Storms Chip Away at Drought in Northern US

Two weeks of storms and a slowly melting snowpack in the northern U.S. continued to chip away at the drought gripping the center of the country. But even as the drought has contracted nationwide, parts of the Texas and the Southwest have seen conditions deteriorate, and are likely to face another tough summer of drought.

The northern part of the U.S. saw the biggest gains, which was welcome news for a region hit hard by drought for the past year. Drought contracted significantly across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, and Wyoming, as two spring storms dropped heavy precipitation on the region, and the winter’s snowpack began to infiltrate the soil.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/storms-chip-away-at-the-drought-in-northern-us-15887

Climate Change Responsible for Global Vegetation Change

The amount of vegetation in the world, and the way it is spread across the planet, has changed significantly in the last three decades, researchers say.

They attribute more than half the changes they detected to the effects of the warming climate, with people responsible for only around a third. Surprisingly, perhaps, they are at a loss to attribute about 10 percent of the changes unequivocally to either the climate or us.

They say their work marks a scientific advance, because it has only recently become possible to quantify how far climate variability, human activity or a combination of the two are responsible for what is happening.

In a striking and perhaps unexpected development, the team found that while vegetation has declined south of the Equator, it has increased in the northern hemisphere.

The climate is what governs the seasonal activity of vegetation. In the humid mid-latitudes, temperature is the largest factor influencing plant growth.

In mainly dry areas, though, it is the availability of water and in high latitudes the amount of solar radiation that is key. And everywhere humans influence vegetation in myriad ways — and are influenced by it.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-responsible-for-global-vegetation-change-15883

China Confirms Their Warming is Human Caused

LONDON — Chinese scientists have just confirmed that greenhouse gas emissions have sent the thermometer soaring in one country — China.

This is, they say, the first study to directly link warmer daily minimum and maximum temperatures with climate change in one single nation, rather than on a global or hemispheric scale.

They had the maximum, minimum and mean daily temperatures from 2,416 weather stations in China between 1961 and 2007, and they decided to look for four revealing statistics: the minimum and maximum daily temperatures, and the minimum and maximum annual temperatures. They then analyzed this set of extremes and compared it with climate models.

They calculated that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions had probably increased the warmest annual extreme temperatures — the daily maximum and daily minimum for the hottest day and night of the year — by 0.92°C (1.66°F) and 1.7°C (3.06°F) respectively.

They found that human activity had increased the coolest annual extreme temperatures — the maximum and minimum for the coldest day and night of the year — by 2.83°C (5.09°F) and 4.44°C (7.99°F) respectively.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/chinas-warming-is-from-human-causes-15865

Cutting Short-lived Pollutants Can Slow Sea Level Rise

A new study finds that it is possible to greatly slow the rate of sea level rise, which is one of the biggest threats global warming poses, by cutting so-called “short-lived climate pollutants,” which warm the climate on timescales of a few weeks to a decade, in combination with reductions in long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). 

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that reducing emissions of these short-lived climate pollutants, including soot and methane, by 30 to 60 percent by 2050 would slow the annual rate of sea level rise by about 18 percent by 2050. Combining reductions in short-lived pollutants with decreasing CO2 emissions could cut the rate of sea level rise in half by 2100, from 0.82 inches to 0.43 inches per year, while reducing the total sea level rise by 31 percent during the same period. 

Related research by Climate Central scientists shows that the emissions reductions would potentially benefit more than 2 million Americans by 2100, who might otherwise be living below sea level at that point. 

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-cutting-short-lived-pollutants-can-slow-sea-level-rise-15877

Chicago Winter Storm Watch

From Minneapolis to the East Coast

A winter storm will continue to spread a swath of heavy snow from the Dakotas to the Ohio Valley early this week.

This is the same winter storm which could bring significant snow to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas with dangerous coastal flooding along the East coast Wednesday into Thursday.

This storm, which has already brought accumulating snow to the northern Rockies and rain showers as far south as San Francisco and Salt Lake City, moved into the Plains Sunday night.

In the city of Chicago, approximately 6 inches of snow accumulation is expected through Tuesday with lesser amounts to the north toward Racine and Milwaukee, Wis. An accumulation of 6 inches would surpass the biggest storm of the season in Chicago, which to date is 5.4 inches that fell Feb. 26-27.

Snow will spread farther east on Tuesday, bringing accumulations to Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Toledo.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/minneapolis-chicago-snow-may-r/7318939

High-Impact Snow Storm Headed for Mid-Atlantic

The Mid-Atlantic states are bracing for a high-impact, heavy snowstorm starting late Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday. The storm has the potential to paste parts of Virginia and Maryland with more than a foot of snow, while ending Washington, D.C.’s longest snow drought on record. The nation’s capital hasn’t received two inches or more of snow in a single event since Jan. 26, 2011, the longest such stretch since weather records began there in the late 1800s.

The prospect of heavy, wet snow along with high winds means that this storm poses a significant risk of power outages in a region that experienced lengthy power disruptions following severe thunderstorms last summer and Hurricane Sandy last fall.

The storm also threatens to cause coastal flooding from Virginia northward, possibly all the way to Massachusetts. The National Weather Service office in Philadelphia warned of the potential for “major coastal flooding” to take place along the vulnerable New Jersey shoreline, which was severely damaged during Sandy in October 2012. Fortunately, astronomical tides are not running particularly high, which should limit the flooding potential.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/high-impact-snowstorm-headed-for-mid-atlantic-15687

Chicago Winter Storm

Chicago Pelted by Snow and Sleet

A winter weather advisory is in effect until tonight as the Chicago area is getting hit with sleet, freezing rain and snow that is making travel hazardous and grounding hundreds of flights.

The National Weather Service expects the heaviest snow to fall this afternoon. Winds gusting at 35 to 40 mph will reduce visibility and glaze roads, the weather service warned in the advisory.

"Snowfall rates in excess of an inch per hour could occur at times," it said. "This will likely be a heavy wet snow sometimes referred to as heart attack snow."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-heavy-snow-expected-to-hit-the-evening-rush-20130226,0,4350095.story

Crippling Winter Storm in the Great Plains Region

Just days after a storm walloped the Great Plains, a second one, bringing with it heavy snow and strong winds, was slamming the region early Monday, forcing airline cancellations and school closures from Colorado to Texas.

National Weather Service forecasters warned the storm was bringing potentially "life threatening" and "crippling" blizzard conditions with freezing temperatures to portions of southeast Kansas, northwest Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle overnight

Fearing a repeat of last week's storm that brought more than 22 inches of snow to some places in Kansas, forcing the closure of airports and schools, the governor on Sunday extended a state of emergency declaration to include the new storm.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/us/weather-winter-storm/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Wind Advisory in Effect for Malibu

Anticipated strong winds accompanied by showers and possible thunderstorms have caused the National Weather Service to issue a wind advisory for Malibu.

The severe weather alert is in effect beginning at noon today until 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. West winds are expected to increase to 20–30 MPH with gusts reaching up to 45 MPH, according to the National Weather Service

http://www.malibutimes.com/news/article_4bd8fdc8-7abb-11e2-bad4-001a4bcf887a.html

Climate Contradiction: Less Snow, More Blizzards

But the answer lies in atmospheric physics. A warmer atmosphere can hold, and dump, more moisture, snow experts say. And two soon-to-be-published studies demonstrate how there can be more giant blizzards yet less snow overall each year. Projections are that that's likely to continue with manmade global warming.
Ten climate scientists say the idea of less snow and more blizzards makes sense: A warmer world is likely to decrease the overall amount of snow falling each year and shrink the snow season. But when it is cold enough for a snowstorm to hit, the slightly warmer air is often carrying more moisture, producing potentially historic blizzards

http://weather.yahoo.com/climate-contradiction-less-snow-more-blizzards-161708650.html

Multiple Chances of Severe Storms in the South this Week

The next significant threat of severe thunderstorms begins late Wednesday in the southern Plains.  Large hail and some high wind gusts are the primary threats overnight Wednesday night in Texas and extreme southern Oklahoma, potentially including Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio.  

The severe threat then sweeps into the Lower Mississippi Valley Thursday, including parts of east Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, in association with Winter Storm Q.  

Damaging straight-line winds, hail, and possibly a few tornadoes are possible in these areas, including Houston, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-severe/severe-weather-tracker

Snowstorm Headed for Heart of Drought Region

A major snowstorm is poised to deliver much-needed precipitation to areas from central and southern California to the Rockies and Plains states during the next several days. Parts of Kansas and Nebraska — ground zero for the worst drought conditions in the U.S. — may pick up more than a foot of snow by the time the storm ends there late Thursday.
While welcome news, the storm will not deliver nearly enough precipitation to end the drought. Typically, a 10-inch snowstorm would be equivalent to about 1 inch of liquid precipitation, and many parts of Nebraska and Kansas need more than 12 inches of rain to overcome their long-term precipitation deficit. In addition, most of the snow is predicted to fall in central and southern Nebraska, bypassing the northern and eastern parts of the state, which are locked in exceptional drought conditions.
In addition, the storm may set off a severe thunderstorm outbreak across the South as warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico clashes with cold, dry air moving southward from Canada. Sleet and freezing rain also threaten to disrupt travel in areas just to the south and east of the heaviest snowfall, across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, in particular.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/snowstorm-headed-for-heart-of-drought-region-15630

Blizzard Causes Flooding

While the blizzard bearing down on New England has understandbly brought national attention to what could be record snowfall, the storm brings another dangerous threat to the region: coastal flooding.

The blizzard of 2013 may cause major coastal flooding along the Massachusetts coastline from a storm surge as high as 5 feet and waves greater than 30 feet tall. The storm also arrives just days after a report warned of the region’s growing vulnerability to such storm-surge events. The report, by the nonprofit Boston Harbor Alliance, found that coastal flooding of 5 feet above the current average high tide — similar to the surge seen during Hurricane Sandy and translating to the city’s 100-year flood level — would flood 6.6 percent of the city of Boston.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/blizzard-of-2013-brings-another-major-threat-coastal-flooding-15574

Blizzard

A massive blizzard that dumped as much as 3 feet of snow in parts of the Northeast is heading out to sea, as workers across New York and New England struggle to get airports, trains and highways back online.

The snowstorm, a product of two converging weather systems, knocked out power for more than 635,000 customers and prompted the U.S. Postal Service to suspend deliveries in seven states. 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/09/us/northeast-blizzard/index.html

Waste Heat from Cities Altering Weather

The carbon dioxide that belches from tailpipes and smokestacks is a proven greenhouse gas that has been driving global temperatures more or less steadily upward over the past century. But the heat that leaks directly into the environment from hot exhaust pipes, boilers and chimneys has also contributed to temperature increases in some places, according to a study published Sunday in Nature Climate Change, especially in winter— not directly, but rather because the waste heat may be altering the flow of the jet stream, and thus the way warm and cold air move around the globe.

If the ridges and troughs are disrupted by heat rising from coastal cities, that could plausibly limit the amount of Arctic air that moves southward and tropical air that moves northward, affecting temperatures across the northern part of the hemisphere. It’s more of a rearrangement of heat than an overall increase, they say. While parts of the northern hemisphere are warmer in winter than they would otherwise be, parts — notably Northern Europe — end up cooler in summer and autumn.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/waste-heat-from-cities-may-be-altering-weather-patterns-says-new-study-15522

East Coast Tornado

RALEIGH -- A weather system in North Carolina on Wednesday spawned storms and conditions conducive to tornadoes. A tornado watch for eastern parts of the state expired at 2 a.m. Thursday and a wind advisory was in effect through 4 a.m. as a weather system rolled through the state.

The National Weather Service said a high-pressure area off the coast and a cold front moving in from the west created a wind tunnel of sorts to suck warm air from the southwest on Wednesday. The tornado watch, which went into effect around 8:30 p.m., indicates the right mix of conditions exists to produce the severe weather.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/30/2643074/showers-may-blow-in-wednesday.html?tab=gallery&gallery=/2013/01/30/2644454/severe-weather-slams-southeast.html&gid_index=1

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/30/2643074/showers-may-blow-in-wednesday.html?tab=gallery&gallery=/2013/01/30/2644454/severe-weather-slams-southeast.html&gid_index=1#storylink=cpy

Nuclear Snow?

You've probably heard of lake-effect snow and ocean-effect snow, but now you should add "nuclear snow" to the list of strange winter weather phenomena. As the Midwest and East shivers under a bitterly cold air mass, waste heat given off from the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant near Shippingport, Pa., generated a narrow band of snow. Up to an inch of snow fell as a result of the steam billowing from the stacks.
The steam from these power plants added heat and moisture to an extremely cold and dry atmosphere, causing the moisture to condense and form clouds and snow flurries. It's not uncommon for steam from power plant cooling towers to help form clouds in downwind areas, but it is rare for them to produce precipitation like this, and even rarer still to see it so clearly via Doppler radar imagery.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/nuclear-snow-power-plant-produces-snow-in-penn-15501

Explaining the Brutally Cold Temperatures the U.S. has been Facing

The coldest air of the winter season is affecting millions from the northern Plains to New England this week, where temperatures are running well below average, and wind chills are plunging into dangerous territory. The cold weather is likely to stick around for much of the week, and repeated blasts of colder-than-average temperatures are anticipated into February as a possible result of a variety of factors, including a sudden warming event in the upper atmosphere above the Arctic, and a natural cycle of tropical rainfall variability near the Equator.

The turn to colder weather in much of the East may be related to two factors in particular. One is a sudden warming event that took place high in the atmosphere, in a region known as the stratosphere. This sudden stratospheric warming event, which occurred in late December into early January, may be drawing cold air away from the Arctic and into the northern mid-latitudes, while the Arctic enjoys relatively mild temperatures.

In addition to the sudden stratospheric warming event, there may be another natural climate phenomenon at work as well. According to Michelle L'Heureux, a climate scientist at the Climate Prediction Center, which is part of theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a phenomenon known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation, or MJO, also favors colder-than-average conditions in parts of the U.S. right now, and may even be a bigger factor than the more dramatic stratospheric warming event.

The MJO is associated with a pattern of tropical rainfall that moves eastward along the equator, going around the world in about 30-to-60 days. Because the MJO influences atmospheric heating through tropical rainfall, it can modify weather patterns far away from the equator.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/is-there-a-tropical-link-to-frigid-air-gripping-wide-swath-of-us-15497

Ever-changing Climate

Hotter?

Data released last week found that the continental United States experienced its warmest year on record in 2012. However, several regions including parts of Alaska, western Canada, central Asia and the Antarctic were cooler. James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said it was likely that an upcoming year would break the record high global temperature set in 2010. "What we find is that the ocean is getting warmer -- that shows that the planet is out of balance, there is more energy coming in than going out," Hansen told reporters on a conference call. "Therefore we can predict with confidence that the next decade is going to be warmer than the last one," he said.

Most mainstream scientists believe that global temperatures and extreme weather events are rising due to industrial emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases, which trap heat inside the atmosphere. The average global temperature has risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.4 Fahrenheit) since 1880 when records were first kept, according to NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The planet has been warmer than the 20th century average every year since 1976 and only one year in the last century -- 1998 -- was warmer than 2012. Climate skeptics have used comparisons from 1998 to argue that global warming has stopped. Hansen said that 1998 was not representative as it featured a powerful El Nino, the phenomenon of a warm Pacific Ocean current, and that temperatures have kept rising when factoring in the El Nino and opposite La Nina effects. "The most recent decade is clearly much warmer than that decade," he said. Hansen said that scientists also needed to study whether a rise in the use of industrial aerosols in China and other developing countries has tempered warming. Aerosols, despite causing other harm, have a cooling effect.

A World Bank report warned in November that global warming was on course to devastate coastal communities and food production, setting back development for millions of the world's poor.

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-app/reports?ARCHIV=0&LANG=en&MENU=207&FILE=b1.txt&DAY=20130116