China's 'Airpocalypse' Visible from Space

China has a really gross problem, and it's only getting worse.

Smog levels have gone far beyond what's considered safe in Beijing and other parts of eastern China, which has led officials to take unprecedented measures. In Beijing, the first ever "code red" was issued because of what is being called the "airpocalypse," Live Science reported.

http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/china-smog-pollution

High Surf, Coastal Flooding Inundates California Coast

Powerful waves pounded the California coast on Friday, causing damage and street flooding, while also forcing evacuations in some communities.

In Ventura, California, local police issued a high surf alert and advised residents to stay out of the water and use caustion near the beach. Roads that were close were eventually reopened although the police said more roads along the coast could see closures through the weekend.

The Ventura County Fire Department was called to initiate a water rescue near Mondos Beach.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/11/photos-high-surf-coastal-flooding-inundates-california-coast/

Beijing air pollution reaches 'red alert' for first time ever

The first ever ‘red alert' for poor air quality was issued for Beijing, China, by the city government due to heavy smog, multiple sources report.

This alert began on Tuesday morning and will be in effect until Thursday Reuters said.

"High pressure over the area has provided almost calm winds, allowing pollutants to build up with little to no influx of fresh air," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman said.

The Beijing city government ordered all outdoor construction to stop and all schools to remain closed until the smog clears.

"Construction waste, excavation transport vehicles, cement trucks, gravel transport vehicles and other large-scale vehicles are prohibited from driving on roads," authorities added in the notice.

This poor air quality will impact the 22.5 million people who live in and around the city.

China has a four-color warning system for pollution conditions. The four levels include blue, yellow, orange and red. The four-color warning system was created in October 2013 according to Xinhuanet news.

A ‘red alert' is issued when there is expected to be at least three consecutive days of very poor air quality, according to the Associated Press (AP).

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/08/beijing-air-pollution-reaches-red-alert-for-first-time-ever/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

Northwest Oregon pummeled by rain as forecast calls for more storms

PORTLAND, Ore. –  Oregon and the rain are synonymous — but the downpours that have caused flooding, landslides and evacuations in the state this week are getting to be too much even for the Pacific Northwest.

Residents in the Portland area and throughout northwest Oregon and southwest Washington were pummeled by a second barrage of heavy rains on Tuesday, as rain continued to soak already saturated ground, bringing some area creeks and rivers to flood stage.

Officials predicted that residents could face a repeat of Monday's scenario: streets turned into creeks, flooding near rivers and streams, landslides and delays in traffic and mass transit. Some buildings and residences were stacking up sandbags to prevent further flooding.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/08/northwest-oregon-pummeled-by-rain-as-forecast-calls-for-more-storms/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

Buffalo has yet to see snow in December, breaks 116-year-old record

BUFFALO, N.Y. –  A 116-year-old snow record has fallen in Buffalo. This time, it's for lack of snow.

The city had yet to see its first measurable snowfall by Friday, breaking the record for latest first snow set on Dec. 3, 1899.

The wait will continue, National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Mitchell said. There's no snow in the forecast until at least mid-December.

During an average season, Buffalo gets its first measurable snow, considered a tenth of an inch or more, on Nov. 8 and sees about 93 inches through the winter.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/05/buffalo-has-yet-to-see-snow-in-december-breaks-116-year-old-record/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

Highway connecting Oregon, Washington collapses after torrential rains

A rain-soaked hillside collapsed on the main highway connecting Washington and Oregon, stranding thousands of motorists for hours Thursday while rain continued to fall throughout the region.

The storms that have been sending rivers out of their banks, closing roads and killing at least two people in the Pacific Northwest this week were easing a bit, but forecasters said mudslide danger on the saturated hills would remain high through the weekend.

"It was crazy and I was scared," said Diane Smith of Lacey, Washington, who was stuck for three hours behind the landslide on Interstate 5 about 26 miles north of Portland, Oregon, and then drove a steep, windy mountain road to get around the slide.

The massive landslide blocked the lanes Wednesday afternoon after a hillside of rocks and dirt collapsed on the roadway after days of pounding rain. Crews were able to reopen one lane Thursday evening and transportation officials estimate all lanes will be reopened by Sunday evening.

