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  • Analysis finds 2023 set record for U.S. heat deaths

    Analysis finds 2023 set record for U.S. heat deaths

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    David Hom suffered from diabetes and felt nauseated before he went out to hang his laundry in 108-degree weather, another day in Arizona’s record-smashing, unrelenting July heat wave.

    His family found the 73-year-old lying on the ground, his lower body burned. Hom died at the hospital, his core body temperature at 107 degrees.

    What You Need To Know

    • An Associated Press analysis of federal data shows that about 2,300 people in the United States died in the summer of 2023 with their death certificates mentioning the effects of excessive heat

    • That’s the highest in 45 years of records. More than two dozen doctors, public health experts, meteorologists and other experts tell The AP the real death toll was higher

    • Coroner, hospital, ambulance and weather records show that last summer amped up America’s heat and health problem to a new level

    • The relentless warmth unusually killed more people in the South, which had been less prone to mass deaths

    The death certificates of more than 2,300 people who died in the United States last summer mention the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years of records, according to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. With May already breaking heat records, 2024 could be even deadlier.

    And more than two dozen doctors, public health experts, and meteorologists told the AP that last year’s figure was only a fraction of the real death toll. Coroner, hospital, ambulance and weather records show America’s heat and health problem at an entirely new level.

    “We can be confident saying that 2023 was the worst year we’ve had from since … we’ve started having reliable reporting on that,” said Dr. John Balbus, director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Last year, ambulances were dispatched tens of thousands of times after people dropped from the heat. It was relentless and didn’t give people a break, especially at night. The heat of 2023 kept coming, and people kept dying.

    “It’s people that live the hot life. These are the ones who are dying. People who work outside, people that can’t air-condition their house,” said Texas A&M climate scientist Andrew Dessler, who was in hard-hit southern Texas. “It’s really quite, quite grim.”

    Dallas postal worker Eugene Gates Jr., loved working outdoors and at 7:30 a.m. June 20, the 66-year-old texted his wife that it was close to 90 degrees. He kept working in the heat that felt like 119 degrees with the humidity factored in and finally passed out in somebody’s yard. He ran a fever of 104.6 degrees and died, with the medical examiner saying heat contributed to his death.

    “The way that my husband died, it could have been prevented,” said Carla Gates.

    “There’s just very low awareness that heat kills. It’s the silent killer,” said University of Washington public health scientist Kristie Ebi, who helped write a United Nations special report on extreme weather. That 2012 report warned of future dangerous heat waves.

    Ebi said in the last few years, the heat “seems like it’s coming faster. It seems like it’s more severe than we expected.”

    Deaths down south

    Last summer’s heat wave killed differently than past ones that triggered mass deaths in northern cities where people weren’t used to the high temperatures and air conditioning wasn’t common. Several hundreds died in the Pacific Northwest in 2021, in Philadelphia in 1998 and in Chicago in 1995.

    Nearly three-quarters of the heat deaths last summer were in five southern states that were supposed to be used to the heat and planned for it. Except this time they couldn’t handle it, and it killed 874 people in Arizona, 450 in Texas, 226 in Nevada, 84 in Florida and 83 in Louisiana.

    Those five states accounted for 61% of the nation’s heat deaths in the last five years, skyrocketing past their 18% share of U.S. deaths from 1979 to 1999.

    At least 645 people were killed by the heat in Maricopa County, Arizona, alone, according to the medical examiner’s office. People were dying in their cars and especially on the streets, where homelessness, drug abuse and mental illness made matters worse.

    Three months after being evicted from her home, 64-year-old Diana Smith was found dead in the back of her car. Her cause of death was methamphetamine and fentanyl, worsened by heat exposure, Phoenix’s medical examiner ruled.

    “In the last five years, we are seeing this consistent and record kind of unprecedented upward trend. And I think it’s because the levels of heat that we have seen in the last several years have exceeded what we had seen in the last 20 or 30,” said Balbus, of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Unrelenting heat

    Phoenix saw 20 consecutive days of extreme heat stress in July, the longest run of such dangerously hot days in the city since at least 1940, according to the data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

    Phoenix wasn’t alone.

