Winter Storm Dion Bringing Snow, Ice to the East, South, and Midwest

Winter Storm Dion, the fourth named winter storm of the 2013-14 season, will result in more snow and ice for some of the same areas impacted by Winter Storm Cleon.
(MORE: Minute-by-Minute Updates on Winter Storm Dion)

Winter Storm Dion Radar

• INTERACTIVE: Midwest Radar
• INTERACTIVE: Mid-Atlantic Radar

Northeast Forecast Sunday

Dion Ice Forecast

Northeast Forecast Sunday Night

Northeast Snow Forecast

Dion initially produced snow in Washington, California, Nevada and the Four Corners states during the first half of the weekend.
Now, Dion is spreading snow and ice from the Midwest to the Mid-South, Ohio Valley, Middle Atlantic and Northeast.
Here's a look at the forecast through the beginning of the new work week.

Megalopolis: D.C. to Boston

Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia can expect light snow accumulations Sunday followed by a transition to sleet and freezing rain. That transition should start in D.C. in the afternoon and spreading to Baltimore and Philadelphia in the evening.
Hazardous travel conditions are possible, particularly on bridges and overpasses. This wintry mix will eventually changeover to rain in all three of these cities by midnight Sunday night (but earlier in D.C.).
A wintry mix will also develop in and around New York City Sunday night before changing to rain. The changeover will occur before the morning commute Monday except in parts of the Hudson Valley, where icy conditions may await early commuters.
For all four of these cities, it is expected to be the season's first measurable snow, meaning 0.1 inch or more of accumulation. The average date of the first measurable snow ranges from Dec. 14 in Baltimore to Dec. 18 in Philadelphia and Washington.
(MAP: Northeast Snow Forecast)
Boston and much of southern New England can expect some light snow late Sunday night before mixing with and changing to rain Monday. Only minor snow accumulations, in most cases less than an inch, are expected.

Interior Mid-Atlantic and Appalachians: Significant Ice Storm

Significant ice accumulation is possible to the lee (east side) of the Appalachians as cold air gets dammed up against the mountains.
The I-81 corridor from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley northward through Pennsylvania could see significant impacts. Accumulating ice is also possible as far south as northwest North Carolina.
Travel will likely be dangerous and power outages are possible. This includes cities such as Roanoke, Va., Hagerstown, Md. and Greensboro, N.C.

WHALES IN LOW TIDE

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. -- Wildlife officials say that after losing sight of a pod of whales that was stranded in the Everglades, they are ceasing rescue efforts.

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The National Park Service says aerial and boat survey teams could not locate the whales Saturday, a potentially encouraging sign that they have moved farther offshore.The pod of short-finned pilot whales was first spotted by a fishing guide Tuesday in the waters off a remote section of the Everglades. Six were found dead the next day, and four others were euthanized. Another dead whale was confirmed Thursday.
The short-finned pilot whale is one of the most common species involved in mass strandings.
While authorities are hopeful the whales are headed back to the deeper, colder waters that form their natural habitat, they cannot say for sure.

Officials in boats monitor the scene where dozens of pilot whales are stranded in shallow water in a remote area of Florida's Everglades National Park, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Major Hurricane Raymond Threatens Acapulco, Mexico with Heavy Rain

Major Hurricane Off Mexican Coast

Hurricane Raymond has rapidly intensified to a Category 3 hurricane as of early Monday. It's currently about 165 miles west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.
Top sustained winds increased from 40 mph on Sunday morning to 120 mph by early Monday morning. This is the first major Category 3 or higher rated hurricane of the season in the eastern Pacific.
The hurricane is forecast to drift slowly north on Monday and will impact the west-central coast of Mexico through Tuesday. Due to the rapid intensification, hurricane warnings are in effect for the coast of southern Mexico, spanning from Tecpan de Galeana westward to Lazaro Cardenas. Additionally, hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect from Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana.
Heavy rain is expected to be the main impact from Raymond. This rainfall could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides near and inland from the coast of west-central Mexico.
In addition, tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force winds are possible in the watch and warning areas along the coast. The strength of the winds will be dependent on how close the center of Raymond gets to the coast. This is uncertain since Raymond is moving very slowly and is expected to eventually turn back to the west away from Mexico.


