Earth’s temperature was off the charts this year, and scientists just confirmed what much of planet already felt coming: 2023 will officially be the hottest year on record. As CNN reports, the analysis from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found this year’s global temperature will be more than 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer than […]
Category: Weather Nerd
Winter Tornadoes Rip through Northern Tennessee, Killing 6 and Injuring Dozens
At least six people died Saturday after tornadoes tore through parts of Tennessee, officials said. As the sun rose across the state early Sunday morning, residents – and crews who spent a tough night digging through wreckage in search of survivors – were getting their first look at the destruction in daylight. Homes were destroyed, […]
Get Ready for the Geminid Meteor Shower!
The 2023 astronomical calendar has been packed with a variety of captivating celestial sights, and the year will conclude with a slate of events that includes a highly-anticipated meteor shower. As Accuweather reports, December’s longer nights present more time for stargazing, including the chance to see the return of the famous constellation Orion. Early morning stargazers have […]
Atmospheric River continues to Rage through the Pacific Northwest
As a fire hose of rain, known as an atmospheric river, continues in western Washington and Oregon, small streams and rivers have become raging torrents, posing significant threats to lives and property throughout the week. The atmospheric river turned deadly near Portland, Oregon, Monday when a man was swept away along Johnson Creek. A second death was […]
Scientists Say Our Galaxy’s Black Hole Spins Fast Enough to Drag Space and Time With It
The supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, is spinning rapidly and altering space-time around it, a new study has found. Space-time is the four-dimensional continuum that describes how we see space, fusing one-dimensional time and three-dimensional space together to represent the space fabric that curves in response to massive celestial […]
Solar Storm causes Northern Lights unusually Far South
As aurora watchers waited and wondered Thursday night, for a time it seemed possible the latest blast from the sun could end up a northern lights bust. But then, there was light. As The Washington Post reports, a geomagnetic storm reaching G3 levels, which is considered strong on a scale of 1 to 5, roared in shortly before […]
What are Kelvin Waves and Why are they Important in an El Nino year?
The waves that most of us are familiar with are the waves at the beach—waves that endlessly curl and crash on the shore. But the ocean and atmosphere also have what are called “planetary waves”—waves of immense scale. Kelvin waves are a kind of planetary wave. Unlike the waves you see at the beach, Kelvin […]
Gardeners, Help has Arrived: New “Plant Hardiness Zone Map” will help you Keep Pace with Climate Change
Southern staples like magnolia trees and camellias may now be able to grow without frost damage in once-frigid Boston. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Plant Hardiness Zone Map” was updated last week for the first time in a decade, and it shows the impact that climate change will have on gardens and yards across the […]
How El Niño is Changing the Winter Forecast
A strong El Niño is favored this winter, which is typically associated with warmer-than-average conditions in much of the northern U.S. It also means parts of the southern U.S. usually see temperatures somewhat below-average in winter. Remember, this outlook is an overall three-month trend. Therefore, we will likely see periods that are warmer or colder […]
Who are the “Polluter Elite?”
According to a new report, the “polluter elite” are disproportionately driving the climate change crisis that’s melting ice caps, driving up record breaking temps, fueling hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods. So, who are the “polluter elite?” Apparently, it’s the wealthiest 1% of people in the world, who are putting out as much carbon pollution as the […]