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Ready for winter? Polar vortex spins up, spews forecast uncertainty

Ready for winter? Polar vortex spins up, spews forecast uncertainty

A strong polar vortex and a powerful El Niño would be signals that a milder winter may be in store for many Americans. Here's why.

SBA Offers Disaster Loans to Oregon Businesses and Nonprofits Affected by Mid-July Storms and Wildfires

SBA Offers Disaster Loans to Oregon Businesses and Nonprofits Affected by Mid-July Storms and Wildfires

SBA Offers Disaster Loans to Oregon Businesses and Nonprofits Affected by Mid-July Storms and Wildfires

Omaha Experiences Stunning Dry Fall Weekend After Drenching September

Omaha Experiences Stunning Dry Fall Weekend After Drenching September

Omaha, Nebraska, is enjoying a beautiful and dry fall weekend, a welcome change after a September described as 'drenching.' The weather forecast indicates clear skies and cooler temperatures, with Friday evening seeing temperatures drop into the 50s. Saturday morning is expected to bring temperatures in the 40s across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Highs over the weekend will reach the upper 60s and low 70s, accompanied by plenty of sunshine. A weak cold front is anticipated to bring some clouds and increased winds from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, with southwest winds potentially gusting up to 25 mph on Saturday afternoon before shifting to the northwest on Sunday morning. This dry spell follows a period of significant rainfall, with Omaha narrowly avoiding catastrophic flooding due to the reservoir system, though some homeowners reported sewer backups.

El Niño Expected to Influence U.S. Halloween Weather Patterns

El Niño Expected to Influence U.S. Halloween Weather Patterns

The El Niño climate pattern is anticipated to affect weather conditions across the United States during the upcoming Halloween season. According to The Weather Channel, El Niño tends to shift weather patterns, leading to specific regional impacts. The southern tier of the U.S., particularly along Gulf Coast states, is expected to experience wetter than average conditions due to El Niño nudging the subtropical jet stream farther south and intensifying it. Conversely, the northern tier of the U.S. is likely to see milder temperatures, as El Niño pushes temperatures above average for the region. While El Niño influences overall trends, it does not guarantee specific daily forecasts, meaning local conditions on Halloween day could still vary from the broader pattern.

Idaho School Districts Seek Over $307 Million in November Election for Operations and Facilities

Idaho School Districts Seek Over $307 Million in November Election for Operations and Facilities

Idaho school districts are collectively asking voters for more than $307 million in the upcoming November election. This figure nearly doubles the $159 million requested last fall and the $183 million from May. None of the current requests are for bonds, which require a supermajority of 66.7% voter support in Idaho and have not passed in the state since May 2024. The funding requests are primarily divided into plant-facility levies and supplemental levies. Five districts are seeking plant-facility levies totaling over $98 million for building maintenance and updates, which typically require 55% voter approval. Thirty-one districts are pursuing supplemental levies, amounting to approximately $208 million, mainly to cover staff salaries, benefits, and extracurricular activities, requiring a simple majority (50%) to pass. These consolidated elections are a result of legislative sessions in 2023 and 2024, which limited school districts to seeking additional property tax funding only in May and November.

Super El Niño Strengthens, Impacting Western Ski Resorts

Super El Niño Strengthens, Impacting Western Ski Resorts

Meteorologists are closely monitoring the development of a Super El Niño, which is predicted to be one of the strongest on record, according to OnTheSnow and NOAA. This weather phenomenon, characterized by sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding +3.0°C in the eastern equatorial Pacific, is expected to influence the upcoming ski season across the western United States. Historically, El Niño winters have favored southern ski resorts in states like California, Colorado, and Utah, but the unpredictability of this event makes long-term forecasts challenging. Previous strong El Niño events have shown mixed impacts on snowfall, with some regions experiencing record-breaking snow while others face warmer and drier conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported a 90% chance of a very strong El Niño event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2026-27, raising questions about its potential effects on ski resorts and mountain snowfall.

