We’ve all heard it before. Tree rings can tell us the age of a tree, but did you know they can also tell us the weather?
What You Need To Know
Tree rings can tell us the age of the tree
They can also help us determine what years were colder, warmer, drier and wetter
Studying tree rings can help us predict future climate
How to prep for research
There are a couple of things to consider before scientists survey trees.
First, they must find a site where humans haven’t affected the area with logging or other research.
Then they pick a group of the same species of trees to take samples from. Having numerous samples from the same area can provide a more reliable look at climate similarities over the years.
Christine Buhl, a forest health specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, uses an increment borer to core a dead western red cedar at Magness Memorial Tree Farm in Sherwood, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
How scientists take samples
Much like coring an apple, scientists core the trees with an instrument called an increment borer.
This allows them to take a thin sample that shows the rings from the outside to the center of the tree.
This method does not harm the tree, and the tree can heal quickly after it’s cored.
After coring the tree, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that the scientists return to the lab, sand the samples so every ring is perfectly visible, and place them upright for a microscope to begin research.
What the rings tell us
Counting the rings on the sample can tell us the trees’ age, but it can also tell us what weather patterns were like each year.
NOAA explains, “trees will have narrow rings during cold periods and wider rings for warm periods.”
They also say “trees that depend heavily on moisture during the growing season will have wider rings during rainy periods and narrower rings during dry periods.”
(Pixabay)
How this helps us
Studying tree rings can help scientists determine what climate was like for each year the tree was alive.
Because trees can live for hundreds to thousands of years, we can see what the climate was like well before record-keeping began for most in the 1800s.
Determining climate through tree rings over the past thousands of years can help reveal weather patterns and predict what climate we might see in the future.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
The top 10 hottest housing markets are expected to be spread across the South, Northeast and Midwest this year, according to an analysis by real estate marketplace Zillow. But a “hot” market isn’t always great for would-be buyers.
Buffalo, New York, made the top of the list, as the area is slated to see increased job growth compared with the number of approved construction permits for new homes.
“In markets where you’re going to have a ton more job creation than there is housing supply, you’re likely going to see homes move faster, stronger home value appreciation,” said Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow.
The list is based on an analysis of home value appreciation, how long it takes to sell a home and job growth relative to housing supply. That’s important information that can help you decide where you may want to look for a home — and places you may want to avoid.
Market growth in some areas may not correlate to newly created jobs.
Florida, for instance, is attracting baby boomer residents who are seeking warmer, tax-friendly places to retire, said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors.
The claim that “the biggest share of homebuyers are baby boomers looking into warmer climates is a trope, but it’s a trope that’s true,” she said. “They’re looking into warmer areas, favorable tax conditions and better housing affordability.”
Baby boomers are also the generation that holds most of the wealth and some of them are going to be cash buyers as they can tap into their home equity.
Meanwhile, home values are expected to decline this year in the “coolest markets,” or places that will be less competitive. These places are New Orleans; San Antonio; Denver; Houston; and Minneapolis.
“It’s a matter of affordability as well; if a market has gotten less affordable … you’re likely not going to see that type of heat in the market,” Divounguy said.
Denver, for instance, was a popular attraction for homebuyers during the pandemic, but it has turned into an area where affordability was constrained.
“Denver had a massive population flow,” Lautz said. “Finding the new Denver will be important to buyers.”
Millennials will also be major buyers; most are in their prime homebuying age and some have reached their peak earning potential.
Unlike baby boomers who are looking for favorable areas to retire, this cohort may be seeking employment opportunities or the ability to work remotely in new areas.
Few species have their sex determined by temperatures, but for sea turtles it’s almost a certainty.
However, this natural occurrence could become a biological disadvantage as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to larger gender disparities.
What You Need To Know
A sea turtle’s gender is determined by the temperatures in its surrounding environment
Higher nest temperatures produce females, while cooler temperatures yield males
A warming planet will likely upset gender diversity in the sea turtle population
Temperature-driven gender reveals
The differences in reproduction between humans and sea turtles extend beyond the obvious ‘one lays eggs while the other does not.’ One key difference between the two is how sex is determined.
For humans and many other species, gender is determined from the by sex chromosomes when fertilization occurs. But this is not the case with sea turtles and other reptiles, given that they lack sex chromosomes.
For them, the gender of their offspring is determined after fertilization, and the deciding factor all depends on temperature. This kind of sexual determination is called temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD).
Building their nest onshore, a female will lay their eggs in the sand, where they will continue to develop before hatching about two months later.
A baby Olive Ridley sea turtle crawls to the sea past discarded turtle eggs at Ostional beach on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
Higher temperatures stimulate more aromatase activity. This yields an increase in female hormones and thus, the baby sea turtle will hatch as a female.
On the contrary, cooler temperatures limits aromatase activity. This promotes male hormones to dominate, and so the sea turtles that hatch will be male.
(AP Photo/Cody Jackson)
According to NOAA, sand temperatures of 88.8 degrees or more will yield female sea turtles, while sand temperatures of 81.86 degrees or less will produce males.
Eggs incubated in sand temperatures falling between these two thresholds will cause a mix of male and female sea turtles.
As the male sea turtle populations continue to decrease, growing disparities in gender could ultimately endanger the species’ existence in the future.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Have you ever wondered where all the rain goes? It goes to the same place as snowmelt when temperatures thaw out in the spring.
It’s called a river basin, or a watershed, and whether you know it, all the land we stand on is part of a river basin.
What You Need To Know
Rain and snowmelt goes into river basins
A river basin channels runoff into larger bodies of water
Some water soaks into the ground
Some water will seep into the shallow ground, moving through the soil and helping keep grass, trees and plants healthy. It can even travel deeper down, recharging groundwater aquifers.
Once the ground becomes saturated, a river basin collects runoff and excess water and drains it into a larger body of water.
Depending on where in the basin, it can move into small bodies of water like creeks, streams and rivers, and eventually to outflow points into larger bodies of water like a reservoir, bay or the ocean.
In the U.S., most rain runoff eventually finds its way into the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, or the Great Lakes.