    Last year the U.S. had the most heat waves since 1936. In the South and Southwest, Last year was the worst on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    “It was crazy,” said University of Miami tropical meteorology researcher Brian McNoldy, who spent the summer documenting how Miami broke its daily heat index record 40% of the days between mid-June and mid-October.

    Houston’s Hobby airport broke daily high temperature marks 43 times, meteorologists said. Nighttime lows set records for heat 57 times, they said. That didn’t give people’s bodies chances to recover.

    Across five southern states, the average rate of emergency department visits for heat illness in the summer of 2023 was over double that of the previous five summers, according to an analysis of data from the CDC.

    The deaths

    Experts warned that counting heat mortality based on death certificates leads to underestimates. Heat illness can be missed, or might not be mentioned.

    They pointed to “excess death” studies for a more realistic count. These are the type of long-accepted epidemiological studies that look at grand totals of deaths during unusual conditions — such as hot days, high air pollution or a spreading COVID-19 pandemic — and compare them to normal times, creating an expected trend line.

    Texas A&M’s Dessler and his colleague Jangho Lee published one such study early last year. According to their methods, Lee said, about 11,000 heat deaths likely occurred in 2023 in the U.S. — a figure that would represent a record since at least 1987 and is about five times the number reported on death certificates.

    Deaths are also up because of better reporting, and because Americans are getting older and more vulnerable to heat, Lee said. The population is also slowly shifting to cities, which are more exposed to heat.

    The future

    In some places, last year’s heat already rivals the worst on record. As of late May, Miami was on track to be 1.5 degrees warmer than the hottest May on record, according to McNoldy. Dallas’ Murphy pointed to maps saying conditions with a broiling Mexico are “eerily similar to what we saw last June” so he is worried about “a very brutal summer.”

    Texas A&M’s Dessler said last year’s heat was “a taste of the future.”

    “I just think in 20 years, you know, 2040 rolls around … we’re going to look back at 2023 and say, man, that was cool,” Dessler said. “The problem with climate change is if if it hasn’t pushed you over the edge yet, just wait.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Analysis finds 2023 set record for U.S. heat deaths

    Analysis finds 2023 set record for U.S. heat deaths

    [ad_1]

    David Hom suffered from diabetes and felt nauseated before he went out to hang his laundry in 108-degree weather, another day in Arizona’s record-smashing, unrelenting July heat wave.

    His family found the 73-year-old lying on the ground, his lower body burned. Hom died at the hospital, his core body temperature at 107 degrees.

    What You Need To Know

    • An Associated Press analysis of federal data shows that about 2,300 people in the United States died in the summer of 2023 with their death certificates mentioning the effects of excessive heat

    • That’s the highest in 45 years of records. More than two dozen doctors, public health experts, meteorologists and other experts tell The AP the real death toll was higher

    • Coroner, hospital, ambulance and weather records show that last summer amped up America’s heat and health problem to a new level

    • The relentless warmth unusually killed more people in the South, which had been less prone to mass deaths

    The death certificates of more than 2,300 people who died in the United States last summer mention the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years of records, according to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. With May already breaking heat records, 2024 could be even deadlier.

    And more than two dozen doctors, public health experts, and meteorologists told the AP that last year’s figure was only a fraction of the real death toll. Coroner, hospital, ambulance and weather records show America’s heat and health problem at an entirely new level.

    “We can be confident saying that 2023 was the worst year we’ve had from since … we’ve started having reliable reporting on that,” said Dr. John Balbus, director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Last year, ambulances were dispatched tens of thousands of times after people dropped from the heat. It was relentless and didn’t give people a break, especially at night. The heat of 2023 kept coming, and people kept dying.

    “It’s people that live the hot life. These are the ones who are dying. People who work outside, people that can’t air-condition their house,” said Texas A&M climate scientist Andrew Dessler, who was in hard-hit southern Texas. “It’s really quite, quite grim.”