WMO Seeks Consultants for China International Development Cooperation Agency Proposals

WMO Seeks Consultants for China International Development Cooperation Agency Proposals

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is actively seeking Project Development Consultants to formulate country-specific proposals for potential funding by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA). These proposals aim to bolster weather, climate, water, and related environmental services in WMO member countries. The initiative focuses on mobilizing investments for resilient and sustainable development. Consultants will be tasked with developing a pipeline of projects that align with the priorities of selected beneficiary countries, emphasizing areas such as meteorological, hydrological, and climate services, multi-hazard early warning systems, observing networks, forecasting capabilities, digital transformation, and institutional capacity building. The WMO intends for these proposals to meet CIDCA's requirements and WMO's standards, ensuring technical credibility, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. The assignments will be home-based and remote, with consultants collaborating cl...

Hay Markets Experience Firmness Amidst Drought and Export Challenges in Western U.S.

Hay Markets Experience Firmness Amidst Drought and Export Challenges in Western U.S.

Hay Markets Experience Firmness Amidst Drought and Export Challenges in Western U.S.

Idaho Expands Forest Management Partnership with U.S. Forest Service, Securing $12.4 Million in Federal Funding

Idaho Expands Forest Management Partnership with U.S. Forest Service, Securing $12.4 Million in Federal Funding

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) have announced five new Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreements aimed at expanding active forest management across Idaho's national forests. These agreements include over $12.4 million in new federal investments and establish a 20-year framework for long-term collaboration. The funding will support various activities such as timber sale preparation and implementation, hazardous fuels reduction, road improvements, timber salvage, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery, thinning, and watershed protection. Governor Brad Little emphasized that these agreements build on Idaho's success in active forest management and support his 'Make Forests Healthy Again' Executive Order, aiming to accelerate restoration, reduce wildfire risk, and bolster the timber industry and rural communities. The initiative is expected to facilitate more than 100 future GNA timber sales and numerous restoration projects, increasing the pace and scale of forest managem...

Rainiest Cities in the U.S. Highlighted in New Report

Rainiest Cities in the U.S. Highlighted in New Report

A recent report by Redfin has ranked the rainiest cities in the United States based on annual precipitation and rainy days. Cities such as Everett, Syracuse, and Tacoma experience measurable rainfall nearly every other day, with seasonal variations. The Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes regions are particularly prone to frequent rain due to geographical and meteorological factors. Additionally, smaller cities like Hilo, Hawaii, see rain almost daily, with annual totals exceeding 120 inches. The report also highlights the impact of climate change, which is altering rainfall patterns and increasing the intensity of storms globally. Data for the rankings was sourced from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and NOAA, covering averages from 1991 to 2020.

Atlantic Ocean Records First Hurricane-Free September in Over 30 Years, Attributed to Super El Niño

Atlantic Ocean Records First Hurricane-Free September in Over 30 Years, Attributed to Super El Niño

The Atlantic Ocean has experienced its first September without a hurricane in over three decades, a phenomenon attributed to a super El Niño event. This marks only the fourth time since 1950 that September has passed without a hurricane in the Atlantic, with previous occurrences in 1994, 1972, and 1962. While three tropical storms did form last month, none reached hurricane intensity. Tropical Storm Fay, the closest to hurricane strength, fell short by 4 mph, though a re-evaluation by the National Hurricane Center could potentially upgrade it. Typically, September is the peak month for hurricane activity, averaging two to three hurricane formations. This season's unusual calm has already set a record for the longest wait for the first hurricane to materialize, raising the rare possibility of an entire Atlantic season without hurricanes.

St. Louis Experiences Record-Breaking 90-Degree Season and Warmest September

St. Louis Experiences Record-Breaking 90-Degree Season and Warmest September

St. Louis has officially recorded its longest 90-degree season, spanning 191 days from March 22 to September 27, breaking a record set in 1950. This extended period of high temperatures included September being the warmest on record for the city, with an average temperature of 78.4 degrees, surpassing the previous record from 2019. According to Jayson Gosselin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, the month did not experience a single day with a below-normal average temperature until September 22. The city also saw three record high temperatures and six record warmest low temperatures during September. The influence of climate change was detectable in St. Louis' temperature for 14 days last month, as reported by Climate Central's Climate Shift Index. Furthermore, a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service that ended on September 19 was the latest such advisory in over two decades.