Panel Finds Flaws with NWS Guidance on Sandy’s Surge
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its final review of the agency’s performance during Hurricane Sandy, finding that while the agency provided accurate forecasts of the storm’s path and strength well ahead of time, there were many shortcomings, including confusing and poorly timed guidance on the expected storm surg… Read More
Good News, Bad News from New EIA Emissions Analysis
There was good news and bad to be mined from a state-by-state analysis of carbon emissions over a decade, which was released this week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Overall, the EIA reported that between 2000 and 2010, 38 states saw an overall drop in their annual energy-related carbon emissions, but between 2009 and 2010, … Read More
Tinderbox-Dry Western U.S. at High Risk of Major Wildfires
The anticipated escalation in U.S. wildfire activity comes after the slowest start to wildfires in at least 10 years, according to Jeremy Sullens, a forecaster at NIFC. As of May 3, the country had seen 13,150 wildfires, which have burned about 153,000 acres. Due to a combination of drought and record heat, 2012 saw one of the most destructive wild… Read More
In Parched Southwest, Anxious Wait for Summer Rains
However, if the past two summer monsoon seasons are any guide to what’s ahead, meaningful drought relief may be wishful thinking. “Another dry monsoon could be devastating,” said Victor Murphy, a climate services program manager with the National Weather Service.… Read More
Jet Stream Enhances Drought in West, Midwest Relief
A week of wild and unusual weather brought a combination of record cold, snow flurries, heavy rains and 90-degree heat to different parts of the U.S. As a result of this weather pattern, which was characterized by a topsy turvy jet stream that caused storm systems to inch across the country, drought shrank in some places and grew in others, but the… Read More
Hawaii at Growing Risk of Hurricanes, Studies Show
The new study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that environmental conditions will become more favorable for tropical cyclones in and around the Hawaiian islands by 2075-2099. That’s due, in part, to a northwestward shift in the tropical cyclone track as well as increased ocean temperatures in the central tropical Pacific, whic… Read More
Heeding Sandy’s Lessons, Before the Next Big Storm
First and foremost, Sandy drove home the need to rethink coastal development practices that encourage growth in vulnerable areas. Second, the storm, which was forecasted well in advance, proved the value of a robust weather and climate forecasting infrastructure at a time of budget austerity.… Read More
Boost to Colorado Snowpack May Lessen Wildfire Risk
As recently as late March it appeared that most of the West, including Colorado, was headed for a long, and tinderbox-dry spring and summer, with the effects of a long-running drought becoming ever more apparent in the form of dwindling water supplies and destructive wildfires. Many officials feared a repeat of last year’s disastrous wildfire seaso… Read More
