Warming May Mean More Toxic Algae Blooms for Lake Erie
Toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie could come more often and be more intense in coming decades thanks in part to torrential rains intensified by global warming, according to a study published in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Heavy runoff from farmland, say the authors, can carry nutrient-rich fertilizer into the western… Read More
Drought and Floods in NOAA’s ‘Mixed Bag’ Spring Outlook
The West and South will continue to face more drought this spring, while the Midwest is likely to see heavy rains and some serious flooding as the northern snowpack melts, according to a seasonal forecast released by the U.S. government on Thursday. The Seasonal Outlook, a product of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration… Read More
Drought Eases in Midwest, but Rainfall Deficit Continues
Drought conditions improved in the Midwest this week, as rain and snow fell on the northern half of the continental U.S. this week. However, drought conditions remained largely unchanged across the upper Midwest and High Plains, where the frozen ground and long-term soil dryness slowed the ability of precipitation to provide relief.… Read More
Myriad Hazards Loom as Intense Snowstorm Moves In
In Washington itself, forecasts call for about 6 to 10 inches of snow, possibly more, depending on precipitation rates and surface temperatures. The highest snowfall amounts should fall in the western part of the D.C. metro area, with warmer air limiting accumulations to the east of Interstate 95.… Read More
Heavy Rains, Snow Bring First Hint of Good Drought News
There was a net decline in all categories of drought across the lower 48 states during the week ending on Feb. 26. Most of the drought relief was confined to the Southeast and Southern Plains. In the Southeast, the total area in moderate drought or worse plummeted from 43.76 percent down to 27.26 percent in just one week.… Read More
Time Is Running Out to Avert a Third Summer of Drought
Meanwhile, the economic toll of the worst drought to strike the U.S. since at least the 1950s is climbing, and it “will probably end up being a top-five disaster event” among the government’s ranking of all weather disasters over the past three decades, said Brad Rippey, a meteorologist in the Agriculture Department’s Office of the Chief Economist,… Read More
Snowstorm Headed For Heart of Drought Region
According to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, 77 percent of Nebraska is currently classified as experiencing “exceptional” drought conditions, the most severe category there is. In Kansas, that figure is lower, at 36 percent of the state.… Read More
The Top 10 Hardest-Hit States for Crop Damage
The searing U.S. drought of 2012 devastated the nation’s corn crop, pushing yields down in some states to their lowest levels in nearly 30 years. According to recently-released numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Missouri, Illinois and Indiana were among the hardest hit Corn Belt states, with yields at 28-, 26-, and 22-year … Read More
