White Christmas 2016: Will You See One?

https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/white-christmas-forecast-2016

A persistently cold pattern through the Christmas holiday should keep any snow from melting over a large part of the northern tier of states from parts of the Northwest, through the northern and central Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, and Northeast.

Furthermore, an active jet-stream track along that cold air should provide multiple chances of additional snowfall through the holiday.

However, a potential Christmas week thaw puts the southern edge of that snowcover in jeopardy, particularly in parts of the Northeast.

The map below indicates where there is the best chance for a white Christmas in any given year, based on climatological averages over the last three full decades.

5 Things We're Watching in the Weather This Week

https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/cold-snow-north-rain-south-mid-december

There are some differences in the forecast models, which is common several days out in an active pattern, so there is uncertainty in the forecast specifics. But, there is confidence in the overall pattern of arctic air spreading into the U.S. and multiple disturbances moving through the country, due to an active Pacific jet stream.

Below, we highlight what we are watching for this week, so be sure to check back to weather.com for updates.

1) Winter Storm Caly

Snow from Winter Storm Caly is making its final stop in theNortheast on Monday, likely disrupting travel.

(MORE: Winter Storm Caly Detailed Forecast)

Additional snow totals of over 5 inches are possible in New England.

2) Frigid Temperatures

The first arctic blast of the season moved into the U.S. this past week and another round of even colder temperatures is ahead this week.

An arctic cold front will push through the Midwest midweek and high pressure will move in behind it. This will allow the coldest temperatures of the season, so far, to be experienced, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.

U.S. preps for 'dangerously' cold temperatures

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/12/12/polar-vortex-snowstorm-winter-weather/95329504/

Another round of unspeakably cold air, courtesy of the Polar Vortex, is ready for an assault on much of the central and eastern U.S. by midweek. It will bring "dangerously" cold temperatures and howling winds to millions of Americans.

"In the Midwest and Northeast, some areas could experience their lowest December temperatures of this century," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

Wind chills could dip to 30 to 40 degrees below zero in some spots, at which point exposed skin can develop frostbite in as little as 10 minutes, the weather service said.

Hypothermia, a medical emergency marked by uncontrollable shivering, drowsiness and confusion, is also a concern at these temperatures, especially for the elderly, people who work outside or the homeless. More than 1,000 Americans die each year due to hypothermia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

A decades-long, tri-state water war killed a bipartisan weather bill last week

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/12/12/a-decades-long-tri-state-water-war-killed-a-bipartisan-weather-bill-on-friday/?utm_term=.90e63d911cc5

On Thursday afternoon, a bipartisan weather bill years in the making quietly died on the floor of the House of Representatives. Supporters of the bill say it was necessary to maintain U.S. excellence in research and forecasting and the National Weather Service’s ability to issue lifesaving warnings. It also would have bridged federal agencies and private companies in a discipline where advances are being made across all sectors.

The Weather Research and Forecasting Act of 2015 — which had Democrat, Republican, bicameral and weather enterprise support — passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Dec. 2 but was left withering on the vine in the House, ostensibly because of a decades-old water dispute in the South.

The bill would have been the first major piece of weather legislation since the early 1990s. It prioritizes accurate forecasts and warnings and collaboration with the private sector through competitive grants. It aims to improve tornado warnings, including the ability to warn of a tornado more than one hour in advance. It continues the Hurricane Improvement Forecast Program, which saw its funding slashed in 2015, much to the disappointment of the weather community and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

Here’s the first weather report for an exoplanet

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/heres-first-weather-report-exoplanet/

This estimation is based on a study published Monday in Nature Astronomy, the first report to detail persuasive evidence of weather on a planet outside of our Solar System. This new technique for measuring weather patterns on foreign worlds using Earth-based telescopes could aid the search of hospitable planets.

“Our study shows the universe is full of strange and diverse planets, beyond anything we see in our own solar system,” said David Armstrong, study co-author and astrophysicist at the University of Warwick. “This study confirms that exoplanet atmospheres are variable, and gives us some idea of what to look for in the future.”

