Category: Extreme Weather

Climate Climate Change Extreme Weather Los Angeles Science

Thursday is one of the most dangerous wildfire days in recent Southern California history

sudshr47 December 7, 2017

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Thursday looks to be a pivotal, frightening day in Southern California’s battle against a wildfire siege that began early this week and has since spread out of control. At least three large fires are currently burning in and around Los Angeles, including one — the Thomas Fire — which has already burned at least 90,000 acres near Ventura. 

Early Thursday morning, authorities closed the 101 Freeway in both directions due to strong winds pushing fire close to the road, cutting off movement between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Evacuation orders have gone out for idyllic communities in the Ojai Valley, as well as parts of Santa Barbara, as flames move toward the coast, according to the LA Times. More evacuations are likely on Thursday. Read more…

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Climate Extreme Weather Science Snow Winter

Powerful cold front to usher in winter across the U.S., but it may not mean heavy snow

sudshr47 December 4, 2017

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For the tens of millions who live in the Midwest, Mississippi River Valley, Ohio Valley, and the East Coast, the first taste of true winter weather is just days away. Ushered in by a powerful cold front, the cold air, with high temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees below average, will come as a shock following one of the warmest fall seasons on record. 

Computer models are in agreement that the weather pattern across the Northern Hemisphere will become extremely amplified, which means that the jet stream — that high altitude superhighway of winds that steers weather systems and forms the boundaries between air masses — will carve out large dips, or troughs, as well as strong, practically immovable “blocking” ridges. Read more…

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View More Powerful cold front to usher in winter across the U.S., but it may not mean heavy snow
Cold And Flu Extreme Weather Flu Health Science

The coming Arctic blast probably won’t make you sick, but winter definitely can

sudshr47 December 3, 2017

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The coldest air of the season will soon smack the Midwest and East Coast, dramatically dropping temperatures and rudely establishing that winter is here. The Arctic chill will arrive between Dec. 8 and 11, and could persist in some areas straight through Christmas.

Given such an abrupt shift in weather, especially since the fall was much milder-than-average across the country, one might think that it’s going to be easier to get sick as soon as the cold air hits. Many people think that they’re more susceptible to the common cold or the flu during periods of shifting weather conditions. 

However, experts say this is probably not the case — or at least, it’s difficult to prove.  Read more…

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Climate Extreme Weather Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Season Science

Disastrous 2017 Atlantic hurricane season ends, with hard-hit areas still reeling

sudshr47 November 30, 2017

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The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Thursday, will go down as one of the most expensive in American history. The notorious storms of 2017 — hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria — may have had innocuous names. However, they flooded America’s fourth-largest metropolis, cut a swath of destruction across the Caribbean before hitting Florida, and cut off power to the entire island of Puerto Rico, respectively.

The costs of the storms that hit the U.S. are still being tallied, with some analysts claiming that it was the most expensive hurricane season on record. Steve Bowen, a meteorologist with the insurance company AonBenfield, said that his company’s calculations show that direct damage and business interruption losses from 2017’s many storms will put 2017 in second place, behind 2005, once adjusted for inflation. Read more…

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Climate Climate Change Extreme Weather Global Warming Science

To obtain funding, scientists may be avoiding use of the term ‘climate change’ in research proposals

sudshr47 November 30, 2017

Climate scientists may be self-censoring in order to get their work funded through government grants.
New data released by NPR this week shows that grants and research proposals from the National Science Foundation (NSF) using the term “climate chang…

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Climate Climate Change Extreme Weather Polar Vortex Science

Confidence grows that extreme weather pattern will soon envelop Northern Hemisphere

sudshr47 November 29, 2017

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The stage is set for a dramatic change in the weather pattern across the Northern Hemisphere during the next seven to 10 days. 

That change will likely bring a brutal Arctic blast across the Midwest and eastern U.S., put Western Europe into the deep freeze, and maintain an area of extreme cold in eastern Asia. 

The new weather pattern could give rise to snowstorms along the East Coast of the U.S., though it’s too early to tell whether that will happen, forecasters say. What is clear is that winter is coming — ASAP. 

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Climate Cold Extreme Weather Science Snow

Big weather pattern shift could blast East Coast with frigid air, snow in mid-December

sudshr47 November 27, 2017

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Everyone should be wary when weather geeks start getting excited about an upcoming shift in the jet stream because it usually means inclement weather is ahead. 

After all, weather enthusiasts — whether they be armchair forecasters or professionals — tend to abhor boring stretches of “nice” weather.

Forecasters have reason to be psyched right now, given strong hints for what could be a major weather pattern realignment during the next two weeks. 

Computer models are increasingly showing the potential for a cold and possibly snowy weather pattern to develop along the East Coast of the U.S. during the second week of December. While there are many uncertainties associated with the forecast so far in advance, the general contours of what is likely to happen are becoming clearer. Read more…

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View More Big weather pattern shift could blast East Coast with frigid air, snow in mid-December
Climate Cold Extreme Weather Science Snow

Big weather pattern shift could blast East Coast with frigid air, snow in mid-December

sudshr47 November 27, 2017

TwitterFacebook

Everyone should be wary when weather geeks start getting excited about an upcoming shift in the jet stream because it usually means inclement weather is ahead. 

After all, weather enthusiasts — whether they be armchair forecasters or professionals — tend to abhor boring stretches of “nice” weather.

Forecasters have reason to be psyched right now, given strong hints for what could be a major weather pattern realignment during the next two weeks. 

Computer models are increasingly showing the potential for a cold and possibly snowy weather pattern to develop along the East Coast of the U.S. during the second week of December. While there are many uncertainties associated with the forecast so far in advance, the general contours of what is likely to happen are becoming clearer. Read more…

More about Climate, Science, Snow, Extreme Weather, and Cold

View More Big weather pattern shift could blast East Coast with frigid air, snow in mid-December