This map below from Grasshopper Geography shows all the permanent and temporary streams and rivers of the Lower 48 in the U.S., divided into catchment areas.
River basins of the United States. (Robert Szucs/www.grasshoppergeography.com)
The Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (highlighted in pink) is one of the largest in the world. It includes parts or all of 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, collecting precipitation for 41% of the contiguous United States.
The Mississippi River’s water level closely correlates to precipitation totals across the basin. Persistent, heavy rainfall or excessive snowmelt can cause high water levels and put sections of the river into flood stage, threatening communities along the river.
Conversely, severe drought across the Mississippi River basin can lead to low water levels, which can disrupt the shipping industry and expose some oddities from the bottom of the river.
Snowmelt
When snow melts, the water goes to the same place that rain would go. Generally, 10 to 12 inches of snowfall produces 1 inch of liquid water.
In the western U.S. mountains, environmental and utility experts work to conserve that water and replenish lakes and reservoirs that shrink or dry up during times of drought. In the Central U.S., most of the snowmelt ends up in the Mississippi River.
The annual snowpack in mountain ranges can help forecast potential flooding concerns when temperatures warm up. If there’s a large snowpack, rapid snowmelt can cause flooding.
Below, you can see a video from Dec. 2023, after heavy rainfall and snowmelt from warm temperatures combined and led to significant flooding and high waters in Fairfax, Vt.
It’s more common during the spring, but also possible if temperatures climb well above normal during winter.
Snowmelt can be just as important as rain for areas when it comes to recharging groundwater and supplying freshwater for people and animals. Less snowfall means less snowmelt and less water that could be resourceful for us.
Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
We have one more day of this arctic chill across the parts of the United States.
The jackets, scarves, and beanies won’t be needed from Midwest to the Northeast after Sunday.
What You Need To Know
Cold air covers the central and eastern U.S. through the weekend
Dozens of record cold temperatures have been broken
This kind of cold can be dangerous
The arctic air wraps up from the Northeast and Southeast Sunday morning.
Parts of Florida will wake up to freezing temperatures on Sunday.
Highs will reach 15 to 25 degrees below the average for numerous spots, although this arctic surge won’t be as powerful as the previous one.
And by Monday, temperatures should be closer to normal for this time of the year.
What we saw
The arctic air has been enough to tie or break dozens of record cold temperatures over the past few days–not just morning lows, but afternoon highs.
Sunday morning saw temperatures as low as -20 to -40 degrees in northern and northeast Montana. Saco, Mont., dropped to -51 degrees, and subzero lows reached as far south as Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and parts of Indiana, according to Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
The Associated Press reports the winter weather over the past two weeks is blamed for at least 45 deaths. That includes 14 in Tennessee alone, where 9 inches of snow fell around Nashville. Three people in Oregon were electrocuted by a live power line that fell on a car, and five people in Seattle died from exposure to cold.
Brutal cold earlier in the week made Monday’s Iowa caucuses the coldest ever, and heavy lake-effect snow and intense wind gusts forced the Steelers-Bills NFL game to be postponed from its original kickoff. A storm system on the leading edge of the cold dropped accumulating snow as far south as Arkansas and northern Mississippi, whereas much as six inches fell.
This week’s arctic waves have easily been the coldest of the season so far. Check your local forecast to see how cold you’ll get, and take a look at the stories below to be ready for the bitter blast.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
As winter progresses across the Northern Hemisphere, cold outbreaks are becoming more common. And for many across the nation, the coldest day of the year is likely on the way to your city.
What You Need To Know
The coldest day of the year largely varies if you live east or west of the Rocky Mountains
Most across the eastern United States find their coldest time of the year in late January
The western United States typically is coldest in December
NOAA has found that the coldest day has been shifting later into winter
As we move deeper into the heart of winter, the coldest part of the year is upon us across the Midwest and Northeast. Back in 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an interactive map that details when the coldest day of the year is for your city.
In the analysis conducted by NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), climate experts found that this chilly milestone is now happening later than it used to.
Check out the map below. It reveals when, on average, the coldest day of the year hits based on data from 1991 to 2020. From the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast, temperatures hit rock bottom around mid-to-late January.
According to their report, the study found several interesting regional differences across the nation. But the most notable observation was the separation between dates the Rocky Mountains bring forth.
That’s because temperatures out west of the Rockies are largely influenced by the parade of storm systems moving ashore from the Pacific Ocean. These storm systems determine the temperature influences, and thus temperatures more closely align with the seasonal solar cycle if you live west of the Rocky Mountains.
While a few pockets out west have seen their date for the coldest day of the year slide later into the season, these locations are typically found in deep valleys, where calm winds and the bountiful snow cover can cause a temperature inversion—where the temperature at the surface is colder than the temperature above the ground.
But for those located east of the Rockies, the analysis found that the date for the coldest day of the year has slid later into the season.
While the West largely finds their temperature fluctuations based on storm systems, the eastern U.S. finds their temperature regime largely dictated by modified snow cover to the north.
Believe it or not, snowfall in Canada drives the temperature forecast for the eastern half of the country. That’s because as snow falls and blankets the ground in Canada, that snowfall at the surface helps cool temperatures.
As Canada’s snow cover grows, it reflects more and more solar radiation away from the ground and back out to space, keeping temperatures colder than they could be.
As storm systems develop and move eastward across Canada, the wind flow can then push this colder air mass at the surface southward into the United States. This is what’s responsible for those cold air outbreaks across the northern tier of the country.
Now, keep in mind, these dates are calculated by averaging temperatures over a 30-year period, from 1991 to 2020. The actual coldest day may happen in your area earlier or later than what the map above suggests.
NOAA’s analysis points out an interesting shift, however: Compared to climatological averages from 1981 to 2010, the coldest day is now occurring three to six days later or more in many places east of the Rockies.
The newer 30-year averages ending in 2020 also show more warming early in the winter in the eastern U.S., according to NOAA. This lines up with findings from Climate Central, which revealed that winters in the United States are warming faster than any other season east of the Rockies and in Alaska.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
You’ve almost certainly heard of the polar vortex. But what about “sudden stratospheric warming,” a weather term that’s started making the rounds on social media? They’re related to one another, and they can play a big role in winter weather.