NASA - What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html


The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

When we talk about climate change, we talk about changes in long-term averages of daily weather. Today, children always hear stories from their parents and grandparents about how snow was always piled up to their waists as they trudged off to school. Children today in most areas of the country haven't experienced those kinds of dreadful snow-packed winters, except for the Northeastern U.S. in January 2005. The change in recent winter snows indicate that the climate has changed since their parents were young.

If summers seem hotter lately, then the recent climate may have changed. In various parts of the world, some people have even noticed that springtime comes earlier now than it did 30 years ago. An earlier springtime is indicative of a possible change in the climate.

In addition to long-term climate change, there are shorter term climate variations. This so-called climate variability can be represented by periodic or intermittent changes related to El Niño, La Niña, volcanic eruptions, or other changes in the Earth system.

Starvation kills 80,000 Arctic reindeer as unusual weather cuts off food supply

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/starvation-kills-80000-arctic-reindeer-as-unusual-weather-cuts-off-food-supply-20161116-gsr29d.html

In August, a lightning blast claimed the lives of more than 300 reindeer in Norway. The month before, an anthrax epidemic – which Russian officials blamed on microbes that thawed after spending decades frozen inside a reindeer corpse – sickened several indigenous people in Siberia and killed a 12-year-old boy. Reindeer died by the hundreds.

In the disease's aftermath, the regional government proposed to cull 250,000 reindeer by Christmas. Rudolph still can't catch a break.

Unusual weather keeps Dawson City waiting for river to freeze

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/dawson-city-freeze-up-late-1.3871343

A late freeze-up in Dawson City has people living across the Yukon River in West Dawson counting their supplies and seeing how long they can wait it out.

Some years, the river is frozen solid enough to walk across by early November. But this year, it's still flowing at month's end.

Will Fellers, a placer miner who was born and raised in Dawson City, says he's never seen a season like this one. 

"I've never seen the river freeze where it has this year. It stopped so far upstream that it's open in front of town," he said.

The river separates the main town centre from West Dawson, where more than 100 people live off-grid. In summer, West Dawsonites can cross the river by ferry, and after freeze-up the territory maintains an ice bridge crossing. In between, there's no easy way across.

Impact of Unusual Temperatures in the Arctic Remains Uncertain

https://www.newsdeeply.com/arctic/articles/2016/12/01/impact-of-unusual-temperatures-in-the-arctic-remains-uncertain

THE REMARKABLE WEATHER pattern that has brought warm weather to the Arctic began around the middle of November when temperatures, already tracking above the long-term average, spiked even further. Temperatures were highest over much of the Arctic Ocean as well as the Canadian archipelago and the Barents region. In contrast, Russia’s Far East experienced very frigid temperatures.

How did this weather pattern get set up? Jennifer Francis, research professor for marine and coastal science at Rutgers University, explains that the low ice extent this fall meant more heat was absorbed and contained in the Arctic Ocean, reducing the temperature difference between the Arctic and lower latitudes. This likely resulted in a “very wavy jet stream that helped transport extra heat and moisture from lower latitudes northward into the Arctic.” The moisture allows more clouds to form, which in turn trap heat, further amplifying the warming.

Ask the Experts: Is El Niño to Blame for So Much Weird Weather?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ask-the-experts-is-el-nino-to-blame-for-so-much-weird-weather/

El Niño has become a hot topic. Most people in the general public now know the term, and they have a vague idea that it is some kind of pattern in the Pacific Ocean that means the U.S. will have a warm winter…or snowy winter…or hot summer—or something. Almost every day, somewhere in the country, a meteorologist is blaming El Niño for unusual weather. The perceived wisdoms, and misunderstandings, are widespread. Atmospheric scientists are the first to acknowledge that only certain effects can be linked to a strong El Niño, and that they are unsure about others.

The current 2015–16 El Niño is one of the three strongest ever recorded. The other two occurred in 1982–83 and 1997–98. In between these events El Niño may have been weak or absent, and its cousin, La Niña, may have been strong in some seasons during that period. In the Northern Hemisphere El Niño’s effects peak during the winter, and are typically sorted out and summed up by the following April.

