The first in a series of storm systems and strong cold fronts will be affecting southwest Florida today (Jan. 15, 2015). Heavy showers and thunderstorms, a few of which may turn severe, are on the menu. While this mainly includes strong, gusty thunderstorm winds (up to 60 miles per hour),
Read DetailsThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today the completion of a major upgrade of its weather and climate supercomputer capabilities. The two supercomputers involved in this upgrade – called Luna and Surge (and built by IBM and Cray Computing) – are located at computing centers in Reston, VA
Read DetailsLately, there have been lots of posts at NEWxForum about “lake effect” snow. Such snows are typically found downwind from large, relatively warm lakes during periods when cold air moves across the lakes. The longer the overwater trajectory, the more linear the developing snow band, and the more persistent the
Read DetailsAs December’s warmth fades into short-term memory, folks nationwide are going to start shivering. Don’t be surprised if you start to hear a transition from, “OMG, it’s soooo warm,” to, “this cold is horrible…wish the weather would warm up.” This transition will be linked to a significant shift in the
Read DetailsCalifornia’s exceptional drought was in the news a lot in 2015. Recently, however, a series of storms has brought much needed rainfall and snowfall to the state. As a result, drought conditions have lessened in California and adjacent states (Fig. 1) during the past three months. During the next seven
Read Details2015 was the year of record warmth across south Florida (Fig. 1). November, and especially December, 2015 (Fig. 2) were record-setting months, as well. And, on a daily basis, many scores of records were set (Fig. 3). What is most impressive is the number of record high minimum temperatures that
Read DetailsNew Year’s Day 2016 will mark the end of record heat across south Florida. By tomorrow midday, the first in a series of cold fronts will pass through the area bringing a shift to northerly and then northeasterly winds, cooler temperatures, lower dew points, extensive cloud cover and greater chances
Read DetailsTo say that it was unseasonably hot in south Florida in 2015 would be an understatement. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Miami, 2015 was the hottest year on record at all four main climate sites (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Naples and West Palm Beach). Temperatures for the year easily
Read DetailsUnseasonably warm and mostly ice-free Great Lake waters, a persistent, strong and cold westerly wind flow, and the usual water-land interactions are all conspiring to create a prolonged “lake effect” snow event across the eastern Great Lakes. The area near Watertown, NY (at the eastern end of Lake Ontario), including
Read DetailsFollowing a rather stormy and deadly Christmas week, and a protracted period of warmth across the eastern U.S., the weather pattern is shifting into a more tranquil mode. In fact, the 7-day quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF), issued by NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center, is calling for mostly dry conditions nationwide for
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