What You Need To Know
Not all our weather happens near the ground
Atmospheric waves sometimes break on the polar vortex, making it weaken
A weaker polar vortex sometimes makes air far aloft descend and quickly warm
These events can cause arctic outbreaks
The polar vortex
First, a quick review of the polar vortex. The one we care about lives in the stratosphere, the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere. The stratosphere is above where most of our weather happens, starting about 6 miles above the ground and reaching up about 31 miles.
That polar vortex forms in the fall as polar nights get longer and temperatures turn colder. In the spring, it breaks down as daylight returns and temperatures become more balanced.
Polar temperatures in the stratosphere are very cold in the winter, but turn relatively warm in the summer. (NOAA)
But something else can make it break down during the winter, waves in the atmosphere. That’s where sudden stratospheric warming comes in.
Sudden stratospheric warming
The atmosphere has waves, just like the ocean. After all, it pretty much is an ocean… just made of air, not salt water. These waves rise up and down, and sometimes they’ll break and crash on the polar vortex, weakening it.
What happens if the vortex weakens enough? Its winds can reverse direction, causing cold air in the stratosphere to descend and quickly warm. And that’s where the name “sudden stratospheric warming” comes from.
“Sudden” doesn’t mean it happens out of the blue, completely unexpectedly. And “warming” is relative, since we’re still talking temperatures that are way below zero.
Polar vortex temperature centered on 2022, when a sudden stratospheric warming event happened. (NOAA)
Instead of a stable swirl keeping the arctic air bottled up, the polar vortex is knocked off-kilter, coming off the North Pole or splitting into a couple pieces. The frigid air mass sometimes spills southward, although it doesn’t always dump into North America. It can just as easily hit Europe or Russia.
Major sudden stratospheric warming events happen once every winter or two on average, according to NOAA. These can cause big cold air outbreaks, although not every cold wave can lead to sudden stratospheric warming.
It also turns out that El Niño can cause sudden stratospheric warming events–and polar vortex breakdowns–because of how it influences the pattern of waves in the jet stream in the late winter.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Every spring, the World Meteorological Organization releases a list of names for hurricanes that season.
But why don’t we name any other storm, particularly winter storms?
What You Need To Know
The U.S. does not officially name winter storms
Other countries name non-tropical storms year round
The National Weather Service has no plans for naming winter storms
History of naming storms
We have unofficially named winter storms throughout history.
Storms such as The Great Blizzard of 1888, a storm that brought feet of snow to the Northeast and killed over 400 people, or a more recent storm in 2010, Snowmageddon, that crippled the mid-Atlantic with snow.
But naming winter storms didn’t become regular until 2012, when a television weather company did so. At the time, this decision divided the weather community. Some saw the practice as more of a publicity stunt than a way to save lives, as they did not consult any official weather agency.
After 5 years of The Weather Channel naming winter storms, an ad hoc committee of the American Meteorological Society conducted a study and agreed that there was no evidence to support that the naming of storms increases the safety of the public.
The flip side
Even though the U.S. does not name storms other than tropical cyclones, the UK Met Office started officially naming storms in 2015. They not only name winter storms, but powerful storms that form throughout the year that cause substantial impact.
Each area in the UK has different criteria for naming storms, but the fun part is that the public can suggest names for the upcoming year.
Taking a stand
However, the National Weather Service still stands on the side of not naming winter storms, but what is the reason?
I talked to Maureen O’Leary, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service, and she said, “unlike tropical storms, winter storms are diverse with conditions that evolve throughout the storm’s life. That is why our forecasts, watches and warnings focus on specific impacts such as wind conditions, snowfall, ice, temperature, visibility and other impacts.
“Winter storm conditions can vary widely and over a very large area, from community to community. It’s critical that people understand how a storm will impact them, in their area, or where they are going.”
She also said there are no plans to consider naming winter storms.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Iowans are used to cold weather, but the arctic blast that’s spread across much of the country is the biggest one to happen at the same time as the caucuses.
What You Need To Know
The coldest Iowa caucuses before this year were in 2004
Most have had highs in the 30s and 40s
This year, wind chills will be in the -20s throughout Iowa on caucus night
The Iowa caucuses began in 1972. That year, the high in Des Moines was 25 degrees and scattered snow fell around the state.
Since then, the warmest caucus day was 49 degrees on Feb. 20, 1984. The coldest, in 2004, had a high of just 16 degrees with wind chills in the single digits.
That’ll seem almost tropical compared to what’s coming on Monday.
Highs throughout Iowa will struggle to even get close to 0 degrees–and that’s just the actual temperature. Caucus-goers are going to face frigid wind chills in the -20s while they’re heading to and from their local precincts in the evening.
Here’s a snapshot of the conditions people had to brave through to caucus.
If there’s any good weather news in the Hawkeye State, it’s that they’ll have dry weather on Monday. That’ll be a welcome change after two powerful winter storms socked parts of the state with heavy snow in the days before. The bad weather forced Republican candidates to cancel some events.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Winter means cold, and winter plus wind equals colder! The term to describe the combination of wind and cold is “wind chill.”
What You Need To Know
The “feels-like” temperature in winter is known as the wind chill
Wind chill is calculated based on the air temperature and wind speed
Frostbite is a danger when we have extremely cold wind chills
How does wind chill work?
First, understand that our bodies lose heat through convection.
When we are outside and there is little to no wind, the air temperature is the same temperature we feel. There’s little to no difference between the two.
In the example below, the outside temperature is 20 degrees, and it feels like it because a layer of that heat remains around our body to help us stay warm.
When it is windy, the moving air breaks up the insulating warm layer. This wind helps to speed up the heat loss and makes the body feel much colder outside.
Add in a 20 mile per hour wind to an outside temperature of 20 degrees, and it doesn’t feel like 20 degrees anymore. Instead, the wind chill is only 4 degrees!
Calculating the wind chill
The wind chill temperature is calculated based on the temperature and wind speed. Check the chart below to determine the wind chill and how long it takes to get frostbite.