    Dallas postal worker Eugene Gates Jr., loved working outdoors and at 7:30 a.m. June 20, the 66-year-old texted his wife that it was close to 90 degrees. He kept working in the heat that felt like 119 degrees with the humidity factored in and finally passed out in somebody’s yard. He ran a fever of 104.6 degrees and died, with the medical examiner saying heat contributed to his death.

    “The way that my husband died, it could have been prevented,” said Carla Gates.

    “There’s just very low awareness that heat kills. It’s the silent killer,” said University of Washington public health scientist Kristie Ebi, who helped write a United Nations special report on extreme weather. That 2012 report warned of future dangerous heat waves.

    Ebi said in the last few years, the heat “seems like it’s coming faster. It seems like it’s more severe than we expected.”

    Deaths down south

    Last summer’s heat wave killed differently than past ones that triggered mass deaths in northern cities where people weren’t used to the high temperatures and air conditioning wasn’t common. Several hundreds died in the Pacific Northwest in 2021, in Philadelphia in 1998 and in Chicago in 1995.

    Nearly three-quarters of the heat deaths last summer were in five southern states that were supposed to be used to the heat and planned for it. Except this time they couldn’t handle it, and it killed 874 people in Arizona, 450 in Texas, 226 in Nevada, 84 in Florida and 83 in Louisiana.

    Those five states accounted for 61% of the nation’s heat deaths in the last five years, skyrocketing past their 18% share of U.S. deaths from 1979 to 1999.

    At least 645 people were killed by the heat in Maricopa County, Arizona, alone, according to the medical examiner’s office. People were dying in their cars and especially on the streets, where homelessness, drug abuse and mental illness made matters worse.

    Three months after being evicted from her home, 64-year-old Diana Smith was found dead in the back of her car. Her cause of death was methamphetamine and fentanyl, worsened by heat exposure, Phoenix’s medical examiner ruled.

    “In the last five years, we are seeing this consistent and record kind of unprecedented upward trend. And I think it’s because the levels of heat that we have seen in the last several years have exceeded what we had seen in the last 20 or 30,” said Balbus, of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Unrelenting heat

    Phoenix saw 20 consecutive days of extreme heat stress in July, the longest run of such dangerously hot days in the city since at least 1940, according to the data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

    Phoenix wasn’t alone.

    Last year the U.S. had the most heat waves since 1936. In the South and Southwest, Last year was the worst on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    “It was crazy,” said University of Miami tropical meteorology researcher Brian McNoldy, who spent the summer documenting how Miami broke its daily heat index record 40% of the days between mid-June and mid-October.

    Houston’s Hobby airport broke daily high temperature marks 43 times, meteorologists said. Nighttime lows set records for heat 57 times, they said. That didn’t give people’s bodies chances to recover.

    Across five southern states, the average rate of emergency department visits for heat illness in the summer of 2023 was over double that of the previous five summers, according to an analysis of data from the CDC.

    The deaths

    Experts warned that counting heat mortality based on death certificates leads to underestimates. Heat illness can be missed, or might not be mentioned.

    They pointed to “excess death” studies for a more realistic count. These are the type of long-accepted epidemiological studies that look at grand totals of deaths during unusual conditions — such as hot days, high air pollution or a spreading COVID-19 pandemic — and compare them to normal times, creating an expected trend line.

    Texas A&M’s Dessler and his colleague Jangho Lee published one such study early last year. According to their methods, Lee said, about 11,000 heat deaths likely occurred in 2023 in the U.S. — a figure that would represent a record since at least 1987 and is about five times the number reported on death certificates.

    Deaths are also up because of better reporting, and because Americans are getting older and more vulnerable to heat, Lee said. The population is also slowly shifting to cities, which are more exposed to heat.

    The future

    In some places, last year’s heat already rivals the worst on record. As of late May, Miami was on track to be 1.5 degrees warmer than the hottest May on record, according to McNoldy. Dallas’ Murphy pointed to maps saying conditions with a broiling Mexico are “eerily similar to what we saw last June” so he is worried about “a very brutal summer.”

    Texas A&M’s Dessler said last year’s heat was “a taste of the future.”

