The Climate Prediction Center issued its August outlook earlier today. It calls for warmer than normal temperatures over most of the nation, especially in the High Plains. Wetter than normal conditions are in the forecast for the Four Corners region. Cooler or drier than normal weather is not in the outlook anywhere the country. ;

Heat alerts have been expanded through the Plains and along the Eastern Seaboard as sweltering temperatures continue from the middle of the nation to the Atlantic Ocean. An Excessive Heat Warning continues in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. High temperatures today will be well into the 90s, with some areas climbing above 100. The…

Monsoonal thunderstorms with heavy rain over the last few day have been creating some flooding issues and more thunderstorms are likely today. A Flash Flood Watch continues for South Utah and most of West Colorado. Storms are likely to be isolated, but locally heavy. Rainfall totals can add up quickly. Heavy rainfall, especially over…

In Mariposa County, California, the Detwiler Fire has grown explosively. Between July 18 and 20, it nearly tripled in size. Latest updates from Cal Fire have the fire over 70,000 acres with only 10% containment. It has destroyed 45 structures and damaged 6. Parts of nearby Yosemite National Park periodically lost power. The cause is…

The heat of Summer will be blasting from the Central Plains to the Northeast this week. Excessive Heat Warnings have been issued for 8 states from the middle of the nation to the Eastern Seaboard. More than a dozen states are under Heat Advisories. In the Central Plains, triple digit heat combined with high humidity…

"Come on people! Act like we've been here before!" Is a phrase I find myself blurting into my windshield just about every rainy commute. But as it turns out, rain is actually the most deadly weather element when it comes to climbing in the driver's seat! The Numbers This isn't just some alternative summer-fact…

Hurricane season is in full swing and as expected, there is a lot to track. There are several storms of note in the Pacific. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were two named storms, Hurricane Fernanda and Tropical Storm Greg. Hurricane Fernanda is a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.…

New Mexico Tech scientists have measured lightning strikes that have been declared the longest duration and the longest distance ever recorded. The new study is based on fundamental research and development by Tech professors Ron Thomas, Bill Rison, and Paul Krehbiel. Over the past 20 years, they developed the Lightning Mapping Array, or LMA, which…

[Credit: Center for International Forestry Research] A new study gives the first observational evidence that the southern Amazon rainforest triggers its own rainy season using water vapor from plant leaves. The finding helps explain why deforestation in this region is linked with reduced rainfall. The study analyzed water vapor data from NASA's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) on…