Drought May Ease in Coming Weeks; Too Late for Crops
The epic drought that has gripped large parts of the U.S. for much of the summer, and which now ranks as the nation’s fifth worst on record, should ease in the coming weeks, according to a report on Thursday from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service… Read More
2012 Drought Inches Up In U.S. Historical Rankings
The drought footprint is currently the largest in the 13-year record of the U.S. Drought Monitor. To compare this drought with droughts that occurred prior to this period of record, climate scientists use drought indices such as the Palmer Drought Severity Index, or PDSI, which measures the balance between moisture demand and moisture supply.… Read More
Planet Records Fourth-Warmest July on Record
The globally averaged temperature over land areas was the third highest for July on record. For Northern Hemisphere land areas only, however, it was the warmest July on record, which is significant since this is where most of the planet’s land masses are located.… Read More
City Temps May Soar From Urbanization, Global Warming
According to a paper just published in Nature Climate Change, the combination of global warming and urbanization could drive local temperatures up by a whopping 7°F by 2050 in some parts of the U.S. — some two or three times higher than the effects of global warming alone.… Read More
As the South Bakes, Is it Too Hot for High School Football?
Lightning strikes above the live oaks lining the practice field in this coastal town in southeast Georgia. Coach Jeff Herron blows his whistle three times, giving the evacuation orders. A cheer of "Hey!" erupts from the 160 football players as they happily hustle off the field and into the gym. Coach Herron doesn't share their enthusiasm. A lost … Read More
Life Out West and On the Edge (of Wildfire)
When the Waldo Canyon fire ignited in the mountains near Colorado Springs this June, Cindy and Mark Maluschka started packing. The evacuation zone mapped out by city officials ended two streets away from them, but the Maluschkas have seen fires spread faster than expected before. The 2002 Hayman Fire — until this summer, the most destructive … Read More
Forest Service Fights All Fires Now, But at What Cost?
On July 12, lightning sparked a forest fire in western Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex — a place where wildfires are common this time of year. Usually, if they’re small and don’t threaten to get out of control, the U.S. Forest Service will let them burn. Small fires are good for the forest ecosystem, burning off dead timber and creating … Read More
Researchers ID Link Between Heat and Heart Stress
In a summer of blistering weather, heart researchers have yet more bad news: Higher temperatures can increase inflammation in people with pre-existing heart conditions, impairing heart muscle function and potentially triggering heart failure. Scientists, in one of the first studies of its kind, believe they have identified a pathway by which … Read More