    “I just think in 20 years, you know, 2040 rolls around … we’re going to look back at 2023 and say, man, that was cool,” Dessler said. “The problem with climate change is if if it hasn’t pushed you over the edge yet, just wait.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Sorry Charles Barkley; the Mavericks needlessly are headed back to Minnesota

    Sorry Charles Barkley; the Mavericks needlessly are headed back to Minnesota

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    DALLAS

    Three minutes into the fourth quarter of Game 4 this entire column was justifiably nearly done, and a Pulitzer was in the bag, because the Dallas Mavericks were following a script they have mastered.

    They fall behind against the Minnesota Timberwolves here in the Western Conference Finals, and then go on some silly 27-1 run to come back and win it in the final minute. That’s what they did in the first three games, and why they had a 3-0 series lead.

    On Tuesday night, with the American Airlines Center jumping well before tip off, this series finale felt inevitable. The Mavericks were going to win Game 4, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.

    Should have happened.

    “It’s hard to close in this league,” Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.

    If his players didn’t know that before Tuesday they do now.

    Even when the Mavericks trailed by eight points with less than two minutes remaining, they had their chances to tie it. Maybe take the lead, just like they did in the previous three games. Everyone in the building, but a small number, expected it.

    In the fourth game, neither happened.

    Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns finally played to the Hall of Fame level Karl-Anthony Towns thinks he is, and the Wolves defeated the Mavs, 105-100.

    The series that should never have been a sweep now in reality is not, which will only depress TNT’s NBA color analyst Charles Barkley. Sir Charles has made it no secret he would prefer to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables rather than return to Minneapolis for a Game 5, which will be played on Thursday night.

    “That game is on me. I just didn’t give enough energy,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said after the game.

    Mavs center Daniel Gafford said the same thing; that he couldn’t find the energy.

    Starbucks, maybe?

    “This one hurts,” Gafford said. “We expected to be happy at the end of the game, and now we’re (upset).”

    Energy issues aside, with a 3-0 series lead they more than likely arrived to the arena knowing they would show up and win the game.

    Energy issues aside, the Mavs simply didn’t make shots, and Minnesota did.

    The Mavericks shot 15-of-40 from 3-point range. They took 81 shots in the game. Mavs guard Kyrie Irving never could get it going, and shot 6-of-18 from the floor.

    “We had good looks. Corner 3’s. Couldn’t ask for a better situation,” Kidd said.

    Despite the horrible shooting, even in the waning seconds it still felt like the Mavericks were going to do it again, win, and celebrate a trip to the Finals.

    When Doncic hit a 3-pointer and was fouled with 13 seconds remaining, he had the chance to make it a 2-point game. In the previous three games, he makes the free throw, the Mavs steal the inbound pass, and Doncic makes the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds remaining.

    Consistent with how Game 4 went, he missed the free throw and that ended the Mavs’ plans of a sweep.

    “That’s where I thought the game could change,” Kidd said. “We couldn’t capitalize. … We’ve been knocking down 3’s. Wide open 3’s. We just didn’t make them.”

    The loss of center Derek Lively to a neck sprain suffered in Game 3 was noticeable, and not the reason the Mavs lost. They did welcome forward Maxi Kleber back to the lineup for the first time in more than a month, but he can’t be expected to do too much in his first game back.

    It’s impossible to see how Minnesota wins this series, but possible to see the Timberwolves winning another game. They’re talented, and if a few more shots drop in the first three games this series is tied.

    In Game 4, Towns and guard Anthony Edwards combined for 54 points.

    After playing like a dead ghost, and not a good one, in the first three games, in Game 4 KAT finally played like he cares about the game of basketball beyond making millions from it. In Game 4, he made 9 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. If he really ever decides to care all the time, he’s a top 10 player in the NBA.

    The Mavericks now head back to Minnesota in an effort to be done with this series on Thursday night.

    “Whether you win in four or seven,” Doncic said, “you just have to win four.”

    This should have been over in four.

    This story was originally published May 28, 2024, 10:58 PM.

    Related stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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  • At least 11 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather

    At least 11 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather

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    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Powerful storms killed at least 11 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.