5 Weather Events Happening Right Now That Shouldn't Be

https://weather.com/news/news/5-weird-things-happening-now-january-2016

There's nothing unusual at all with a January storm track that runs well inland from the Northeast seaboard, pumping above-freezing air into the I-95 corridor, keeping them mainly rain, as is the case, here.

However, this system was expected to spread rain as far north as the Champlain Valley of Vermont and Upstate New York, places you might expect cold air to hold in place to allow more snow, sleet or freezing rain, rather than rain in January.

This also added to the general sluggish, snowless season start in these areas.

However, a pattern change is shaping up to finally bring weather more reminiscent of January to a good swath of the East during the second half of January.

This may make folks in the Northeast pine for the warm, weird early winter of 2015-2016.

20 Amazing And Unusual Weather Phenomena

http://listverse.com/2008/04/19/20-amazing-and-unusual-weather-phenomena/

Also known in the southern hemisphere as the Aurora Australis, the Aurora Borealis are charged particles from the Sun that have reached the Earth’s upper atmosphere and become excited. They are more typically seen closer to the poles and during the equinoxes of the year. [Photo taken by Senior Airman Joshua Strang. Large scale public domain copy here.]

Due to different atmospheric issues, the moon will occasionally appear tinged with a color, such as blue, orange, or red. Excess smoke, dust, and eclipses can cause the moon to change color.

16 of the Craziest Weather Events We've Seen So Far in 2016

https://weather.com/news/weather/news/weirdest-weather-2016-so-far

After a mild end of 2015, winter finally showed up in the Great Lakes in early January.

This viral photo shows a car that became encrusted in ice after it was parked for several hours outside a restaurant in Hamburg, New York, on Jan. 10 while the driver was watching NFL postseason games.

Strong winds and much colder temperatures swept in with an arctic cold front during that time, allowing water from Lake Erie to spray locations along the lakeshore, leading to the build up of ice on the car and other surfaces.

Unusual 'fog dome' spotted

http://www.bbc.com/weather/features/38183830

Early this morning Weather Watcher Hannah was out walking her dog in Tremeirchion, north Wales when she came across this very unusual dome shaped cloud of fog.

"I just couldn't believe how perfectly dome shaped it was. After about 10 minutes it started to flatten and looked like low lying cloud along the fields but over quite a big area, it was huge" she said.

"This is a very unusual phenomenon, but the most likely explanation is that the "fog dome" has been caused by a source of heat close to the ground, possibly an agricultural building or a relatively warm pool of water. As the fog has formed in the valley this heat source has forced the fog to lift away from the ground into a dome as warmer air rises; like a hot air balloon."

Why extreme weather is the new normal

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/28/us/extreme-weather-normal/

The Southeast is experiencing its worst drought since 2007-2008. Birmingham, Alabama, hasn't seen rain since mid-September. Atlanta has gone 42 consecutive days without rain, which broke the record for the longest stretch of days without precipitation.

Atlanta has received only 2% of the city's usual average rainfall in the past 60 days. But Atlanta is expected to have more rain in the next two days than the city has gotten since September 2.

Weather is nature's way of trying to create balance. Cooler air moves from the Arctic to mix with warmer air from the tropics to create an equilibrium. But instead, it creates a pendulum of weather events moving. Climate change is causing that pendulum to swing harder and faster.

Atlanta's 2007-2008 record-breaking drought was followed in 2009 by one of the most massive floods the city had ever seen. Atlanta received more than 15 inches of rain in 18 hours.

House passes bill that would send weather satellites to NRO

http://spacenews.com/house-passes-bill-that-would-send-weather-satellites-to-nro/

A bill under consideration in Congress would move the acquisition authority for weather satellites to the National Reconnaissance Office.

WASHINGTON – The National Reconnaissance Office is set to take over some weather missions from the Air Force after the House of Representatives voted Thursday to give the agency “the acquisition programs necessary to meet the national security requirements for cloud characterization and theater weather imagery.”

The move had been expected since April, when, in a draft for the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017, the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee said they wanted the Air Force to start handing over responsibility for the weather missions.

