Category Archives: National Weather

National Weather

Digging out: Mid-Atlantic begins to recover from record setting blizzard

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Astounding snow totals normally reserved for the Rocky Mountains were recorded in the area around the nation’s capital as a two day storm pounded the area. As the storm moved out late Saturday, the digging out process begins on Super Bowl Sunday.

In the wake of the storm, numerous snowfall records were set. Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. recorded an astounding 32.4 inches, easily eclipsing the previous snowstorm record for that facility of 23.2 inches set in 1996.

Similarly, Baltimore / Washington International recorded 24.8 inches which ranks the storm second on Baltimore’s list. That city’s top storm occurred in 1922 and dumped 26.3 inches of snow. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport recorded 17.8 inches putting the storm as the fourth biggest for Washington. Philadelphia measured 28.5 inches which is more in a single storm than the city has received in all but four seasons in the last 30 years.

The monster storm has spurred on a flurry of catchy nicknames. Whiteout at the White House. Snowpocalypse. Snowmageddon. Even President Barack Obama referred to the storm as ‘snowmageddon’ in remarks on Saturday. The storm even prevented the president from using his limousine and he was forced to use an SUV to attend an event.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!Get all the details on the storm with the latest news and photos from the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather

Washington D.C. set to be walloped by record setting storm

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A major winter snowstorm has begun in the nation’s capital and forecasters are warning that by the time it is over, it may amount to Washington D.C.’s biggest snowstorm on record. Much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States was bracing for blizzard conditions and snowfall amounts that could exceed two feet.

The National Weather Service warned of ‘extremely dangerous’ weather conditions that will winds that will turn the snow into a blizzard. “Travel is highly discouraged tonight and will be very dangerous,” the service said. Winter Storm Warnings have been posted from North Carolina to Pennsylvania and from Indiana to Delaware.

Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which oversees the National Weather Service took the unusual step of issuing her own statement prior to the storm arriving. “An epic snowstorm has the mid-Atlantic region in its crosshairs. At this time, personal safety must be first and foremost,” Lubchenco said.

Travel across the region began to come to a veritable halt Friday as airlines canceled flights and trains stopped running. Delta, Southwest and other airlines were stopping flights out of Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore and were unsure when they would resume service. Amtrak canceled most train service from Washington southward.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!Get complete details on this potentially historic winter storm in the nation’s capital on the Natural Disasters Examiner. 

National Weather

Mid-Atlantic braces for blizzard conditions and two feet of snow

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despread, heavy snowfall is forecast for a large swath of the eastern United States. (NOAA)
Widespread, heavy snowfall is forecast for a large swath of the eastern United States. (NOAA)

Residents from Virginia, across Maryland and into New Jersey and Pennsylvania are prepping for blizzard conditions as a major winter storm is set to strike. Up to two feet of snow is forecast over the next 36 hours and businesses, government agencies and schools are scrambling to prepare.

The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Warnings from North Carolina through Pennsylvania and central Indiana to Delaware. Blizzard Warnings were issued for parts of Delaware and New Jersey.

Up to 24 inches of snow could fall in Baltimore, northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Philadelphia is bracing for up to one foot of snow and 12 to 18 inches are expected near the Delaware and New Jersey coasts.

Even as the storm is just getting started, its effects are being felt. Airlines were announcing cancelations from Friday afternoon forward from airports in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Amtrak has canceled most train service from the nation’s capital south.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!Check out the video news report and get more details on school closings and airline flight cancellations at the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather

From the Rockies to the Atlantic, cold weather grips the nation

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Calling the recent weather that has gripped the eastern two thirds of the nation a ‘cold spell’ does not do it justice. From the eastern side of the Rockies to Florida and north to New England, much of the nation has seen extraordinarily cold weather in recent days that will continue through the weekend.

To the west, Denver will begin to warm up finally this weekend but that comes in the wake of Arctic cold that saw the Mile High City see high temperatures in the teens on Thursday and a low temperature down to -16. Just a bit further east on the plains, Kansas and Nebraska were similarly cold and were forced to cope with snow and ice that turned roadways treacherous.

