Rare May Snowstorm Annihilates Records in Midwest
In Iowa, the 11 inches recorded at the town of Britt, which is in the north central part of the state, is also likely a state record. The 6.7 inches that fell in Des Moines was the biggest May snowstorm on record for that city as well. In Wisconsin, 16.2 inches fell at Ashland, which also set a state record for the heaviest May snowstorm on record.… Read More
Twin Cities Narrowly Escape Record May Snowstorm
Had the storm hit only 50 miles or so further northwest, the Twin Cities would have been in the bullseye for at least a foot of snow, which would have shattered the all-time May snowfall record there, which stands at just 3 inches.… Read More
Watch 62 Years of Global Warming in 13 Seconds
From our friends at NASA comes this amazing 13-second animation that depicts how temperatures around the globe have warmed since 1950. You’ll note an acceleration of those temperatures in the late 1970s as greenhouse gas emissions from energy production increased worldwide and clean air laws reduced emissions of pollutants that had a cooling effect… Read More
Winter is Coming: Texas, Midwest Bracing for Cold
A sharp cold front is ushering in some of the coldest temperatures on record for the month of May in the southern Plains and into Texas, with temperatures plummeting from the mid-90s on Tuesday in Amarillo, Texas, to the upper 20s on Wednesday night. Houston may be in line to set a record for the coldest May day on record if the low temperature on … Read More
Winter Is Finally Releasing Its Chilly Grip on the U.S.
When the AO index is in its “negative” phase, air pressure over the Arctic is higher than average, while pressure over the mid-latitudes is relatively low, and prevailing winds allow extremely cold air to spill out of the Arctic, as if opening the Northern Hemisphere's refrigerator door. … Read More
Monster Storm Lashing Outer Reaches of Alaska
At its most intense point, the storm had an air pressure reading of about 936 mb or slightly lower, roughly equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, and similar to the intensity of Hurricane Sandy as that storm moved toward the New Jersey coastline in October. (In general, the lower the air pressure, the stronger the storm.)… Read More
Heat and Threat of Wildfires Blaze on in Australia
a delayed monsoon is helping to heat Australia to record levels, with weather forecasters adding new colors onto weather maps to indicate temperatures up to 129°F. While the wildfires have diminished some, the heat is forecast to return to Queensland and other areas during the weekend into early next week, and the fire danger remains "extreme" in s… Read More
5 Charts Help Illustrate 2012 As Warmest Year on Record
The 1°F margin between 2012 and 1998 may not seem like much at first, but usually such temperature records are set by just a few fractions of a degree. As seen in this NOAA chart, 2012 towers above the pack of warm years.… Read More