    What You Need To Know

    • A tornado crossed into northern Denton County in Texas late Saturday and overturned tractor-trailer trucks, stopping traffic on Interstate 35

    • The storm damaged homes, overturned motorhomes and knocked down power lines and trees throughout the area including points in Sanger, Pilot Point, Ray Roberts Lake and Isle du Bois State Park

    • Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, officials said
    • Hugo Parra, who lives in Farmers Branch, north of Dallas, said he rode out the storm with about 40 to 50 people in the bathroom of a gas station

    Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, officials said. Storms also caused damage in Oklahoma, where guests at an outdoor wedding were injured. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the region.

    “It’s just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe,” Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told The Associated Press.

    The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, the sheriff said.

    Three family members in Texas were found dead in one home near the small community of Valley View, Sappington said.

    Hugo Parra, who lives in Farmers Branch, north of Dallas, said he rode out the storm with about 40 to 50 people in the bathroom of a gas station.

    “A firefighter came to check on us and he said, ‘You’re very lucky,’” Parra said. “The best way to describe this is the wind tried to rip us out of the bathrooms.”

    Multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County, Texas, also north of Dallas. But officials did not immediately know the full extent of the injuries.

    At least two people were reported killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen, with the county’s emergency management office.

    Another person died in Benton County, Arkansas. Melody Kwok, a county communications director, said multiple other people were injured and that emergency workers were still responding to calls.

    “We are still on search and rescue right now,” she said. “This is a very active situation.”

    Officials also confirmed two deaths in Mayes County, Oklahoma. Details about the dead were not immediately available, said Mike Dunham, the county’s deputy director of emergency management.

    The destruction continued a grim month of deadly severe weather in the nation’s midsection.

    Tornadoes in Iowa this week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. The deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.

    Elsewhere in Denton County, a tornado overturned tractor-trailers and halted traffic on Interstate 35, county spokesperson Dawn Cobb said. A shelter was opened in the rural town of Sanger.

    At least 60 to 80 people were inside a highway truck stop, some of them seeking shelter, when the storm barreled through, but there were no serious injuries, Sappington said.

    Daybreak began to reveal the full scope of the devastation. Aerial footage showed dozens of damaged homes, including many without roofs and others reduced to rubble.

    Residents woke up to overturned cars and collapsed garages. Some residents could be seen pacing around and sorting through scraps of wood, assessing the damage. Nearby, neighbors sat on the foundation of a wrecked home.

    At the height of the storms, more than 24,000 homes and businesses lost power in Oklahoma, according to the state Office of Emergency Management. The agency also reported extensive damage from baseball-sized hail and multiple injuries at an outdoor wedding that was being held in rural Woods County.

    Meteorologists and authorities issued urgent warnings to seek cover as the storms marched across the region overnight. “If you are in the path of this storm take cover now!” the National Weather Service office in Norman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    In Texas, the Denton Fire Department posted on social media that emergency crews near Dallas were responding to a marina “for multiple victims, some reported trapped.”

    Inaccessible roads and downed power lines in Oklahoma also led officials in the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, to announce on social media that the city was “shut down” due to the damage.

    April and May have been a busy month for tornadoes, especially in the Midwest. Iowa was hit hard last week, when a deadly twister devastated Greenfield. Other storms brought flooding and wind damage elsewhere in the state.

    The system causing the latest severe weather was expected to move east over the rest of the Memorial Day weekend.

    The start of the Indianapolis 500 was expected to be delayed as a strong storm pushed into the area, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 race fans who had already.

    The video boards inside the speedway flashed that a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect as the band of rain, along with dangerous wind and lightning, approached from the west.

    More severe storms were predicted in Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky.

    The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said.

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  • Record broken for most passengers screened at U.S. airports, TSA says

    Record broken for most passengers screened at U.S. airports, TSA says

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    ATLANTA (AP) — A record was broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekend for the number of airline travelers screened at U.S. airports, the Transportation Security Administration said Saturday.

    What You Need To Know

    • As Memorial Day looms, TSA says more than 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday

    • The previous record for most travelers was set on the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2023

    • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, broke a traffic record on Thursday when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened at security checkpoints

    More than 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, surpassing a previous record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the transportation security agency.