At the top of the chart you’ll find the air temperature, and on the left is the wind speed. When you line up those two factors, where they meet is the wind chill.
Ways to stay warm
Frostbite happens when body tissue freezes; your hands, feet, and nose usually freeze first. Your body protects your vital organs by cutting circulation to those extremities and focusing it on the most important places.
We’ve fought wearing jackets since we were kids, but one of the easiest ways to keep yourself safe from frostbite or hypothermia is by dressing appropriately. Wearing layers and cover all exposed skin (including fingers, toes, ears, nose and so on).
How you fuel your body can also help you stay safe. Stay hydrated because that increases your blood volume, which in turn helps prevent frostbite.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine constricts your blood vessels, which prevents the warming of your extremities. Alcohol reduces shivering, which is the body’s attempt to keep you warm.
We’re heading into another year, and there are so many astronomical events we can look forward to.
What You Need To Know
A rare total solar eclipse will occur in April
We have many meteor showers happening throughout the year
Mercury will be our most-viewed planet
We’ll also see Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn
Check out what to expect for each month. The second half of the year will bring plenty of fun shows.
January
Quadrantids meteor shower: We started the year with a bang. This meteor shower produced 40 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 3rd. Don’t worry if you missed it. We have plenty more meteor showers this year.
(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
View of Mercury: Our first 2024 view of Mercury occurred on the 12th. We’ll be able to view this planet six more times this year!
February
February is quiet, only offering a new moon on the 9th and a full moon on the 24th.
March
First day of spring, also called the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere) will occur on the 19th this year at 11:06 p.m. ET. The Sun will pass directly over the equator, and we’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the planet.
(Spectrum News/Lacy Leonardi)
Mercury in sight: our second view of Mercury will happen on the 24th. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.
Penumbral lunar eclipse: occurring when the moon passes through Earth’s penumbra. This eclipse will take place on the 25th and be visible through all the U.S.
April
Total solar eclipse: this rare event will occur on the 8th and be visible in the eastern U.S. The Moon will completely block the Sun, letting us see the outer ring of the Sun. You don’t want to miss it because it won’t happen again until 2045.
(Pixabay)
Lyrids meteor shower: this is a decent shower that produces about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It will run from the 16th to the 25th but will peak on the night of the 22nd. Unfortunately, the full moon will block out many meteors, but you should still be able to catch a glimpse of the brightest ones.
May
Eta Aquarids meteor shower: this decent meteor shower will produce 30 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere at its peak on the 6th. The new moon means we’ll have a dark sky and an excellent show.
Mercury returns: our third viewing of Mercury this year will occur on the 9th. You can see it in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
June
First day of summer: this year, the summer solstice will occur at 4:50 p.m. ET on June 20, marking the first day of summer for the northern hemisphere. The North Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will travel over the Tropic of Cancer.
July
Another view of Mercury: our fourth view of Mercury will happen on the 22nd. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.
(Pixabay)
Delta Aquarids meteor shower: this shower will produce 20 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 28th. The moon will block out a lot of the meteors, but you will still catch a few bright ones.
August
Perseids meteor shower: one of the best meteor showers of the year, you’ll see 60 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 12th. The good news is the Moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving us with dark skies for the show.
Full moon and blue moon: we’ll get this full moon and blue moon on the 19th. It’s called a blue moon because it’s the third of four full moons of the season.
September
View of Mercury: our fifth view of Mercury will be on the 5th. Look for it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
See Saturn’s rings: Saturn should be visible all night on the 8th. You’ll see a glimpse of its rings and brightest moons with a medium or large telescope.
Full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will occur on the 18th. Don’t miss it, as the moon will look larger and brighter.
Partial lunar eclipse: occurring when the Moon passes through the penumbra and partially through the umbra. We’ll see this partial lunar eclipse on the 18th, and most of the U.S. will be able to view it.
(Photo by Anthony Leone)
The Blue Giant: we’ll get a view of Neptune all night on the 20th. Unfortunately, because of its distance, it’ll only look like a tiny blue dot in the sky unless you have an extremely powerful telescope.
First day of fall: the autumnal equinox will occur at 8:43 a.m. ET on the 22nd. We’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the world as the Sun shines over the equator, marking the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere.
October
Draconids meteor shower: practice patient with this shower on the 7th, as it only produces 10 meteors per hour. Unlike other showers, you’ll want to view this one in the early evening.
Another full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will happen on the 17th. It’ll be the second supermoon of three in 2024.
Orionids meteor shower: this shower will peak on the night of the 21st, bringing us 20 meteors per hour. The waning gibbous moon will block fainter meteors, but you should still be able to catch some brighter ones.
November
Taurids meteor shower: a very minor shower. This show will only produce 5-10 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 4h. The first quarter moon will block most of the meteors, but you’ll still see a few after midnight.
Full moon and supermoon: the last of the supermoons of 2024, you can catch this full, big and bright moon on the 15th.
Mercury’s back: Mercury loves to show off, as this will be our sixth view of the planet on the 16th.
Uranus: Uranus appears on the 17th and you’ll be able to view it all night. Unfortunately, if you don’t have an extremely power telescope, you’ll only see a tiny dot in the sky.
(NASA/JPL)
Leonids meteor shower: another minor shower, this one will produce 15 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 17th. The best time to view this show will be during the early morning of the 18th, but the nearly full moon will block out most of the meteors.
December
Jupiter and its moons: Jupiter will appear on the 7th and be visible all night. You’ll be able to see Jupiter’s cloud bands with a medium telescope. Even with just binoculars, you’ll be able to see its four largest moons.
Geminids meteor shower: welcome to the best meteor shower of every year. Peaking from Dec. 13-14, this shower will produce 120 multicolored meteors per hour. Unfortunately, an almost full moon means we won’t see a lot of the meteors, but we should still be able to catch a good amount. Bundle up and head outside after midnight for the best viewing time.
First day of winter: on the 21st, the winter solstice will occur at 4:19 a.m. ET, marking the first day of winter. The South Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will be in its southernmost position in the sky.
