Die – Winter – Die. Too melodramatic? You can’t begin to appreciate the amount of crap I’ve been getting in recent weeks: insults, threats…dirty looks. And that’s just from friends and family members. I don’t even want to think about the general public. Colder air drains into Minnesota today – temperatures aloft warm enough for all rain until the dinner hour, when sleet may mix in, a changeover to mostly snow after 7 pm, give or take. It snows hard until 2-3 am, before tapering to flurries Tuesday morning. This wave of low pressure moves quickly, skies clear Tuesday (with rapid melting of snow). A reinforcing cold front arrives Wednesday, and then we start to warm up. A real warm-up.
Flooding Threatens Along Mississippi River From Iowa To Missouri. Here’s a video and excerpt from a Washington Post story on the growing risk of major flooding: “The fast-rising Mississippi River was making travel difficult Saturday, both on the river and for those simply trying to get across it. The Mississippi, Missouri and other Midwestern rivers in at least six states have surged since torrential rains drenched the region over the past few days. At least two deaths are blamed on flash flooding and a third was suspected, while crews in Indiana were searching for a man whose car was swept away. The National Weather Service predicted what it characterizes as “major” flooding on the Mississippi from the Quad Cities to just north of St. Louis by this weekend, with similar projections farther south into early next week. Some smaller rivers are expected to see record flooding…”
Flooding Along The Illinois River. Here are some remarkable photos from The Journal Star, documenting the extent of flooding on the Illinois River Why do I think this is an omen, especially for the Red River Valley within 2 weeks? I hope I’m wrong.
Photo credit above: RON JOHNSON/JOURNAL STAR “A boat sits in a flooded portion of a neighborhood along Oak Lawn Street in Chillicothe on Saturday.”
Is Our Extreme Weather Linked To Climate Change? Here’s an excerpt of a story at The La Crosse Tribune: “…It’s a shame that people and ideas are pigeonholed into classifications of alarmism or science deniers,” Lussky said. “I don’t know that I’ve seen any two people that would be classified by some as skeptics that would agree with each other.“ Calling the debate on climate change closed is the antithesis of science, Lussky said. And combining science with politics isn’t always a great mix. “If you’re going to stay true to the science, becoming an advocate… it takes away from that,” he said. Lussky earned his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, doing research for the Center for Climatic Research that Notaro helps guide. Yet, he disagrees with some of its conclusions. “There’s so much we don’t know,” he said…” (file derecho image: Brittney Misialek, NOAA SPC).
China’s Clean Energy Investment Puts America To Shame. Will we be buying most of our solar panels, wind turbines and next-generation batteries from China? I’m starting to wonder. Here’s an excerpt from an important article at The Motley Fool: “…In China, the energy debate is very different. When China sees its imports of coal rising and dependence on foreign oil growing, it springs into action. Not by screaming, “Drill, baby, drill,” but by investing billions of dollars in home-grown energy sources. Yes, I’m talking about clean, renewable energy, and China’s investment in these energy sources make U.S. subsidies look like the half-hearted effort they are. China has put tens (maybe hundreds) of billions of dollars into building a renewable manufacturing industry, and it started long before the U.S. even noticed the emergence of wind and solar power...”
“Smart investors can see that investing in companies that rely solely or heavily on constantly replenishing reserves of fossil fuels is becoming a very risky decision. The report raises serious questions as to the ability of the financial system to act on industry-wide long term risk, since currently the only measure of risk is performance against industry benchmarks.” Professor Lord Stern
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Welcome to the WeatherNation blog. Every day I sift through hundreds of stories, maps, graphics and meteorological web sites, trying to capture some of the most interesting weather nuggets, the stories behind the forecast. I’ll link to stories and share some of the web sites I use. I’m still passionate about the weather, have been ever since Tropical Storm Agnes flooded my home in Lancaster, PA in 1972. I’ve started 5 weather-related companies. “EarthWatch” created the world’s first 3-D weather graphics for TV stations – Steven Spielberg used our software in “Jurassic Park” and “Twister”. My last company, “Digital Cyclone”, personalized weather for cell phones. “My-Cast” was launched in 2001 and is still going strong on iPhone, Android and Blackberry. I sold DCI to Garmin in 2007 so I could focus on my latest venture: WeatherNation. I also write a daily weather column for The Star Tribune startribune.
hey Paul…this is probably the last hurrah of winter and it’s going out in a huge huff!!! 70 degrees by next week? I’ll take it!!!! One more time, with feeling….bring it on!!! have a great Monday!