More rain is on the way through the weekend.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/11/highway-connecting-oregon-washington-collapses-after-torrential-rains/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

Landslide closes interstate, tornado reported as major storm slams Pacific Northwest

SEATTLE –  Thousands of motorists were stranded Thursday during a major storm in the Pacific Northwest that caused a landslide that stopped all northbound traffic on a major highway connecting Washington and Oregon.

Forecasters say the storms that left two people dead, flooded rivers and caused mudslides, were easing up, but the threat from slides and flooding remained.

"It was crazy and I was scared," said Diane Smith of Lacey, Washington, who was stuck for three hours behind the landslide on Interstate 5 just 26 miles north of Portland, Oregon, and then drove a steep, windy mountain road to get around the slide.

The massive landslide blocked the lanes Wednesday afternoon after a hillside of rocks and dirt collapsed on the roadway after days of pounding rain.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/10/dramatic-storms-easing-up-in-pacific-northwest/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

White Christmas

Tuesday into early Wednesday morning, localized flooding was reported in Mississippi, Arkansas, southern Missouri, northwest Louisiana and eastern Texas, resulting in several road closures in those areas. Flash flooding moved into parts of Georgia by Wednesday afternoon.

The most numerous flood reports were in southern Missouri Tuesday where more than 5 inches of rain has fallen in some locations. A storm total of 6.85 inches was measured in Pershing, Missouri. 

http://www.weather.com/storms/severe/news/flood-threat-texas-louisiana-mississippi-valley-november-2015

Who Will Have A White Christmas This Year?

Christmas is getting closer and many are wondering if they will see a white Christmas this year.

Our latest white Christmas forecast is shown in the map below. Meteorologists define a "white Christmas" as one in which there is at least one inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning. It doesn't have to be snowing on the holiday for that to happen, of course.

This year, we have one of the strongest El Niños of record in play. That and a persistently warm East and Midwest, along with a cold, wet West, is setting the table for what we may see Christmas morning. 

http://www.weather.com/forecast/national/news/white-christmas-forecast

El Niño Has Matured and Will Rank Among Top 3 Strongest, NOAA Says

The current strong El Niño event has matured and will finish ranked among the top three strongest since 1950, according to the latest monthly outlook released by NOAA on Thursday.

El Niño conditions are likely to last through the winter before finally easing up and transitioning to neutral conditions by late spring or early summer. This means sea surface water temperatures in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific Ocean will return to near-average levels from their current above-average state. El Niño is an anomalous, yet periodic, warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. For reasons still not well understood, every two to seven years, this patch of ocean warms for six to 18 months, then cools.

http://www.weather.com/news/climate/news/strong-el-nino-december-2015

Northwest Flooding: State of Emergency Declared in Oregon; Tornado Confirmed in Washington

Roads in Portland, Oregon, were left impassable by flooding that ejected manhole covers and left drivers stranded on Interstate 5, while mudslides broke sewer pipes and sent sewage into the streets. Forecasters say the wave of moisture won't be as potent in the coming days, but could still cause additional problems. The latest round of stormy weather on Thursdayeven spawned a tornado that caused damage in the southwest Washington town of Battle Ground.

http://www.weather.com/storms/severe/news/pacific-northwest-storm-impacts

High Surf, Coastal Flooding Inundates California Coast

Powerful waves pounded the California coast on Friday, causing damage and street flooding, while also forcing evacuations in some communities.

In Ventura, California, local police issued a high surf alert and advised residents to stay out of the water and use caustion near the beach. Roads that were close were eventually reopened although the police said more roads along the coast could see closures through the weekend.

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/12/11/photos-high-surf-coastal-flooding-inundates-california-coast/

El Nino May Ruin Christmas

The El Niño of 2015 is the strongest in at least 18 years and one of only five other strong El Niños since 1950. 

This periodic warming of the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean can have a number of effects on weather around the world, from heavy rain to extreme drought, persistent warmth to stubborn cold, and inactive versus hyperactive tropical cyclone seasons.

Given its strength, will this El Niño factor into your chances of seeing a White Christmas?

First, it's worth noting that meteorologists define a White Christmas as one in which at least one inch of snow is on the ground on Christmas morning – and they aren't as common as you think, even in colder climates.

