apocalyptic. Beautiful. Confusing. Dramatic. Eerie.

These are some of the words I’m hearing to describe today’s skies. It’s a bit disorienting, too. Is it dawn or dusk, a sunrise or a sunset? But since it’s not changing, it’s like the sky is on pause.

What does the sky look like where you are?