• Weather

NOAA Predicts It’s Going To Be An Active Hurricane Season

• hurricane
• named storms
• National Hurricane Center
• National Weather Service
• science
• tropical storms

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) is forecasting a likely range of 13 to 19 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes and 3 to 6 become major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher. The forecast is due to cooler ocean conditions in the Pacific and warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Why This Matters:  It could be a disastrous summer. The new climate normal on top of the COVID-19 pandemic will make things challenging everywhere.

• Weather

Mass Evacuations in Michigan After Dams Collapse

• Dow
• flash flood
• Flooding
• Gretchen Whitmer
• Michigan

After suffering record-breaking heavy rains, the Central Michigan city of Midland experienced a catastrophic 2-dam collapse along the Tittabawassee River yesterday evening. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency and expressed that “In the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately nine feet of water.” Whitmer also urged people […]

• Weather

Researchers Confirm that Climate Change is Making Hurricanes Stronger

• climate change
• hurricane
• NOAA

An important new study out this week from researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Wisconsin at Madison reveals that hurricanes are getting stronger, just as climate models have predicted. As the New York Times explained, the analysis, of satellite images dating to 1979, shows that warming has increased the […]

• Weather

First Named Storm of the Season – Tropical Storm Arthur – Heads for NC Coast

• #sciene
• #Sharpiegate
• conservation
• extreme weather
• hurricane
• hurricane season

Hurricane season does not officially start until June 1, but the first named storm of the season is arriving early — Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to graze or even come ashore along North Carolina’s Outer Banks later today. 

Why This Matters:  The state of North Carolina has been battered by storms over the last few years.

• Weather

April Ties Record, 2020 Could Be Warmest Year and CO2 Levels Highest in 3 Million Years

• #COVID19
• conservation
• El Nino
• heat
• hurricane
• science
• severe weather

April’s global average temperatures tied for the warmest on record, with NOAA predicting there is a 75% chance that this year will be the warmest since temperatures records began in 1880 due to much warmer than average temperatures in northern Asia, especially Siberia, across northern and coastal central Greenland, for parts of Antarctica, areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. 

Why This Matters:  As carbon dioxide levels keep going up it is easier and easier to set warmest month records because it stays in the atmosphere for a long time continuing to heat us up.

• Weather

Beach Battles Loom in CA and FL As Temps Rise, So Does Dust From CA’s Salton Sea

• colorado river
• coronavirus
• environment
• Gulf of Mexico
• hot weather
• water wars

Unusually high heat has struck Florida and the Gulf Coast just as cities across the state are struggling to keep their beaches from becoming overcrowded due to the summertime temps, and the Governor weights opening up the state again.  In California, record heat over the weekend, with temperatures pushing 100 degrees and many lacking proper air conditioning. 

Why This Matters:  The hot summer-like temps in SoCal and Florida are not making it easy for local officials trying to keep people safe during the shelter in place orders.

• Weather

Severe Weather and Coronavirus: A Bad Combo

• Gulf of Mexico
• hurricane
• Hurricane Harvey
• severe weather
• tornado
• tornadoes

This year’s warm winter through most of the Lower 48 states has been great, right? Yes, but, but, but — the warm weather in the southeast was caused by the fact that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are about 3 degrees warmer than usual, and that also increases the prospect for a very active spring tornado season and summer hurricane season.

Why This Matters:  It was less than a month ago that a deadly cluster of severe tornadoes hit Nashville.  What if the city had been battling the surge of the virus at the time?

• Weather

Nashville’s Deadly Tornados a Reminder that We’re Not Prepared

• extreme weather
• Tennessee
• tornado

Early Tuesday morning multiple tornados ripped through East Nashville shredding more than 140 buildings and burying people in piles of rubble. As AP reported, at least 24 people were killed, many of them before they could even get out of bed, authorities said. Sirens and cellphone alerts sounded, but the twisters that struck around 2 […]

• Weather

“Temperature Scarves” and “Tempestries” Are Sending a Message About Warming

• #ShowYourStripes
• #TempestryProject
• climate change
• temperature
• warming stripes

As the Trump Administration increasingly tries to de-fund and deny the science of climate change, Medium and The New York Times have published a beautiful stories on knitters across the country who have started to document rising temperatures in their communities and in National Parks by creating scarves that “record” local temperature changes across the span of a year.  These scarves are colorful but they are also making a point about climate change in a way that opens up conversations with people who might not otherwise be able to see what is happening by showing temperature changes in stripes that represent temperature increases in a particular location each year.

• Weather

NOAA Announces Plan to Significantly Upgrade Supercomputing Capacity for Weather Modeling

• climate change
• models
• severe storms
• supercomputers
• superstorm Sandy
• weather forecasting

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced late last week that it will triple its operational weather and climate supercomputing capacity, and double its storage and interconnect speed, thanks to the installation of a pair of new Cray systems in Manassas, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona in the next two years.

Why This Matters:  The National Weather Service’s dedicated forecasters and NOAA’s weather satellites provide a great service to the country in terms of reliable daily and weekly forecasts at bargain-basement prices.

• Weather

Extreme Flooding on Both Sides of the Atlantic Brings a Wake of Fear

• extreme weather
• Flooding
• Mississippi

For parts of the Southern United States, this past winter has been one of the wettest on record and more rain is expected this week. Non-stop rains on top of already-saturated ground have brought devastating flooding that has forced people in Mississippi to flee their homes. So much so in fact that Mississippi Gov. Tate […]

• Weather

What Happened to Winter? Why 2020’s On Track to be the Warmest Winter Ever.

• climate change
• snow
• winter

If you live in DC you’re probably like us and have been wondering what the heck happened to winter this year. You’re not alone, according to NBC News, In Japan, record low snowfall has forced ski resorts to close prematurely. In Finland, forests that would normally be stark and bare at this time of year […]