Link:http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/hurricane-raymond-mexico-acapulco-zihuatanejo-pacific-20131021

The Weather Channel's Winter Forecast 2013-2014

New Winter Weather Outlook

As chilly temperatures engulf the central and eastern states this week, The Weather Channel has released its late fall and winter temperature outlook for 2013-2014.
Chief Meteorologist Dr. Todd Crawford of Weather Services International (WSI), a part of The Weather Channel Company, says, "As the first shot of significant cold air spurs above-normal heating demand across much of the eastern United States, there are many questions regarding its staying power in the weeks and months ahead."
Crawford adds, "While we do foresee colder-than-normal temperatures across the Midwest into the mid-Atlantic and Southeast in November and potentially into early December, there is a risk of much milder temperatures heading into the New Year, especially across the western and southern United States."
To see a breakdown of the forecast details, watch the video above or scroll down for more information.

November Forecast

November Temperature Forecast

Much like we are seeing in the second half of October, an overall dip in the jet stream east of the Rockies is expected to bring below-average temperatures from the Midwest to the Southeast and Middle Atlantic. The coldest temperatures are forecast to be in the north-central states early in the month and the Southeast later in the month.
From the southern Plains to the Desert Southwest and Pacific Northwest, warmer-than-average temperatures are forecast in November. The greatest probability for above-average temperatures will be from Texas to portions of Arizona, California and Nevada.
New England is also expected to see a warmer-than-average November.
(INTERACTIVE: When Does Snow Typically Arrive?)

Winter Forecast

Winter Temperature Forecast

A winter of extreme cold or extreme warmth is not expected during the months from December to February.
For the Northeast, the best chance for extended cold temperatures is expected to be late in the winter.
In the southern U.S., below-average temperatures are forecast to be confined to the Southeast states, particularly early in the winter.
The strongest signal for a warmer-than-average winter is from the the Desert Southwest into the south-central states.






Link:http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/fall-winter-forecast-weather-channel-20131021

Massive Chunk of Russian Meteor Hauled from Lake Bottom

MOSCOW  -- Russian scientists have recovered a giant chunk of the Chelyabinsk meteor from the bottom of the lake it crashed into.
A meteor that blazed across southern Urals in February was the largest recorded meteor strike in more than a century. More than 1,600 people were injured by the shock wave from the explosion, estimated to be as strong as 20 Hiroshima atomic bombs, as it landed near the city of Chelyabinsk.
Scientists on Wednesday recovered what could be the largest part of this meteor from Chebarkul Lake outside the city. They weighed it using a giant steelyard balance, which displayed 570 kilograms (1,256 pounds) before it broke.
Sergei Zamozdra, an associate professor at Chelyabinsk State University, told Russian television that the excavated fragment was definitely a chunk of the meteor.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Photos of Russian Meteor

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Highway from Kazakhstan to Chelyabinsk, Russia

A dashboard camera, on a highway from Kostanai, Kazakhstan, to Chelyabinsk region, Russia on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 shows a meteorite contrail. A meteor streaked across the sky of Russia’s Ural Mountains, causing sharp explosions and injuring dozens of people. (AP Photo/Nasha Gazeta, www.ng.kz)

Link:http://www.weather.com/news/science/space/massive-chunk-russian-meteor-hauled-lake-bottom-20131016

Philippines Earthquake Damages Historic Churches

LOON, Philippines  -- The earthquake that killed at least 156 people in the central Philippines also took its toll on the region's historical and religious legacy by heavily damaging a dozen or more churches, some centuries old.
(MORE: Loon, Philippines Forecast)
As rescuers reached some of the hardest-hit areas and the death toll from Tuesday's quake rose, images of the wrecked religious buildings resonated across a nation where 80 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.
The bell tower toppled from Cebu city's 16th-century Basilica of the Holy Child — a remnant of the Spanish colonial era and the country's oldest church building — becoming a pile of rubble in the courtyard.
Other churches on the neighboring island of Bohol, epicenter of the quake and a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, were also damaged, some beyond repair.
"The heritage old churches are also very close to the hearts of the Boholanos," said Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto, using the term for residents of the island.

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He said Wednesday that authorities would attempt to restore the churches but some may never return to their former state.
"Every piece of the church should be left untouched so that restoration efforts can be easier," he said. "It may not be a total restoration, but closest to what it used to be before."
Emilia Dalagan was sweeping grass outside her home near the 300-year-old church called Our Lady of the Assumption Shrine in Dauis on the resort island of Panglao, near Bohol, when the ground shook.
"The funeral car was crushed by falling debris from the front of the church. The driver was able to get out," she said.
The back, front and the right wing of the church were destroyed. The structure is said to be made from corals cemented together with egg white.
Tuesday was a national holiday in the Philippines celebrating the Muslim feast of Eid ul Adha, which meant schools, offices and other buildings that also were damaged by the quake were empty at the time, which saved many lives.
"That is our only consolation," said Bohol provincial health officer Reymoses Cabagnot.
Gay Flores had just woken up in her two-story house in the town of Carmen when the 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 8:15 a.m., sending shock waves across the picturesque island —and knocking her off her feet.


