A quick note before we get into things this week:
I’m still dealing with some COVID health issues right now but wanted to record a quick podcast for this week. I wanted to leave you with the essentials below. Severe weather and tornado preparedness, heat safety, the updated US Drought Monitor, and your NOAA Weather Radio reminder and several good reads including some that address the ongoing heat waves.
Take care of yourselves out there, especially with the dangerous heat. For those celebrating the 250th birthday of the USA, have a great holiday weekend and don’t forget the sunscreen. See you soon and happy reading.
- Colorado just recorded its lowest snowpack in history, and somewhere right now a homeowner is watering grass and expensive flowering plants they never actually enjoy to impress neighbors they barely know.
- The link between weather, climate, and human behavior has been well documented. Rising summer heat may be silently raising youth suicide rates. Here’s what the data reveals.
- New research shows how older “mother trees” use underground fungal networks to share water and nutrients with younger saplings, supporting forest health and carbon storage.
- They took down a website that scientists, farmers, and educators relied on for free, trusted climate data. The people who built it just rebuilt it from scratch…and this time, it’s out of the government’s reach.
- In 2003, a European heat wave killed 15,000 people and triggered a national reckoning about checking on elderly neighbors. One funeral director fears the lesson has already been forgotten.
- The heat across much of the Northern Hemisphere, and the USA, can put you in the hospital or six feet under faster than the blink of an eye. Here’s a good read on how to stay cool and recognize the symptoms of heat illnesses.
- On the first day of summer, the world’s average ocean temperature hit a level never recorded before in human history. Scientists have two words for where we’re headed next: uncharted territory.
SEVERE WEATHER AND TORNADO SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS
THE INVISIBLE STORM
NOAA WEATHER RADIO
Here’s your weekly reminder to check your NOAA weather radio’s batteries, programming, settings, and reception. NOAA has a comprehensive page on NOAA weather radio…a feature of the National weather Service in the USA that has saved countless lives.
US DROUGHT MONITOR
The past week brought dangerous extremes to both ends of the country. Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms east of the Rockies brought drought relief but also deadly flash flooding. At least five people died in Kentucky and Tennessee. Out West, dangerous heat and gusty winds drove rapid wildfire expansion before a cooler pattern finally arrived. Utah’s Cottonwood Fire has burned 94,000 acres, and three federal firefighters died fighting the Knowles Fire near Grand Junction, Colorado on June 28th.
Beyond the July 4th weekend, little little relief is forecast. Most of the country east of the Plains faces very dangerous heat, with parts of the mid-Atlantic seeing several consecutive days of triple digits. Meteorologists see hotter than normal conditions nearly nationwide through mid-July, with meaningful rain limited mostly to Florida and the upper Midwest. The West stays dry.
- NOAA’s US Drought Monitor website has the full regional details.
- The latest daily fire weather outlooks can be found at the Storm Prediction Center’s website.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Citizen science lets everyday people actively shape real research by sharing observations and data. Join now to make a tangible impact, discover new insights, and become part of a global community driving scientific breakthroughs!
- The CoCoRaHS project invites weather enthusiasts to become citizen scientists by submitting daily precipitation reports that support forecasting and climate research even on dry days.
- Another path into becoming a citizen scientist is using the free mPING app! Your weather reports go directly to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma!
That’s a wrap for this week! Thanks for stopping by! See you next Saturday!
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