(Photo by Sean Organ)
Ursids meteor shower: the last shower of the year will be the Ursids meteor shower on Dec. 21-22. It is minor, producing 5-10 meteors per hour, and the waning gibbous moon will block out many of the meteors.
One last view of Mercury: Mercury was the first planet we saw this year, and it’ll be the last. You’ll be able to view it on the 25th low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
Viewing these events
If you’re trying to view a planet, it might become a little tricky differentiating it from a star. Caballero-Nieves, assistant professor in Astronomy at FL Institute of Tech., explains “planets are typically brighter than stars. Stars also twinkle. This is called scintillation. Stars will change a little in brightness and even color, and planets do not.”
“Finally, if you look at a planet over several nights or months, you will notice that it moves with respect to the stars near it. That’s where the Greeks gave the planets their names, which means wanderer.”
If you want to view all these heavenly events this year, head to a dark area away from city lights.
It also doesn’t hurt to buy a telescope, either. What kind of telescope should you buy?
Caballero-Nieves suggests that “You should first decide what you are interested in observing. Reflecting telescopes use mirrors and are more compact, but reflecting telescopes that use lenses can be more affordable.”
“Smaller telescopes are great for looking at bright things like the Moon, planets and bright stars. Larger telescopes are better for observing faint things like galaxies, nebulas and comets.”
Hopefully, you will see some wonderful views this year!
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
The U.S. had 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023
19 of them were severe storms and tornadoes
The 28 disasters cost an estimated $93 billion
Last year broke the record of 22 such events in 2020
The average number of billion-dollar disasters since 1980 is 8.5 per year. However, from 2019 to 2023, the average was 20.4 events, including the previous record of 22 events in 2020.
NOAA adjusts for the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation.
Here’s when and where 2023’s billion-dollar disasters happened.
The majority were from severe storms and tornadoes, which made up 19 of them. The rest included four floods, two tropical cyclones (including Hurricane Idalia), one wildfire, one winter storm and one drought/heat wave.
The year may end up with one more, depending on the tally from the mid-December East Coast storm.
In total, NCEI estimates 2023’s billion-dollar disasters cost $93.0 billion, above the average of $60.5 billion. They also say these also contributed to at least 492 deaths.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Courting Black voters he needs to win reelection, President Biden on Monday denounced the “poison” of white supremacy in America, declaring at the site of a deadly racist church shooting in South Carolina that such ideology has no place in America, “not today, tomorrow or ever.”
Mr. Biden spoke from the pulpit of Mother Emanuel AME Church, where in 2015 nine Black parishioners were shot to death by the White stranger who had invited to join their Bible study. The Democratic president’s speech followed his blunt remarks last Friday on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, in which he excoriated former President Donald Trump for “glorifying” rather than condemning political violence.
At Mother Emanuel, Mr. Biden said “the word of God was pierced by bullets of hate, propelled not just by gunpowder, but by poison.”
“White supremacy,” he said, the view by some whites that they are superior to everyone else is a “poison that for too long has haunted this nation. This has no place in America, not today, tomorrow or ever.”
President Biden speaks at the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston South Carolina on Jan. 8, 2024.
Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images
The importance of South Carolina
The speech was a grim way to kick off a presidential campaign, particularly for someone known for his unfailing optimism and belief that American achievements are limitless. But it’s a reflection of the emphasis Mr. Biden and his campaign are placing on energizing Black voters amid deepening concerns among Democrats that the president could lose support from this critical constituency heading into the election.
It was South Carolina’s support for Mr. Biden that catapulted him to clinch the nomination during the Democratic primaries in 2020. The president has accurately attributed much of his success to Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who sat behind the president as he spoke on Monday.
A recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll found one in five Black voters who supported Mr. Biden in 2020 now say they will support a third-party candidate in November. A concern among Democrats is that Black voters might stay home in November. During a gaggle with reporters after the speech Monday, Biden campaign officials told reporters dismissed those polls and said voters would decide the election.
The president’s campaign advisers and aides hoped the South Carolina visit would successfully lay out the stakes of the race in unequivocal terms three years after the cultural saturation of Trump’s words and actions while he was president. It’s a contrast they hope will be paramount to voters in 2024.
Mr. Biden also used the speech, his second major campaign event of the year, to thank the state’s Black voters, recognizing their and Clyburn’s indispensable support in 2020.
“I owe you,” he said.
Mr. Biden’s speech was briefly interrupted when several people upset by his staunch support for Israel in its war against Hamas called out that if he really cared about lives lost he would call for a cease-fire in Gaza to help innocent Palestinians who are being killed under Israel’s bombardment. The chants of “cease-fire now” were drowned out by audience members chanting “four more years.”
President Biden speaks at the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on Jan. 8, 2024.
Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images
The president stopped his speech to address their concerns.
“I understand the passion,” he told them.
The president also swiped at Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, and Trump, though he did not name either one.
Haley spent several days on the defensive for not explicitly naming slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when the question was posed to her by a participant at a campaign event. Mr. Biden called it a “lie” that the war was about states’ rights.
“So let me be clear, for those who don’t seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War. There’s no negotiation about that.”
He also noted the scores of failed attempts by Trump in the courts to overturn the 2020 election in an attempt to hold onto power, as well as the former president’s embrace of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
“Let me say what others cannot: We must reject political violence in America. Always, not sometimes. Always. It’s never appropriate,” Mr. Biden said. He said “losers are taught to concede when they lose. And he’s a loser,” referring to Trump.
The president delivered his first campaign speech of the year outside Valley Forget last Friday, Jan. 5, nearly three years to the date after Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to prevent Mr. Biden’s ascent to the White House.
The Mother Emanuel shooting
It was June 17, 2015, when a 21-year-old White man walked into the church and, intending to ignite a race war, shot and killed nine Black parishioners and wounded one more. Mr. Biden was vice president when he attended the memorial service in Charleston.
The president’s aides and allies say the shootings are among the critical moments when the nation’s political divide started to sharpen and crack. Though Trump, the current Republican presidential front-runner, was not in office at the time and has called the shooting “horrible,” Mr. Biden is seeking to tie Trump’s current rhetoric to such violence.