Link:http://www.weather.com/news/philippine-earthquake-damages-historic-churches-20131016

Fall Foliage Season Threatened by Climate Change

The end of the growing season in the continental U.S. has become roughly two weeks later from 1982-2008.

• Source: Climate Central

Clocks aren’t the only things falling back at this time of year. The start to foliage season is also on the move, with the season starting later and later in the U.S. since 1982. Other threats from climate change could also cost states that rely on the billions from leaf peepers in lost tourism revenues and have ecological impacts that extend well beyond the season.
The U.S. Forest Service estimates that fiery foliage in the Berkshires and Green and White Mountains generates $8 billion in tourism revenue annually for New England alone. Foliage season is so important to Vermont that the state employs a leaf forecaster. States in other parts of the country also depend on foliage season to bring in tourism dollars, though specific numbers are harder to come by.
Warmer weather is contributing to a later ending to the growing season in the U.S. according to research from Seoul National University. The end of the season is marked by the point when satellites see the overall greenness of foliage start to decline, was over two weeks later in 2008 compared to 1982.

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Your Leaf-Peeping Forecast

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A later onset to fall isn’t the only issue affecting foliage season, though. The financial benefits of leaf tourism are reaped in the fall, but they’re sown in spring and mature through summer. The climate during all three seasons affects how vibrant foliage actually is. A warm, wet spring followed by a Goldilocks summer followed by a fall with warm days and cool nights create the most ideal conditions for eye-catching colors.
Climate change is causing warming across all seasons, and while that might be a boon in spring, warmer and more extreme heat during the summer could negate those benefits. The stress from warm weather can knock leaves off the trees before they’ve even had a chance to change.

Link:http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/fall-foliage-season-threatened-climate-change-20131014

Octave Nearing Baja California, Weakens

Octave formed over the weekend to the southwest of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Projected Path

The system is weakening as it approaches Baja California. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds will spread across the southern Baja California region as Octave moves through.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for a part of the southwestern Baja California coast (see map below). Octave is about 85 miles southwest of Cabo San Larazo, Mexico.
Octave will also have an impact on the weather in the United States.
Moisture and upper-level energy from the storm will get pulled northeastward into midweek and interact with a cold front moving across the central United States. This will help to enhance rainfall in the south-central states, including Texas.



Link:http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/tropical-depression-fifteen-e-storm-hurricane-octave-20131009

Astronauts See Strange Cloud in Space from Missile Launch

Astronauts on the International Space Station have beamed home photos of an eerie space cloud outside their orbital home, a strange sight apparently created by a recent missile launch.
The astronaut photos were captured on Oct. 10 by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano who took to Twitter under their pen names (@AstroIllini and @astro_luca, respectively) to share the unnatural looking space cloud formation with Earth.
"Saw something launch into space today," Hopkins wrote. "Not sure what it was but the cloud it left behind was pretty amazing." At first, Hopkins wasn't sure what created the odd looking cloud outside the window of the orbiting laboratory, but Parmitano cleared up the confusion with a Twitter post of his own. [Amazing Space Photos by Astronaut Luca Parmitano]
"A missile launch seen from space: an unexpected surprise!" Parmitano wrote in a post on Oct. 11. One of the Italian astronaut's photos shows a curving contrail left in the missile's wake and another features a wispy cloud formed in space after the missile disintegrated.



Link:http://www.weather.com/news/science/space/astronauts-see-strange-cloud-space-missile-launch-20131014

Rain, Snow, Thunderstorms Return to Central States

A strong cold front will move across the nation's midsection to start the week. This will result in a wide variety of weather impacts ranging from heavy rain and severe storms to snow and wind.

Tuesday

Tuesday's Forecast

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Rainfall Forecast

Tuesday, the cold front should push into the Mississippi Valley, but lingering moisture may continue wrapping around the surface low into the northern Plains.
For now, it appears some lingering wrap-around wet snow is likely at least through early Tuesday in the Black Hills. Rain may have changed to wet snow in lower elevations of northeast Wyoming, western South Dakota, northwest Nebraska, and possibly southwest North Dakota. That said, this event does not appear likely to produce anywhere near the magnitude of snow in lower elevations, as Winter Storm Atlas did.







