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Does the federal shutdown impact weather forecasting?
Weather forecasts provided by the government will continue during the shutdown. The National Weather Service (NWS) and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) agencies provide essential services; therefore, most NWS federal forecasters are considered emergency employees and are required to work without pay during the shutdown.
While NWS will continue their life-saving essential work, some weather and climate data feeds and public-facing services will have limited or no access to researchers and the public. According to a NWS webpage announcement, “Due to the government shutdown, all public National Weather Service activities, including tours and other outreach activities, have been canceled or postponed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience. The NWS will continue to provide critical forecast, watch, and warning information to protect life and property throughout the shutdown.” The National Hurricane Center (NHC) will also continue to provide hurricane updates and forecasts. There are a few “non-essential” fields in NOAA that are not operating during the shutdown, including some active research. Continue reading
Category: Meteorology, Weather Dangers
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What does the CDC have to do with the National Weather Service?
As the flu season ramps up and brings along with it an increased threat of COVID-19 infections, it has been distressing for many to witness the assault on the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC.
Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an infamous vaccine skeptic, the leadership of the organization has been decimated and confidence in its ability to meet the challenges we regularly face from infectious disease has dramatically decreased. These troubling developments come just weeks after the Department of Energy released a report on the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate of the United States written by five well-known skeptics of the broad scientific consensus on this urgent issue. Continue reading
Category: Meteorology, Weather Dangers
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Can we control the weather?
We watched in stunned horror the suffering of our fellow citizens across parts of the South in the aftermath of the nearly back-to-back disasters wrought by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Naturally the question of whether these storms were made more intense and impactful by the ongoing, slow background warming has been considered in discussions of these events. Continue reading
Is it safe to shower or bathe during a thunderstorm?
Taking a shower or bath during a thunderstorm could put you at risk from a lightning strike. When you are indoors during a thunderstorm, the National Weather Service (NWS) recommends that you seek a safe location, away from electrical systems, electronic equipment, and avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets. Most indoor lightning casualties are due to conduction via lightning.
The plumbing systems in many households include metal pipes, which can serve as conduits during lightning strikes. Lightning travels long distances in metal including wires and pipes. Metal does not attract lightning, rather it provides a path for the lightning to follow. Water is also excellent conductor of electricity.
The plumbing systems in many households include metal pipes, which can serve as conduits during lightning strikes. Lightning travels long distances in metal including wires and pipes. Metal does not attract lightning, rather it provides a path for the lightning to follow. Water is also excellent conductor of electricity. Continue reading
Category: Severe Weather, Weather Dangers
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What is Tornado Alley?
A tornado is a powerful column of winds that rotate around a center of low pressure. The winds inside a tornado spiral inward and upward, often exceeding speeds of 300 mph. Tornadoes form in atmospheres that have extremely unstable moist air, large amounts of vertical wind shear and weather systems, such as fronts or thunderstorms, that force air upward.
The continental United States provides these three ingredients in abundance. Continue reading