Two years after the attack, as the “Unite The Right” gathering of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, erupted in violent clashes with counterprotesters. Trump said merely that “there is blame on both sides.”
Mr. Biden and his aides argue it’s all part of the same problem: Trump refused to condemn the actions of the white nationalists at that gathering. He’s repeatedly used rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country,” yet insisted he had no idea that one of the world’s most reviled and infamous figures once used similar words.
And Trump has continually repeated his false claims that he won the 2020 election, as well as his assertion that the Capitol rioters were patriotic. He’s called the long prison sentences handed down for some offenders — whom he calls “hostages” and were convicted of crimes like assaulting police officers or seditious conspiracy — “one of the saddest things.”
At Mother Emanuel, Mr. Biden revisited themes from the Jan. 6 anniversary speech he delivered on Friday. He has repeatedly suggested that democracy itself is on the ballot, asking whether it is still “America’s sacred cause.”
Trump, who faces 91 criminal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his loss to Mr. Biden and three other felony cases, argues that Mr. Biden and other top Democrats are themselves seeking to undermine democracy by using the legal system to thwart the campaign of the president’s chief rival.
In an interview with The Associated Press before Mr. Biden’s appearance, Malcolm Graham, a brother of Charleston church victim Cynthia Graham-Hurd, said threat of racism and hate-fueled violence is part of a needed national conversation about race and American democracy.
“Racism, hatred and discrimination continue to be the Achilles’ heel of America, of our nation,” said Graham, a city councilman in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Certainly, what happened to the Emanual Nine years ago is a visible example of that. What happened in Buffalo, years later, where people were killed under similar circumstances, shows that racism and discrimination are still real and it’s even in our politics.”
Graham said it was shameful that some politicians still struggle to link the Civil War and slavery. He said he feels the Trump administration was a preview of what it’s like to have a new generation of unrepentant white nationalists in power.
“As a nation, we can’t eradicate racism, hatred and discrimination, if it’s in the Oval Office,” he said. “We have to chart a different course.”
After his speech, the president visited a restaurant called Hannibal’s Kitchen with Clyburn, greeting voters. He also recorded a local radio interview.
Clouds come in many shapes and forms, but did you know there are rainbow clouds?
What You Need To Know
Rainbow clouds form when light scatters through tiny ice crystals and creates a cascade of colors
These types of clouds form in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds
High-altitude clouds, the uniform distribution of ice crystals, sunlight and a sun that is high in the sky is the recipe of iridescence
According to NOAA, “a rainbow cloud can occur because of something called cloud iridescence.”
You’ll see this dazzling phenomena in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds.
These rainbow clouds, or as they’re scientifically known, ‘nacreous clouds’, form when small ice crystal scatter the sun’s light. Once the light hits the droplets, it creates a vibrant hue of colors.
Check out this video of rainbow clouds see above Aylesford, United Kingdom in late December.
Cloud iridescence is a rare phenomenon. Clouds need to be thin and have a lot of water droplets that are about the same size.
Iridescence is a combination of high-altitude clouds, the uniform distribution of ice crystals, sunlight and a sun that is high in the sky.
(Photo by: CameraLeon/WEATHER TRAKER/TMX)
Nacreous clouds are rare sites to see. According to the World Meteorological Organization, you can see these dazzling sites in Alaska, Canada and parts of Scandinavia and the Arctic.
Plus, the clouds form in colder climates because the ice crystals in the clouds need to be chilled to freezing or below.
Whenever you see rainbow or nacreous clouds, enjoy these color clouds and experiences.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
A tornado ripped through parts of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 6.
Look at this incredible video of the tornado in the area.
The video was shot by one of our Spectrum News photographers who was in the area covering the Buffalo Bills game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday Jan. 7.
Ft. Lauderdale city officials on X (formerly known as Twitter) said the twister was spotted near Las Olas and the Intracoastal.
The twister was a part of a storm system bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms to parts of South Florida.
In another video, you can see sparks fly as the tornado spins through the area.
Plus, the tornado touched down shortly after the National Weather Service in Miami issued a Tornado Warning for the area.
There were no reports of injuries, just scattered debris and some power outages.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Every year, avid sky gazers book their calendar full of events that are sure to have you looking up. And 2024 promises to bring a series of events you don’t want to miss.
What You Need To Know
Several noteworthy events are possible in the skies above North America in 2024
A coast-to-coast solar eclipse will be found in April
A beautiful meteor shower will dazzle in August
A new comet could light the skies in October
North America is set for dozens of potential sky gazing events during 2024. From a pair of eclipses to a brand new comet and several meteor showers, here are the top five astronomical events for North America in 2024.
1. America’s total solar eclipse
The most anticipated event of the year across the nation will come in April when the Great American Solar Eclipse will streak across the United States.
On April 8, 2024, the nation will be greeted by the moon passing right in front of our sun, creating a breathtaking experience for those who can reach totality. While the entire nation will enjoy the eclipse, only a few select states will get the joys of totality.
Totality occurs when the moon blocks out the entire sun from view, leading to a darker sky resembling if it were dawn or dusk.
A look at the path of the total solar eclipse.
Just prior to totality, another phenomenon known as Baily’s beads will occur. These beads look like distinct balls of light found just on the edge of the moon’s surface as it passes in front of the last bit of the sun.
Baily’s beads are caused by the sun’s light shining through the craters on the surface of the moon and will flicker on and off as the sun passes through the valleys of the moon’s surface.
Totality will be enjoyed by states like Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Maine. Totality will last for nearly four and a half minutes in cities across Texas—the longest in the nation.
2. America’s penumbral lunar eclipse
Just two weeks before the total solar eclipse, the nation will be greeted by an eclipse of a different kind. On March 24-25, 2024, the nation will observe a penumbral lunar eclipse.
Often, during a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the inner shadow of Earth, known as Earth’s umbra. During that passage, the moon darkens noticeably, and can produce a unique nighttime effect.