Link:http://www.weather.com/news/weather-forecast/active-weather-pattern-brings-rain-snow-great-plains-upper-midwest-20131011

Louisville Flooding: Dozens Evacuated During Weekend Floods in Jefferson County

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of people were displaced over the weekend by flooding in Louisville and Jefferson County, including some by rescue personnel using boats, authorities said Sunday.
By Sunday evening, some people were returning home to assess damage. Flood watches and warnings were discontinued for the area as the rain tapered off.
A potent storm front rumbling across the nation's midsection was blamed for more than 6 inches of rain that drenched the region Saturday, swamping some low-lying neighborhoods with water from ankle-deep to waist-deep in spots, Metro Safe spokeswoman Jody Duncan told The Associated Press.
"We had about 82 people that we assisted because of flooding in specific areas," said Duncan, with the local emergency management agency for the city and the county. "We had 12 rescues and 250 assists. Everybody's safe and we had no injuries."
(MORE: A Dozen Tornadoes Slam the Plains)
She said most had to be taken from their homes but personnel also helped stalled motorists safely get out of vehicles that had stalled on swamped roads. Several of those evacuated took shelter in a high school and others in a church.


Link: http://www.weather.com/news/louisville-flooding-update-20131007

Typhoon Leaves Okinawa, Moves Toward Mainland Japan.

While tropical systems in the Atlantic Basin have been sputtering, leaving many breathing a sigh of relief, a typhoon in the Western Pacific had thousands of Americans on edge.
Typhoon Danas, once packing winds of 132 miles per hour, made a beeline toward the Japanese island of Okinawa.  Okinawa is the home to Kadena Air Force base, which houses more than 18,000 American military personnel and their families. Luckily, Danas didn't make a direct hit on the island or the base and no immediate reports of damage were available.

Typhoon Danas Targets Okinawa

In an email to The Weather Channel the public affairs office on Kadena Air Force base says they used a graduated system of warnings, ranging from TC-4 to TC-1.  TC-4 is a general state of readiness where people have the basic essentials already stocked away. TC-1 is where 50 knot or greater winds are expected within 12 hours.  It also means that all facilities, except mission critical components, will be closed and people should fill available containers with drinking water.  While at TC-1 earlier in the day Tuesday, the bas has now been backed down to TC-4 and normal activities can resume.
As for staying informed about the latest, in the States, Kadena's public affairs office says this: "Stateside friends and family like the Kadena Air Base Facebook page, and many people have already liked that page so they can keep up with what their family and friends are doing overseas."



Link: http://www.weather.com/news/typhoon-threatens-american-troops-20131007

Tornado Cleanup

This photo shows damage from a tornado, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013 in Wayne, Neb. As many as nine tornadoes hit an area covering northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa, causing structural damage and injuries but no fatalities, the National Weather Service said Saturday. (AP Photo/Nebraska State Patrol)
 

WAYNE, Neb. — The tornado cleanup continued Sunday in northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa as residents worked to clear the debris the storms left behind.
Officials say the storms caused significant damage to dozens of businesses and a number of rural homes as several tornadoes touched down Friday. The most severe damage was in Wayne, Neb., but storms also damaged homes near Macy, Neb., and into rural areas of northwest Iowa near Sloan.
Tornado expert Dr. Greg Forbes says he estimates a total of 12 tornadoes touched down Friday in Nebraska and Iowa. However, he stresses these are preliminary numbers and could change as the National Weather Service finishes its damage surveys Monday, Oct. 7.



Link: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/tornado-cleanup-continues-nebraska-and-iowa-20131007

Lightning charging cellphones?

Lightning has long been a weather phenomena capable of zapping a phone, but now, scientists have figured out a way to use a bolt to charge one, too.
Scientists at the University of Southampton and cellphone maker Nokia announced they have successfully charged a Nokia Lumia 925 using nothing but simulated lightning, according to a Conversations by Nokia release.
(PHOTOS: An Earthquake Creates a Ghost Town)
And it only took them a few seconds to fully charge the phone.
Here's how they did it — using a transformer-driven alternate current, scientists channeled more than 200,000 volts of electricity to simulate the heat and light of a lightning bolt, according to a TreeHugger.com report. Then, they put the signal through a second transformer to charge the phone.
While the experiment is a big achievement in the science world, don't expect to see lightning-charged phones becoming a common sight in the near future. Nokia said the test was just a way to generate new ideas for charging cellphones rather than developing serious plans for a phone that is charged by weather.


Link: http://www.weather.com/news/science/lightning-charging-cell-phones-20131002

Killer Monsoon!

Buses stand stranded as people wade through a flooded road after heavy rains in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

AHMADABAD, India -- Officials say monsoon flooding has left 13 people dead in the west Indian state of Gujarat where thousands of people took shelter in state-run camps this week.
Nitin Patel, a state government spokesman, says the deaths were caused by house collapses, electrocution and swirling flood waters sweeping people away.