    “Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA tweeted. “We recommend arriving early.”

    The third busiest day on record was set on Thursday when just under 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports.

    In Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport had its busiest day ever. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport broke a traffic record on Thursday when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened at security checkpoints. The second busiest day followed on Friday when 109,960 people were screened, according to the TSA.

    With 104.6 million passengers, the Atlanta airport was the busiest in the world last year, according to Airports Council International.

    U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set last summer.

    AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — 38 million of them taking vehicles.

    The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.

    In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May.

    Jason Redman, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Associated Press last year that he honors the friends he’s lost. Thirty names are tattooed on his arm “for every guy that I personally knew that died.”

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  • Severe weather could disrupt Memorial Day weekend travel

    Severe weather could disrupt Memorial Day weekend travel

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    If you’re traveling for Memorial Day weekend, the weather could affect your plans. Severe weather will develop across the central and southern Plains on Saturday before shifting east toward the mid-Mississippi and Ohio River Valley on Sunday.

    Dangerous and record-breaking heat is possible in South Texas, along the Gulf Coast to South Florida through Memorial Day.

    What You Need To Know

    • Severe weather is expected across the central U.S. on Saturday and Sunday

    • Parts of the southern U.S. could experience record-breaking heat

    • Wet weather and storms are expected across the eastern U.S. on Memorial Day

    Here’s what you need to know about the forecast this weekend.

    Saturday

    Severe weather is going to be the primary threat for holiday weekend travelers on Saturday. Storms will develop across the central and southern Plains on Saturday afternoon and evening capable of producing all types of severe weather.

    Oklahoma, Kansas and western Missouri will see the highest threat for severe weather, including several strong to violent tornadoes, extreme hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall Saturday afternoon into the overnight hours.

    Scattered showers are possible across parts of the interior Northeast and Mid-Atlantic late Saturday.

    The Gulf Coast states, from South Texas to South Florida will experience summerlike heat with the potential for record highs. Heat impacts will likely be highest in South Texas, where heat index values will exceed 115 degrees through Memorial Day.

    The western U.S. will be cool to kick off the weekend, as highs stay 5 to 15 degrees below normal.

    Sunday

    The same complex of storms from the Plains on Saturday will shift east, bringing the highest severe threat across parts of the mid-Mississippi and Ohio River Valley on Sunday into Sunday night.

    Once again, it looks likely that storms will be capable of producing strong tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The highest threat will be for parts of eastern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and western Kentucky.

    Other areas that will see rain and storms include Wisconsin and Ohio. A weak front could bring some scattered showers to parts of the upper Northeast and New England on Sunday morning, but it will dry out early.

    Dangerous heat remains in place across the southern states on Sunday. Heat index values will be highest in South Texas again as actual air temperatures climb into the upper 90s and even the triple digits. Overnight temperatures won’t cool off much with record warm lows, so little to no relief is expected to those without reliable cooling.

    Western parts of the country will warm up slightly as temperatures climb back near normal for late May while the East Coast remains around 10 degrees above normal, topping out in the upper 80s to low 90s.

    Monday

    Wet weather will spread east on Memorial Day, bringing widespread shower and storm chances to parts of the eastern U.S., including the Northeast, New England and Mid-Atlantic.

    Memorial Day will kick off with showers, likely across the Ohio River Valley and Mid-Atlantic. As the system moves northeastward, rain and storms will fill into the Northeast through the morning and New England through the afternoon.

    Temperatures will also be rain-cooled for these areas, so it will feel more seasonable around the Great Lakes. A few scattered showers and storms are possible in the southeast, too.

    The western U.S. also warms back up a few degrees above normal, and Texas and Florida continue to feel the summerlike heat with record highs possible and heat index values climbing well into the triple digits.

    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.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • VP Harris says her thoughts are with Uvalde exactly 2 years since mass shooting

    VP Harris says her thoughts are with Uvalde exactly 2 years since mass shooting

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    UVALDE, Texas — Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement of support on Friday for the Uvalde community exactly two years after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.