In the Midwest, the cold weather had tragic results. On Thursday, an icy highway caused a tractor trailer to lose control and swerve into oncoming traffic impacting a bus transporting disabled adults. Three passengers and the bus driver were killed, six other passengers were injured as was the truck driver.

The nation’s railway system was impacted as Amtrak was forced to cut its daily train between Chicago and Denver on Friday because it could not make it through snow drifts in Nebraska. Passengers on the train Thursday arrived in Denver a day late after having been stuck on the plains for 23 hours. The California Zephyr from California to Chicago finally arrived Friday after being delayed 18 hours.

The southern part of the nation found itself gripped in the cold and unprepared to deal with it. Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and even Florida saw temperatures dipping into record setting territory. Shelters in the states were packed with the homeless seeking someplace warm to spend the nights.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!For more on this story and to view some of the amazing photos from the winter weather, visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Climatology, National Weather, Natural Disasters

Deadly cold envelops Northern Hemisphere from U.S. to China

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Severe cold weather has enveloped the northern half of the globe from the United States to Britain to China. Across the continents, many places are reporting record setting temperatures and lives have been lost due to the Arctic chill.

The eastern half of the United States saw cold, Arctic air pulled down from the north plunging temperatures below freezing in normally mild places as far south as Florida. The widespread cold gripped most of the nation east of the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Seaboard.

Across the Midwest, temperatures plunged to well below freezing as parts of Iowa recorded temperatures as low as -15 degrees. Jeff Johnson, National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Des Moines Register, “”We’re a solid 30 degrees below normal.” Minneapolis, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois were seeing wind chills below 0 degrees Tuesday morning.

In Miami, residents accustomed to short sleeve shirts and shorts bundled up as temperatures dropped to freezing. Further north in the state, Orlando saw a low temperature of 21 degrees.

The National Weather Service issued hard freeze warnings across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida as the cold threatened the agriculture industry in those states. Freeze watches in Tennessee highlighted the severe cold and came on the heels of reports that four people have died in that state from the cold.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!The United States is not alone as the cold has turned deadly across the globe.  Get all the details and see some amazing photos at the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Climate Change, National Weather

Deaths and cost from natural disasters down significantly in 2009

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A distinct lack of major natural catastrophes resulted in lower costs and less of a loss of life in 2009. German reinsurer Munich Re AG said in its annual disaster report that approximately 10,000 people lost their lives and $50 billion in losses was realized during the year.  The company warned however that manmade climate change will soon reverse those numbers.

In terms of lives lost, with approximately 10,000 people killed during 2009, the year fell far short of the average of 75,000. This was also significantly less than in 2008 when 220,000 were killed by natural disasters. That year saw two major catastrophes – Cyclone Nargis and an earthquake in China’s Sichuan province – case the vast majority of lives lost.

The insurer’s numbers match closely with a report released last month by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) which put the annual death toll at 8,919. The most significant events in 2009 were an earthquake in Indonesia in September which killed 1,117, flooding in India in July that killed 992 and a series of typhoons and tropical storms that struck the Philippines.

Economic losses were also below the decadal average of $115 billion per year. 2009’s reported losses fall at less than half of that and far below the $200 billion mark that was seen in 2008. Munich Re said, “Losses were far lower in 2009 than in 2008 due to the absence on the whole of major catastrophes and a very benign North Atlantic hurricane season.”

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!For the rest of this story and to see how climate change could cause greater impact from natural disasters, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather

White Christmas brings joy and misery

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Two thirds of the contiguous United States had a white Christmas. (NOAA)
Two thirds of the contiguous United States had a white Christmas. (NOAA)

Christmas 2009 may have granted some people’s wishes for a white Christmas but for millions it equated to misery. A series of snowstorms blanketed two thirds of the nation in snow and snarled holiday plans for many.

From Texas to North Dakota and Nevada to Minnesota the breadth of the storms was tremendous. Holiday travelers were forced to spend their Christmas in airports and shelters while those already at home devoted their holiday to digging out from the heavy snowfall.