Based on 30-year average data from 1981-2010, the chance of at least one inch of Christmas snow cover is less than 50 percent in these traditionally snowy cities:

• Boston: 21 percent
• Pittsburgh: 30 percent
• Chicago: 42 percent
• Cleveland: 45 percent
• Detroit: 46 percent
• Milwaukee: 48 percent

http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/news/el-nino-white-christmas-impact

Hurricane Patricia

As Patricia, the biggest storm ever recorded in the western hemisphere, made landfall on the Mexican west coast on Friday Bill Patzert, climatologist at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory explained its origins. The current El Niño was “high-octane fuel for hurricanes” because it had “piled up a tremendous volume of warm water in the eastern Pacific”.

The water temperature is 30.5C (87F), close to a record high and about 2C above average, creating ideal conditions for strong hurricanes. There is more energy to create stronger winds and pick up more moisture. The exceptional sea temperature is a combination of the very strong El Niño and climate change, which is raising average sea temperatures across the globe.

Yemen Flooding

A cyclone with hurricane-force winds made landfall on Yemen’s Arabian Sea coast on Tuesday, flooding the country’s fifth-largest city, Mukalla, and sending thousands of people fleeing for shelter.

Officials and meteorologists say the cyclone is the most intense in decades in the arid country, whose storm response is hampered by poverty and a raging civil war

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/03/powerful-cyclone-flooding-yemen-civil-war

Sinkhole

A 20ft sinkhole has opened on a residential street in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Police were called to Craster Square in Coxlodge, Gosforth, and placed a cordon around the area. Nobody has been injured but residents spoke of their shock at the incident.

Leah O’Malley, 20, said: “When I came out of my flat this morning, the ground was fine but there was a lady here who was worried about the state of the ground. I went back inside and came back out later to find that the huge hole had appeared. I was absolutely shocked. There is no access to Craster Square due to the sinkhole, which has revealed old mine workings.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/12/sinkhole-appears-residential-street-newcastle

At least 113 dead, more than 100 missing in Myanmar landslide

Soldiers, police and volunteers pulled body after body from the rubble on Monday, as the death toll from a landslide near several jade mines in northernMyanmar reached 113, a local official said. More than 100 others were missing.

The collapse early on Saturday in Kachin state’s mining community of Hpakant was the worst such disaster in recent memory.

The accident occurred at a 60-metre-high mountain of earth and waste discarded by several mines.

Earlier, officials said the dead were mostly men who were picking through the waste and tailings in search of pieces of jade to sell. But officials said on Monday the accident occurred at about 3am, burying more than 70 makeshift huts where the miners slept.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/23/113-dead-100-missing-in-myanmar-jade-mine-landslide

Rain and ice in central US linked to 14 deaths in Texas and Kansas

A slow-moving wintry storm system that has been blamed for more than a dozen deaths began moving eastward out of Texas on Saturday but kept coating some states to the north in ice, making driving dangerous.

The band of storms that has been moving through parts of the plains and the midwest since Thursday has been blamed for at least 14 deaths, eight in Texas and six in Kansas. A 70-year-old woman whose car was swept away by flash flooding Friday in Fort Worth remained missing on Saturday.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/28/texas-oklahoma-missouri-arkansas-weather-rain-ice-flash-flooding

Washington Storm Ruins Thanksgiving

Last week’s storm initially knocked out power to 180,000 customers across eastern Washington and northern Idaho. The utility brought in line crews from across the west and Canada to try to rebuild its damaged system.

More than 120 crews are now working 24 hours a day to restore power. The electrical problems have kept public schools closed since Wednesday. While power has been restored to most schools, the district decided to cancel classes all week for 29,000 students because downed power lines and trees blocking sidewalks where children walk pose a danger.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/24/storm-leaves-washington-residents-facing-thanksgiving-without-power

Heavy Rain Spreads

No severe thunderstorms are forecast as we head into December, as instability is expected to be too weak for thunderstorm activity.

The combination of subtropical moisture and a slow moving low-pressure system will set the stage for locally heavy rain, which will move through the South and East through Wednesday, potentially creating some travel impacts. This rain is ahead of Winter Storm Delphi, which is dumping snow on the Midwest to start this week.

http://www.weather.com/storms/tornado/news/severe-weather-forecast-november-30-december-6-2015