But during a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon stays out of the inner shadow and only breaches Earth’s outer shadow, known as the penumbra.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes by Earth’s shadow.
This leads to a less deep and typically less dramatic eclipse. Sometimes it can even be mistaken as a normal Full Moon event versus an actual eclipse.
Regardless, this eclipse will be found nationwide. The best time to view the eclipse will be around maximum eclipse time, when one half of the moon will appear slightly darker than the other half.
3. Planets align
A favorite of sky gazers alike, planetary alignment is expected in late June across the nation. This celestial alignment will feature the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn along with our Moon.
During this alignment, you can expect to find all the planets and our moon situated near one another in the eastern sky during sunrise.
If you are heading east during your morning commute, you may notice all these celestial bodies shining brightly next to the moon, resembling stars.
4. Perseid meteor shower
Often called the most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Perseid meteor shower will happen in the heart of August. The peak of the shower will occur on the nights of Aug. 12 and 13.
The Perseid shower is caused by Earth’s movement through a debris cloud left behind from the comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet last passed by Earth in 1992.
Two Perseid meteors, centre and lower left, streak across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower above a forest on the outskirts of Madrid, in the early hours of Monday, July 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
2024 is likely to be a decent year for this shower, as the moon will only be illuminated 50%. This should allow for between 200 to 350 meteors an hour if you can get to a place with no light pollution. For those in cities, expect that number to be closer to 40 to 60 meteors an hour.
5. A new comet passes by
While there is a bit of a debate about how big this event may be, October will bring a new comet to the skies of Earth.
Discovered back in Feb. 2023, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will make its closest pass to Earth’s Northern Hemisphere during October. The comet will be roughly 44 million miles away from our planet, or roughly 100 million miles closer than our closest neighbor, Mars.
The comet will appear too close to the sun to be seen in early October, but it will get into a better position for observation around and after Oct. 14.
Comet Hale–Bopp. (NASA)
Scientists are still debating how visible the comet could be on Earth, but some scientists believe this could be a very bright passing, outshining some of the brightest stars in our sky during the peak passage.
A few scientists believe it could be the brightest comet in our skies since Comet Hyakutake in 1996 or Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Comet Hale-Bopp was the most observed comet in human history.
If these hypotheses prove to be correct, Comet C/2023 A3 could feature a very prominent tail that observers could see with their own eye.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Former First Union CEO Ed Crutchfield has died at age 82. He built the Charlotte-based bank into a powerhouse, while also championing the city it called home.
JEFF WILLHELM
Observer archive photo
Ed Crutchfield, who took charge of Charlotte-based First Union and forged a national banking powerhouse while also championing the city’s growth, died Tuesday at age 82.
In 15 years as CEO of a bank that is now part of Wells Fargo, Crutchfield made more than 80 acquisitions to create the nation’s No. 6 bank by the time he retired in 2001.
Wells Fargo is based in San Francisco and has some 230,000 employees nationwide. Its largest employment hub is in the Charlotte area, where it employs more than 27,000 people. Much of that is a legacy of Crutchfield’s construction of First Union.
“He was my best friend and a fantastic dad and a hero to me,” his son, Elliott Crutchfield told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday night. “On a broader basis, I can tell you from inside the house, he gave it all he had for the bank and by extension Charlotte.
“And I can tell you he took significant steps to make sure the bank was headquartered here (in Charlotte) when others had some other ideas. It was important to him that that be the case.”
Ed Crutchfield died peacefully at his home in Vero Beach, Fla., after a battle with dementia, his son said.
Former First Union CEO Ed Crutchfield has died at age 82. He built the Charlotte-based bank into a powerhouse, while also championing the city it called home. JEFF WILLHELM Observer archive photo
Competing and collaborating in Charlotte
One of Charlotte’s leading businessmen in the last quarter of the 20th century, Crutchfield built a major bank headquarters in the city, and — despite a professional rivalry — was a frequent partner of then-Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl when it came to Charlotte’s civic growth.
McColl told the Observer Wednesday that he and Crutchfield competed intensely in trying to gobble up banks around the nation, with each winning their share. First Union snapped up Atlantic Bank in Florida just as McColl was in discussions with them, while NationsBank, as McColl’s company was then known, won Boatmen’s Bancshares in St. Louis, for example.
“It was quite competitive,” McColl said. “We chased each other around the country buying companies.”
That competition turned to collaboration, though, when it came to building up Charlotte. The two would back each other’s projects, whether it be supporting the symphony, Johnson C. Smith University or any of the dozens of other efforts.
“Everyone thinks we were enemies, but that wasn’t really true,” McColl said. “We both ran our companies and got along fine on civic matters. And we both disliked Wachovia intensely.”
Crutchfield retired earlier than expected at age 59 to successfully fight lymphoma, turning the company over to his hand-picked successor, Ken Thompson. First Union later merged with Winston-Salem’s Wachovia and was bought by Wells Fargo after the bank nearly collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis.
Some of Crutchfield’s deals were duds. But he was often praised in Charlotte for helping the city become a major banking center and particularly for developing much of the southern half of uptown.
“Ed Crutchfield has been tremendously admired by the banking community, not just in North Carolina, but across the country, because he didn’t just sit on the sidelines and watch the parade go by. He was a drum major,’’ Thad Woodard, head of the N.C. Bankers Association, said when Crutchfield retired.
Ed Crutchfield NC ties
Born in Detroit, Crutchfield was raised in Albemarle in Stanly County, about an hour east of Charlotte. His mother was a school teacher and his father worked as an FBI agent, lawyer and county judge, his son said.
After graduating from Davidson College and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Crutchfield joined First Union as a bond trader at age 23.
He rose quickly through the ranks, becoming president in 1973 and CEO in 1984, succeeding Cliff Cameron.
Crutchfield would spend much of his career buying banks. Soon after taking charge, he merged First Unionwith Greensboro-based Northwestern Financial Corp.
It was the biggest bank merger in state history at the time and formed North Carolina’s second-largest bank.
His dealmaking days were full of colorful stories that earned him the nickname “Fast Eddie” from Wall Street analysts, some of whom fretted about his expensive purchases.
One of his dogs, Bud, became a good-luck charm after barely surviving being hit by a car in 1995 while Crutchfield awaited news on a bid for First Fidelity Bancorp. First Union bought the Newark, N.J., bank for $5.4 billion — the biggest U.S. bank acquisition at the time.
In 1997, the dealmaker bragged about the technique he used to buy Signet Banking Corp. of Richmond, Va., another key acquisition.
To get the bank’s management to sell, he said, “I just kept stacking billion-dollar bills on the table.’’
Ed Crutchfield, who was chairman of First Union when he was photographed Oct. 19, 2000, spoke about his battle with cancer, and his decision to retire from the bank early. PATRICK SCHNEIDER CHARLOTTE OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
Wall Street style in Charlotte
In the coming year, he would make even more deals, ultimately expanding First Union from Connecticut to Key West, Florida, and into new business lines.
Crutchfield paid $19.8 billion for Philadelphia’s last big bank, CoreStates Financial, in 1998. He set a new record for the most expensive deal in U.S. banking history. The same year he also spent $2.1 billion on a consumer finance company, The Money Store.
He also built a Wall Street-style capital markets business at First Union, recruiting investment bankers, many from the Northeast, to the Queen City.
Some of these deals would have their pitfalls.
He paida high price for CoreStates and when Crutchfield moved quickly to integrate operations the rapid pace spawned computer glitches that sent customers fleeing. A revenue shortfall at CoreStates and an accounting change at the Money Store led to lower earnings estimates that soured the company’s reputation on Wall Street in the late 1990s.
In 2000, Crutchfield at age 59 was diagnosed with lymphoma and handed his CEO title to Thompson, who quickly restructured the company and improved customer service. Crutchfield went through chemotherapy and beat the disease, but gave up his chairman post in March 2001, leaving behind the bank he forged.
Thompson merged First Union with Winston-Salem’s Wachovia in 2001 and kept the smaller company’s more-respected name.
“To me the biggest thrill has been seeing the company start when nobody was giving us a plugged nickel for our chances, and at least as of today, pulling it off,’’ Crutchfield told the Observer in an interview before his retirement. “That’s been a kick.’’
Ed Crutchfield, CEO of First Union, photographed at One First Union in Charlotte Feb. 9, 1999. The longtime bank executive took charge of Charlotte-based First Union and forged a national banking powerhouse while championing the city’s growth. CHRISTOPHER A. RECORD CHARLOTTE OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
Ed Crutchfield’s civic involvement
Although known for his hard-charging ways, Crutchfield once said an admonishment from his mother, Katherine, encouraged him to develop a warm workplace for his thousands of employees. He once made news when he banned voicemail at the company to encourage human contact.
In 1996, he married Barbara Massa, First Union’s former director of corporate communications. He had two grown children. He was divorced from his first wife, Nancy.
Besides his banking accomplishments, Crutchfield also was known for being part of “The Group’’ — a handful of businessmen who once helped shape Charlotte.
Although he was a fierce competitor with McColl, Crutchfield collaborated with him and other business leaders on community projects.
“I believe the last 20 years of focus on developing the uptown area of Charlotte has been appropriate,’’ he said in a 2003 letter to the Observer. “However, it is my belief that Charlotte-Mecklenburg should now shift its priority, focus and dollars in a major way to the issues of education and human services for young people.’’
In the late 1980s, he played a quiet but influential role during a campaign to diversify Charlotte’s then all-white country clubs.
In 1997, when five Mecklenburg County commissioners moved to cut funding to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council because of objections to gay characters and themes in a play, he got involved to diversify the board.
Like McColl, Crutchfield also left his mark by molding the city’s skyline. In 1988, the bank opened its 42-story headquarters tower on South College Street.
Although known for his hard-charging ways, Ed Crutchfield once said an admonishment from his mother, Katherine, encouraged him to develop a warm workplace for his thousands of employees at First Union. He’s seen here in a 1998 file photo in front of the bank’s new building. HO
The Green park on South Tryon that hides an underground parking garage also was part of his vision. A proposed tower that would have topped McColl’s 60-story headquarters, however, never materialized.
“While he always knew that his major responsibility was looking out for First Union and its shareholders, he also understands the health of this community and the vitality of this community are good for business,’’ the late Mecklenburg County Commissioners Chairman Parks Helms once told the Observer.
In his retirement, Crutchfield spent time in Charlotte, Florida and the N.C. mountains. He enjoyed flyfishing with his wife and spending time with his grandchildren.
Observer editors Taylor Batten and Adam Bell, and former Observer reporters Rick Rothacker, Hannah Lang and Austin Weinstein, and Observer archives, contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the professional background of Crutchfield’s father.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024, 7:50 PM.
We all know that road crews and plows work hard to keep roads clear and safe for drivers this time of year.
What You Need To Know
Road crews use salt on roads and other surfaces in the winter
Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which prevents ice from forming
Salt loses its effectiveness once the temperature falls below 15 degrees
In addition to clearing snow and ice from roads, plows also put down a lot of salt on roads and other surfaces this time of year.
The usual freezing point of water – the temperature at which water freezes and becomes ice – is 32 degrees. So if there’s precipitation (snow, sleet, or freezing rain) and the ground is 32 degrees or colder, ice will form on streets and other surfaces.
So, why use salt on roads and other surfaces? It’s simple – salt lowers the freezing point of water, which prevents ice from forming.
Interesting fact: road salt is simply rock salt, which is table salt in its natural form.
The big difference is that the table salt that we use goes through a long purification process, while rock salt does not. As a result, rock salt still has impurities and that’s why it’s brownish or gray in color.
(AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Can salt become less effective if it gets too cold? Generally, salt loses its effectiveness once the temperature falls below 15 degrees.
When temperatures are that cold, the salt simply can’t get into the structure of the frozen water or ice to start the dissolving and melting process. Therefore, salt is much less effective or not effective at all when temperatures are bitterly cold.
When wintry weather hits, be careful, take your time and stay safe on the roads – especially when temperatures are cold enough to keep road treatments from doing their thing.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
