Spring Blizzard to Dump Heavy Snow, Spark Severe Storms
This storm will be notable for its broad geographic reach and multiple hazards, ranging from blizzard conditions with heavy snow and powerful winds, to severe thunderstorms containing large hail, damaging winds, and potentially tornadoes. … Read More
Another Summer of Drought Looms for Texas and West
The drought that has gripped Texas for the better part of two years is expected to continue into the summer. Conditions are also expected to expand and intensify all across the West and Southwest, where below-average annual precipitation have combined with low water supplies left over from the drought that began in 2012. An update to the Seasonal… 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
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
Dusty Springs in Asia, Africa Can Increase Snow in Calif.
A dusty spring in Asia and Africa can increase snowfall thousands of miles away in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, according to a new study. The process begins when winds stir up tiny particles of dust, pollution, bacteria and heavy metals from the Taklimakan and Gobi deserts in Asia and the Sahara in northern Africa. In a matter of days, … 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