“The committee has been concerned with the Air Force’s lack of planning, coordination, and execution of activities to meet the top two Joint Requirements Oversight Council certified requirements for space-based environmental monitoring,” a report accompanying the April draft said.

The move of the weather missions is part of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which passed the House on a 390-30 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is not expected to face much opposition.

- See more at: http://spacenews.com/house-passes-bill-that-would-send-weather-satellites-to-nro/#sthash.Des0OjuH.dpuf

100 Years Of Weather Broadcasting At WHA

http://www.wpr.org/100-years-weather-broadcasting-wha

On Dec. 4, 1916 – one hundred years ago – 9XM, the predecessor to today's Wisconsin Public Radio, broadcast its first weather forecast. It was the first regular broadcast by the station and was information with broad use by the state’s residents, especially farmers, many of whom received the forecast by mail.

Wireless was cutting edge technology in the 1910s. Many universities, including the University of Wisconsin, were experimenting with radio.

Physicist Earle Terry was the driving force behind the radio work at the UW. He and his students built their own equipment. Terry hoped to create a regular broadcast schedule, and weather, sent in dots and dashes, seemed like the best and most useful bet.

The Madison office of the U.S. Weather Bureau enthusiastically supported the idea of broadcasting the weather. It certainly helped the bureau’s local meteorologist, Eric R. Miller, had been Terry’s student.

The first weather broadcast came from the makeshift 9XM studio in Science Hall at 11 a.m. Since radios were few at the time, those who could get the message were encouraged to transcribe and share it with their communities.

Besides his meteorological work, Miller actively promoted the weather broadcasts, too. The Wisconsin State Journal announced the beginning of the weather broadcasts on its front page Dec. 1, 1916, stating, "Wisconsin cities in the future will get their weather reports via wireless." Miller also wrote letters and sent updates to other newspapers and news services.

As winter nears, Dakota Access faces frigid weather and costly delays

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-north-dakota-pipeline-construction-idUSKBN13R0DF

Delays to the Dakota Access Pipeline have added millions of dollars to Energy Transfer Partners' construction tab - but even if the line is approved, the freezing temperatures will bring their own challenges to finishing the drilling process.

Frigid weather makes some aspects of pipeline construction more difficult, though not impossible, engineers and experts interviewed by Reuters said this week.

While the majority of the construction on the 1,100-mile (1,770 km) line is complete, work on a one-mile segment in North Dakota was halted in September following protests from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others, who said it could desecrate sacred lands and contaminate drinking water. That stretch would be expected to take 90 to 120 days to finish, ETP has said.

Senate passes major bill to improve weather forecasting

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/12/02/senate-passes-major-bill-to-improve-weather-forecasting/?utm_term=.95e0e67e9655

The bill, Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2016, H.R. 1561, was approved unanimously in the Senate late Thursday.

The bill’s stated purpose is “to improve the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration’s weather research” through investments in observations, computing and modeling, as well as to expand commercial opportunities for providing weather data.

It is specifically aimed to support advances in:

• Forecasting dangerous storms, including tornadoes and hurricanes.
• Long-range forecasts for time periods between two weeks and two years
• Forecast communication
• Tsunami warnings

“From long-term forecasting that can prevent costly agricultural losses to more actionable information about severe weather, this legislation will help save lives and reduce avoidable property loss,” said Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), who championed the bill.

Why Isn’t the U.S. Better at Predicting Extreme Weather?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/magazine/why-isnt-the-us-better-at-predicting-extreme-weather.html


"Last year, he notes, the Air Force began paying Britain’s Met Office $100,000 a year to license its weather-modeling software. “That a U.S. government agency has decided that our capability is not good enough is pretty amazing,” he says. On his blog, he’s not shy about criticizing federal agencies in post-mortems after storms, often singling out the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.William Lapenta, who heads the centers, welcomes the criticism: “His job through his blog is quite honestly to provoke people to respond and hopefully take action,” he says. Indeed, Lapenta told me that the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, which directs the National Hurricane Center, might never have obtained additional funding from Congress to buy new supercomputers had Mass not drawn public attention to the center’s inadequacies in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy."