What Record-Breaking Drought Means for California's Future

Wildfires, water rationing and snow-free mountaintops are all becoming the new norm in California.

The Golden State is experiencing the most severe drought on record, and research suggests the conditions will only worsen in the coming decades.

"Climate change is going to lead to overall much drier conditions toward the end of the 21st century than anything we've seen in probably the last 1,000 years," said Benjamin Cook, a climatologist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City.

But despite the drier conditions and the apocalyptic headlines, California is unlikely to become a parched, uninhabitable hellscape, experts say. Southern California's forest may transform into scrub and grassland. And a drier climate may force a transformation or reduction of the state's agricultural economy. But with some forethought and planning, the state should have enough water to support the millions of people who live there, experts say. [6 Unexpected Effects of Climate Change]

"In the next few decades, warming is not going to cause California to be a wasteland," said A. Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in New York City.

2015 Already Setting Heat Records

The first three months of 2015 set new global heat records, government officials announced today (April 17).

January, February and March setnew high-temperature records, respectively; each month was warmer than any on the books since record keeping started 136 years ago. March also ended the hottest 12-month period on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported. Seven of the past 11 months have tied or set new record-high monthly temperatures.

In March, Earth's average temperature was 56.4 degrees Fahrenheit (13.6 degrees Celsius), breaking the previous record set in 2010 by 0.09 F (0.05 C). The Japan Meteorological Agency also put March in first place, as the hottest month ever in its records, while NASA put it in third place, behind 2010 and 2002. Yet, all three agencies agree that the 12 months to date are the hottest ever. [Fishy Rain to Fire Whirlwinds: The World's Weirdest Weather]

Giant blobs of warm water in the tropical and northeast Pacific Ocean helped boost 2015 to the top of the rankings, according to the NOAA climate report. Like a pot of boiling water on a stove, the warm seawater radiates heat into the atmosphere and raises the planet's average temperature. The global average temperature includes measurements over land and ocean surfaces.

Because these warm-water pools are predicted to persist through year-end, more heat records could fall in the coming months. In the tropical Pacific, the warm water is linked to an ongoing El Niño, the cyclic phenomenon that shifts global weather. NOAA forecasts a 60 percent chance that the El Niño will last through fall.

Where in the US Are People Most Worried About Climate Change?

Residents in California are much more worried about the warming planet than those in parts of the central United States, according to a new set of interactive maps showing public opinion on climate change.

As a nation, 63 percent of Americans think the planet is warming and 48 percent of Americans think these changes are caused by humans. But "Americans don't speak with a single voice on the issue," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and co-author of the new paper published online April 6 in the journal Nature Climate Change. "In fact, there's a tremendous diversity across the country about it."

Leiserowitz and his colleagues from Yale and Utah State University estimated what people in different states, local communities and congressional districts think, in order to tease out smaller trends. The researchers also created the interactive map based on their new data. "I use this analogy loosely, but it's like getting a microscope for the first time," Leiserowitz told Live Science. "Suddenly, you can see this whole world below the surface that you just couldn't see before." [6 Unexpected Effects of Climate Change]

Weather officials say EF1 tornado damaged Central Florida homes

The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that an EF1 tornado touched down in Marion County, toppling several trees and damaging dozens of homes.

Strong storms ripped through Central Florida on Monday, causing serious damage to about 60 homes in the Oak Run and Palm Cay subdivisions in Ocala.  Weather officials said winds reached up to 90 mph during the storm.

NWS meteorologist Peter Wolf said visible "twisting in trees and damage pointed toward a center of rotation."

"This one is very clear that the damage is circular and convergent.  (It) definitely was a brief tornado," Wolf said.  "We've also had one person who said they saw the rotating cloud coming across the area as well, so that helps to confirm it as well."

Wolf said conditions were not favorable for a tornado, but he said thunderstorms can sometimes locally change the environment.

"I think that's what happened here.  It was a very brief spin-up that occurred, and it weakened as fast as it developed," Wolf said.

Cleanup efforts in the neighborhoods began Monday night and continued Tuesday.

I-80 In Wyoming Opens After Poor Weather Caused Day-Long Shutdown

A 150-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Rawlins, Wyoming, reopened Friday night, more than 20 hours after major wrecks involving dozens of semi trucks forced police to close it down.

Blinding, blowing snow hit southern Wyoming Thursday, creating impossible driving conditions that police say likely led to a series of three wrecks along the interstate. More than 30 commercial vehicles and 12 passenger cars were involved.

Photos show the semi trucks piled up on one another. No one was killed, but about a dozen people were hospitalized. 

Poor weather continued to hammer the area into Friday, complicating the cleanup effort, and forcing WHP to keep the interstate shutdown. They urged anyone planning to drive through the area to check www.wyoroad.infobeforehand.

The system brought winter-like weather into the Rockies and High Plains Thursday into Friday, dusting the Denver foothills with a few inches of snow, and dumping at least 45 inches at Snowbird ski resort in Utah.

Mind-Blowing Snow Route Through Japan’s Northern Alps Opens for Tourist Season

One of the places to see the world’s most epic displays of Mother Nature is now open.

The amazing Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Japan, where you can walk between enormous 65-foot tall walls of snow, opened for public tours this week.

The route sits in the Northern Japan Alps, and it’s completely inaccessible from December to mid April, according to the Japanese tourism site Japan-guide.com.

The snow here can be so epic, even meteorologists are impressed.

“In the winter, cold air from Siberia spills over the Sea of Japan, picking up moisture. These cold north to northwest winds them slam into the Japanese Alps and lower elevations on the mountains' windward slopes, wringing out heavy snow,” weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman explains in his piece about the deepest snow in the world.“When this pattern locks in, feet of snow can fall for several days."

Nearly 1 million visitors stream through the route each year, according to the Daily Mail. And the pictures the visitors capture don't disappoint.

Storm to Bring Flooding Threat to Japan Early Next Week

A pair of storm systems will bring repeated rounds of rain to much of Japan from Sunday into Wednesday.

The result of these storms will be daily travel delays, impacting cities such as Kumamoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

The rain will be heavy enough to at times raise the risk for flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

The heaviest rainfall is expected to impact the Greater Tokyo Area on Monday and then again Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night.

Rainfall totals of 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) are expected from eastern Shikoku through eastern Honshu including the Greater Tokyo Area.

While flooding will be the greatest risk associated with this heavy rainfall, mudslides are also possible across the rugged terrain of southern and central Japan.

Rain, Rain and More Rain; Some Drought Relief on the Way for Southern High Plains

A very wet pattern is setting up across the southern states this week and will help alleviate the drought ever so slightly. On the flip side, the abundance of moisture leading to heavy rain fall is cause for flooding concerns in some locations.

A quick glance at the US Drought Monitor website shows some startling statistics for much of the Southern High Plains.

Exceptional Drought covers 3.5% of the southern region, in western Oklahoma and north central Texas. Extreme Drought conditions can be found across another 13.10%. Those numbers are up nearly three quarters of a percent from just one week ago.

In the last three months, the area of Exceptional Drought has increased from 1.99% to the 3.5% it stands at today, while Extreme Drought has gone up from 8.39% to 13.10% in the same time period.

Fairdale, Illinois, Tornado Receives Preliminary EF4 Rating, National Weather Service Says

The tornado that tore through northern Illinois Thursday night has received a preliminary rating of EF4 based on an initial ground survey of the most heavily damaged area, the National Weather Service reported Friday evening. “Based on early findings, the tornado that tracked from near Rochelle to near Belvidere and impacted the community of Fairdale appears to have been a single long track tornado,” notes an NWS statement. “An aerial survey will be conducted tomorrow, weather permitting, to confirm a final rating.”

The EF or Enhanced Fujita Tornado Intentisy Scale measures a tornado’s impact. The scale goes from 0 to 5, with 5 being a storm that causes incredible damage. An EF4 tornado brings with it windspeeds of 166 to 200 mph and causes “devastating” damage. Estimated peak windspeeds of Thursday’s tornado reached 180 to 200 mph. (For more on the EF Scale, here is a detailed article.) 

Earlier in the day Friday, local officials said they were confident everyone was out of the area. Kirkland Fire Department Chief Chad Connell said they brought in three K-9 teams as a “precautionary measure,” to “double check our work.” Connell said he expected the search-and-rescue portion of the operation to finish before 5 p.m. Central time. 

“We think we have everyone accounted for,” added DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott. “We have no specific person that’s unaccounted for.”

The area struck yesterday still has no power. Local officials said residents could come to assess the damage to their property on an “escorted basis,” but encouraged people not to stay around until conditions were proven safe. 

Gov. Bruce Rauner earlier in the day Friday declared Ogle and DeKalb counties disaster areas, making state resources available for the areas hardest hit by this storm, which took two lives. Geraldine M. Schultz, 67, and Jacqueline Klosa, 69, next-door neighbors, were both killed, and 11 more people were hospitalized after at least one tornado ripped through northern Illinois Thursday evening at about 7:15 p.m., officials said. Klosa’s body was found during a second search Friday morning, according to the Chicago Tribune.

California Statewide Snowpack Now Below Record Low Benchmark

Snowpack in California has reached a new low milestone that has not been seen in more than 30 years. It's just the latest chapter in the dire drought now entering its fourth year.

According to the California Nevada River Forecast Center, snowpack statewide was just nine percent of average as of March 23. That figure breaks the previous snowpack record for this point in the snow season, set back during the 1976 to 1977 season. 

"That's not a typo, it's now in single digits," the River Forecast Center said in a Facebook post announcing the new low. 

Winter storms capable of delivering feet of snow have been scarce so far in 2015. The animation below shows how the snowpack has receded greatly from early January into the middle of March.

The overall statewide snowpack is calculated based on the combined snow water content of the northern, central and southern Sierra Nevada.

On March 23,  the central and southern Sierra Nevada were both at 10 percent of average, while the northern Sierra Nevada was at seven percent of average.

This snow water content is very important for the water supply in California. As the snow melts later in the spring, it helps to replenish reservoirs in the state. As of March 23, all reservoirs near the Sierra Nevada and in northern California were at 60 percent or less capacity, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

Although northern California reservoirs got a boost from heavy rainfall in February, snow was confined to the highest elevations. This means the moisture-laden storm systems did very little to help the mountain snowpack. 

Supertide Dazzles Onlookers in France and England

For the first time this century, tourists and residents alike stood on the shore of northwestern France to gaze in awe at an incredible phenomenon.

Known as the supertide, it happens just once every 18 years, according to The Associated Press, bringing water levels up to levels not seen at any other time. It affects the northern coast of France and southern England, providing a show for onlookers and surfers.

Arguably the biggest spectacle from the event, however, happened at France's Mont Saint-Michel. Thousands of people showed up at the coast of Normandy to witness the highest tide in nearly two decades, and the ancient abbey was turned into an island, the AP reported.

"It's been a long time since we've seen Mont Saint-Michel surrounded by the sea," Wilfred James told the AP. "I was born in this region and I never saw it like this."

The island, which contains a monastery, is usually connected to the mainland via a causeway, but that went underwater during the supertide, providing an incredible photo opportunity, according to the BBC.

Surfers rode the 6-foot bore tide – a rush of seawater that travels up a river or narrow bay – brought by the supertide in Gloucestershire, England, along the River Severn, The Independent said. Though the tide peaked slightly lower than forecasted, it provided a rare opportunity for surfers, and some posted footage to YouTube.

Severe Storms Aim for Oklahoma to Missouri Tuesday

The unusual lull in severe weather across the United States will come to an end on Tuesday with locally strong to severe thunderstorms centered on parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) only issued four tornado watches and no severe thunderstorm watches from the start of January through March 22. None of the tornado watches were in effect in March.

Unfortunately, the lack of widespread severe weather will come to an end during this first full week of spring. There will be risks to lives and property over part of the Central states.

The severe weather danger will progressively increase through Tuesday across the south-central Plains.

Some thunderstorms developed across Kansas on Monday night, but stronger, and somewhat more organized thunderstorms are expected to erupt from late Tuesday into Tuesday night from eastern Oklahoma to central Missouri.

Muskogee and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Springfield, Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri lie in Tuesday's threat zone.

Mild Alaska Winter Forces Shift of Historic Iditarod Start

Due to poor conditions along the Alaska Range, the 43rd Iditarod Sled Dog Race will begin in Fairbanks, Alaska, rather than Willow, Alaska, for only the second time in the event's history.

While the ceremonial start will still take place Saturday, March 7, in Anchorage, race officials determined in early February that it would be best to "restart" the race Monday, March 9, in Fairbanks. Weather continues to throw a wrench into plans, however. Earlier this week, organizers moved the Fairbanks restart to a different part of town following deteriorating river ice near the original location, according an Alaska Dispatch News report.

"While some snow did fall east of the Alaska Range over the past couple of weeks, other parts of the trail, in very critical areas, did not get much or any of it," said CEO Stan Hooley, when the decision to move to Fairbanks was announced.

The forecast in Anchorage for Saturday is mostly cloudy with some rain and snow possible and a high approaching 40, according to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. For Monday's restart, some light snow is possible around Fairbanks with a high around 10, and lows Monday night will approach 20 below zero F, he added.

Spring Fever Alert: Central, Northeast US to Warm up Next Week

A change in the weather pattern will turn off arctic air invasions to allow the March sun to go to work over much of the Central and Northeastern United States next week.

While the official arrival of spring is a couple of weeks away, the winter weather is going to break soon.

The weather pattern next week has the potential to bring the warmest weather since early January to many areas.

According to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mark Paquette, "We expect mild Pacific air to flow from west to east across the nation next week."

The west to east flow will keep arctic air locked up over central Canada.

"Compared to what people have been through this February, the weather next week should feel much more comfortable from the Plains to the East," Paquette said.

While the extensive snow cover and ice on area streams and rivers will remain a concern for flooding and ice jams moving forward through March, a significant amount of snow cover will be lost. Ice will begin to break up and move on the streams. Any storm coming along with drenching rain will have to be watched closely.

Over 200,000 Lose Power as Snowstorm Pummels Texas to Virginia

As a snowstorm unraveled from Texas to North Carolina and Virginia, snow and ice left a trail of disruption on Wednesday into Thursday.

In some of the hardest-hit areas, hundreds of thousands were without power as the accumulation of snow and ice weighed down power lines. A swath of 6-12 inches of snow fell from far northeastern Texas to western North Carolina.

Duke Energy in North Carolina reported more than 200,000 customers were affected by power outages. With storm impacts still creating hazardous travel conditions on Thursday morning, the city of Charlotte operated under a two-hour delay. Federal agencies in Washington, D.C., operated under a two-hour delay as well as the storm trekked northeast.

For those still without power, cold conditions will remain a concern.

"Temperatures will drop into the teens and lower 20s each night through Saturday in most areas that received snow from the recent storm," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

A record-breaking 8.1 inches of snow fell in Huntsville, Alabama, the second-highest daily snowfall to ever hit the city. In Starkville, Mississippi, more than 2 inches of snow blanketed the town, prompting Mississippi State University to cancel classes for the day. In-state rival University of Mississippi canceled classes and activities Wednesday and Thursday as the storm blasted the area.

One student was killed in a sledding accident on Wednesday after striking a stop sign at the end of a hill, Oxford Police reported.

The Ocean Waves in Nantucket Are So Cold, They're Rolling in as Slush

The unusually cold and snowy winter in southern New England has broken records and resulted in many indellible images, from collapsed roofs tomassive snow farms and a frozen Hudson River in New York. Now, a new iconic image of the winter of 2014-15 can be added to the mix: slush waves.

Nantucket-based photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh captured waves coming ashore that contained bits of ice, making them resemble a slurpee.

The slush waves formed during one of the coldest winters in many years, with a late February cold snap that broke all-time records in parts of the Northeast.

The cold stands out on a global temperature map, with temperatures in New England beating out all other land areas for the biggest negative temperature anomaly.

How New England and Boston's Snow Measures Up In The Record Books

An over three-week snow siege has buried parts of New England with feet of snow. 

You may wonder if this extended snowy blitz is setting records. Below, we have a rundown of heaviest snowstorm, snowiest month and season lists for the hardest hit parts of New England. Click on each bolded city link for the latest forecast.

Boston

Winter Storms Juno and Marcus each made the top 10 heaviest Boston snowstorms, all-time.

1. Feb. 17-18, 2003: 27.6 inches
2. Feb. 6-7, 1978: 27.1 inches
3. Feb. 24-26, 1969: 25.8 inches
4. Mar. 31 - Apr. 1, 1997: 25.4 inches
5. Feb. 8-9, 2013 (Nemo): 24.9 inches
6. Jan. 26-28, 2015 (Juno): 24.6 inches
7. Feb. 7-10, 2015 (Marcus): 23.8 inches
8. Jan. 22-23, 2005: 22.5 inches
9. Jan. 20-21, 1978: 21.4 inches
10. Mar. 3-5, 1960: 19.8 inches

In just over two years, we've had three of the top seven heaviest snowstorms in Boston. 

February has obliterated the previous snowiest month on record in Boston.

1. February 2015: 64.6 inches
2. January 2005: 43.3 inches
3. January 1945: 42.3 inches
4. February 2003: 41.6 inches
5. February 1969: 41.3 inches

For perspective, the average seasonal snowfall at Logan Airport is 43.5 inches. 

Sea Level Spiked for Two Years Along Northeastern North America

A four-inch increase in sea levels from New York to Newfoundland occurred in 2009 and 2010 because ocean circulation changed, reports a UA-led team of geoscientists.

Sea levels from New York to Newfoundland jumped up about four inches in 2009 and 2010 because ocean circulation changed, a University of Arizona-led team reports in an upcoming issue of Nature Communications.

The team was the first to document that the extreme increase in sea level lasted two years, not just a few months.

"The thing that stands out is the time extent of this event as well as the spatial extent of the event," said first author Paul Goddard, a UA doctoral candidate in geosciences.

Independent of any hurricanes or winter storms, the event caused flooding along the northeast coast of North America. Some of the sea level rise and the resulting flooding extended as far south as Cape Hatteras.

The paper is also the first to show that the unusual spike in sea level was a result of changes in ocean circulation.

Co-author Jianjun Yin, UA assistant professor of geosciences, said, "We are the first to establish the extreme sea level rise event and its connection with ocean circulation."

Goddard detected the two-year-long spike in sea level by reviewing monthly tide-gauge records, some of which went back to the early 1900s, for the entire Eastern Seaboard. No other two-year period from those records showed such a marked increase.

The team linked the spike to a change in the ocean's Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and also a change in part of the climate system known as the North Atlantic Oscillation.

The researchers then used computer climate models to project the probability of future spikes in sea level.

The team found that, at the current rate that atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing, such extreme events are likely to occur more frequently, Goddard said.

Massachusetts Tornado Scar Visible From Space After Recent Snowstorms

When a large tornado does major damage, it often leaves a scar in the Earth that can be visible from space even when there's snow on the ground.

The image at the top of this page was taken this week by a NASA satellite that was flying over New England. It shows a scar left by a tornado that hit Springfield, Massachusetts, the summer of 2011.

The tornado hit downtown Springfield on June 1, 2011, before moving east. Three people were killed by the EF3 tornado.

Tornado scars can linger for many years. In southern Wisconsin, an EF3 tornado hit wooded areas eight years ago and left a scar that's still visible from space. The scar, like the one still visible near Springfield, is most pronounced after a heavy snowfall.

The EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, in May 2013 left a scar that was documented from space, due to the amount of damage it caused.

- Published Feb 18 2015 12:04 PM EST by weather.com

Cyclones Marcia and Lam Inch Closer To Australian Coast

Two cyclones are inching toward northern Australia, and both are expected to make landfall at nearly the same time.

Tropical cyclones Lam and Marcia are threatening the country's Northern Territory and Queensland states, respectively, according to News Australia. Both tropical systems are packing sustained winds well over 100 mph.

"Northwest Australia has the most frequent encounters with tropical cyclones, averaging about two landfalls each season," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "This is where Tropical Cyclone Lam will make landfall."

Cyclone Lam forced the evacuation of Warruwi, a small town on Goulburn Island, News Australia also reported. The town's 430 residents were moved to the mainland before the storm arrived.

Meanwhile, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk met with disaster managers in northern Brisbane to be briefed by emergency officials before Marcia arrived, the Guardian reported. Authorities warned of heavy rainfall, extremely high tides and dangerous surf.

"This is an important time now not to panic but to make sure you have your preparations in place," Palaszczuk said, according to the Guardian's report.

Queenslanders spent the hours before Marcia's landfall clearing store shelves of supplies as they stocked up in preparation for the storm, Reuters reported. The state's biggest port, the Port of Gladstone, has stopped ship-loading operations and moved all ships away from the harbor, the report said.

It might be rare for two cyclones to make landfall at virtually the same time, but it's not uncommon for tropical systems to impact Australia.

The season typically runs from November to April in the Southern Hemisphere.

http://www.wunderground.com/news/australia-cyclone-lam-marcia