Link: http://www.weather.com/news/india-floods-displace-thousands-20130925

Warming world

Climate scientists are 95 percent certain that the greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are causing the climate to change. From 1901-2012, temperatures have risen 1.6°F. While this temperature change is the most commonly cited climate change indicator, there are numerous others that also show what climate change looks like. They range from rising seas to melting glaciers and ice sheets to changing ecosystems. In the above graphic, you can view 11 of these indicators and see how they’ve changed as the Earth has warmed.





Link:http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/interactive-top-indicators-warming-world-20130927

Ghost town!

Drive six hours southwest of Buenos Aires and you'll stumble across a scene that looks downright apocalyptic: streets washed away; once proud houses, businesses and hotels reduced to piles of rubbish; greenery replaced by hundreds of chunky, white-washed stumps that reach toward the sun with rotten branches; and graveyards churned up, broken tombs spewing forth rotting carcasses and piles of bones.
This is Villa Epecuen, an Argentine Ghost town that's slowly emerging from the depths of the neighboring lake for the first time in 25 years.
It may be hard to believe now, but for decades people used to flock to the streets of Villa Epecuen for a chance to bathe in the salty waters of Lago Epecuen. Tourists and locals alike believed that lake, which has salt levels 10 times greater than any ocean, Amusing Planet reports, could heal common ailments like aches and pains.

Link:http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/villa-epecuen-argentina-ghost-town-20130919

Apartments on Bridge!

We've seen converted homes that had one time been factories, boats and even buses, although we've never seen a decommissioned bridge turned into residences. But that's exactly what Samuel Nageotte Architects proposed for a design competition last year, according to Architizer, and we think the concept is pretty amazing.
This huge abandoned viaduct in the Salerno-Reggio area of Calabria had been left in ruins, but these visionaries had better plans for it. Their idea, called Solar Park South, uses the bridge as framework and includes three levels of public community spaces across the deck and vertically stacked apartments along the supportive piers to the ground below. They also proposed that the village would be self-sustained because it would be fueled by collected rainwater and heated by nearby stratovolcano, Mt. Etna. Seems like they've thought of it all.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/21/apartments-abandoned-bridge_n_3965225.html

Shipwrecked!

A bench engraved with the name of the grounded Costa Concordia cruise ship (seen at rear) is seen washed up on the shore of Giglio island, Jan. 20, 2012. REUTERS/Paul Hanna

GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy  -- Engineers on Monday succeeded in wresting the hull of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia from the Italian reef where it has been stuck since it capsized in January 2012, leaving them cautiously optimistic they can rotate the luxury liner upright and eventually tow it away.
Never before has such an enormous cruise ship been righted, and the crippled Concordia didn't budge for the first three hours after the operation began, engineer Sergio Girotto told reporters. But after some 6,000 tons of force were applied using a complex system of pulleys and counterweights, "we saw the detachment" from the reef thanks to undersea cameras, he said.
Girotto said the cameras did not immediately reveal any sign of the two bodies that were never recovered from among the 32 who died Jan. 13, 2012 when the Concordia slammed into a reef and capsized after the ship's captain steered the luxury liner too close to Giglio Island.
Images transmitted by robotic diving vehicles indicated that the submerged side of the hull had suffered "great deformation" from all its time on the granite seabed, battered by waves and compressed under the weight of the ship's 115,000 tons, Girotto said.

Link: http://www.weather.com/travel/costa-concordia-update-operation-raise-capsized-cruise-ship-under-way-20130916

Beyond the Strip

 

BOULDER CITY, Nev. — It's easy to trade the wild ways of Las Vegas for the wilds of the nearby Colorado River: All it takes is a call to a boating outfitter and a federally-approved form of ID.
That's because the overnight float trips in the Black Canyon put in just below the Hoover Dam, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Las Vegas. The massive power plant, which produces enough electricity for 1.3 million people, is located in a security zone enforced by its own federal police force.
Those wanting to paddle this stretch of river must have a launch permit, and traffic is limited to 30 boats per day. The permits are available up to six months in advance and are generally obtained through a government-approved outfitter.

That was fine with me, since for about $350 per person, the operator also provided transportation, a guide, high-quality kayaks, camping gear, dry bags, life jackets and food. All we needed to bring were a change of clothes, hats, sunscreen and our passports, driver's licenses or birth certificates.
 

Link: http://www.weather.com/sports-rec/beyond-strip-kayaking-through-canyon-near-las-vegas-20130916