Dallas, Texas experienced its first white Christmas in 80 years. The three inches of snow that fell Christmas Eve was a record for the date and lasted long enough for residents to wake up to a cover of white early Christmas morning.

Oklahoma bore a big hit from the storms as 14 inches of snow was recorded in Oklahoma City on Christmas Eve, easily eclipsing the previous record for the date of 2.5 inches. Blizzard conditions forced Governor Brad Henry to order every interstate and highway in the state closed Christmas Eve due to the dangerous conditions. Will Rogers World Airport shut down for a period and was finally able to clear one runway Christmas Day.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For a complete look at the havoc wreaked by the snowstorms and some of the photos from across the nation, please view the complete story at the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather

Philippine volcano eruption possible within days

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With glowing red lava now flowing regularly down its sides and seismic activity ‘dramatically increased,’ an eruption of the Mayon Volcano in the Philippines is now considered imminent. Activity on the mountain has steadily increased over the past week and prompted the evacuation of nearly 45,000 area residents.

Today the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the alert level for the volcano to level four which means an eruption is possible within days. A level four alert is second to only level five which would involve an actual eruption taking place.

In its latest alert, the service said “seismic activity dramatically increased in number and size” noting that nearly 2,000 volcanic quakes had been detected. Glowing, red hot lava was easily seen flowing down the slopes of the mountain at night and booms and rumbling were heard. The lava flow now extends more than three miles down the mountain and sulfur dioxide (SO2) is being emitted at a rate of more than 6,000 tons per day.

Emphasizing the danger, PHIVOLCS said in its warning that “a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days.” With the heightened alert level, it is expected that the evacuation radius will be extended out to five miles from the mountain possibly impacting thousands of more people.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For the amazing photos of the volcano’s recent activity and more details on the possible eruption, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather, Thornton Weather

NOAA: Nighttime and winter tornadoes a real danger

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Tornadoes can and do strike at night and during winter months. Are you prepared?
Tornadoes can and do strike at night and during winter months. Are you prepared?

Tornadoes are one of nature’s most violent storms. Able to strike without warning, they bring death and destruction with frightening frequency. Twisters can be scary enough to just think about and when you consider one striking at night when you can’t see it and aren’t expecting it, the odds of survival diminish.

Over the last three years, there has been an average of 1297 tornadoes per year and on average 91 tornado-related deaths per year. While not as common during the winter months, tornadoes can and do occur every month of the year and they do strike at night.

Seeking to draw attention to the dangers nighttime tornadoes present, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Weather Service announced an effort to increase awareness. In a press release today, the services said that with the El Niño conditions we are experiencing, Florida and the Gulf Coast region stand a greater risk of tornadoes.

NOAA reminded all residents of the United States that a NOAA All Hazards Radio is the first line in defense against not only tornadoes, but all natural disasters. Also announced were new severe weather outlooks that will be issued when conditions are favorable for such storms.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!Get all the details from the Natural Disasters Examiner about what the National Weather Service said and learn what steps you can take to protect you and your loved ones.

Colorado Weather, National Weather

Winter storms stretching 1,700 miles pounds the nation

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A massive winter storm covering nearly 1,700 miles has brought Arctic cold, record snowfall and blizzard conditions to a large swatch of the nation. From southwestern Utah, across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains to northeastern Michigan winter weather warnings have been issued as Old Man Winter arrives two weeks early.

Starting in California, parts of the Sierra Nevada saw up to four feet of snow. In Arizona the storm brought high winds to the Phoenix area which downed power lines leaving 250,000 people without power. Flagstaff, Arizona and Reno, Nevada were covered in blankets of snow.

In Colorado, the entire state was feeling the effects of the storm. The southwestern part of the state was experiencing blizzard conditions while the Denver area, spared significant snowfall, suffered through single digit temperatures and wind chills dipping to 10 degrees below zero.

As if often the case, winter storm can turn deadly and this system has not been an exception. Two people were killed in New Mexico due to traffic accidents on dangerously slick roads and the state’s road crews were struggling to keep up with falling snow.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For all the details including a photo slideshow of the winter weather and details on the impact of travel, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.