    What You Need To Know

    • Harris’ comments came a day after President Joe Biden sent a letter to the community expressing his condolences and discussing his efforts to end “the epidemic of gun violence”

    • Harris said the families of the victims of those killed in the Uvalde mass shooting helped the administration to pass historic gun safety legislation

    • The vice president also touted other actions the Biden administration has taken to change gun laws across the country

    “Two years ago, 19 beautiful children and two selfless teachers were killed in their classrooms during a senseless mass shooting carried out with a weapon of war,” Harris wrote. “They should still be with us – playing sports, creating art, dancing, laughing, learning, teaching, and making new memories with their families and friends. Today, we are remembering their stories, standing with their loved ones, and thinking of their community.”

    Harris’ comments came a day after President Joe Biden sent a letter to the community expressing his condolences and discussing his efforts to end “the epidemic of gun violence.”

    In her statement, Harris also touched on the Biden administration’s work to pass gun safety legislation. The vice president specifically mentioned the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress passed and Biden signed into law in 2022, calling it “the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years.”

    Harris said the families of the victims of those killed in the Uvalde mass shooting helped the administration to pass this historic gun safety legislation.

    “In the months and years since these 21 Americans lost their lives and 17 others were injured, the families in Uvalde have powerfully channeled their anguish into advocacy – demanding action to change the unacceptable fact that gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in our nation,” Harris said. 

    Prior to 2020, the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. was car crashes, but since then, firearms have been the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 19. 

    Harris also touted other changes the administration has attempted to enact to gun laws like closing the gun show loophole, which was put on pause earlier this month by a judge following multiple lawsuits from Republican-led states, including Texas. 

    Other actions Harris mentioned in her statement were investing in student mental health, launching the first-ever “red flag” law resource center and creating the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. 

    “While we have made necessary progress together, there is more work to be done to ensure that every person in our nation has the freedom to live safe from the horror of gun violence,” said Harris. “Congress and state legislators throughout America must have the courage to act by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, passing red flag laws, and making background checks universal. These commonsense solutions will save lives and ensure that fewer children, families, and communities experience the unimaginable trauma and pain that Uvalde has suffered during these last two years.”

    Earlier this week, the families of the victims announced a lawsuit against 92 state police officers who were a part of the law enforcement response to the shooting, which has been criticized by state and federal authorities for “cascading failures.” This new suit joins many others filed in the shooting’s aftermath.

    The families also announced Wednesday that they reached a $2 million settlement with the city, which agreed to a new standard and training for Uvalde police officers and established May 24 as an annual day of remembrance and the creation of a permanent memorial in the city. 

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    Katharine Finnerty

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  • Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1

    Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1

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    The Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1. 

    NOAA just released its 2024 hurricane season outlook, and is forecasting above normal activity this year.

    What do these forecasts mean for people living in hurricane-prone areas? What are the ingredients for an active hurricane season? What can you do to prepare?

    Spectrum News Meteorologists’ Kyle Hanson, Thomas Meiners, Blake Matthews, Reid Lybarger and Stacy Lynn will answer your questions about NOAA’s forecast and what you can expect this hurricane season at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.

    Be sure to include your name and location when you ask a question below.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • NOAA releases its 2024 Atlantic hurricane season outlook

    NOAA releases its 2024 Atlantic hurricane season outlook

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    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1, and NOAA just released its annual outlook. NOAA predicts above normal activity across the Atlantic basin this year.

    What You Need To Know

    • NOAA predicts above normal activity this hurricane season

    • Atlantic sea surface temperatures are experiencing record warmth

    • La Niña conditions are expected during the peak of hurricane season

    NOAA’s outlook predicts an 85% chance of an above normal season, a 10% chance of a near normal season and a 5% chance of a below normal season. 

    NOAA forecasts a likely range of 17 to 25 named storms, of which 8 to 13 could become hurricanes, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes, which are a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

    NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.

    “This is the highest number of named storms NOAA has ever issued in its May forecast,” says Dr. Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., administrator, NOAA.

    Remember, predictions of the season’s activity are not predictions of exactly how many storms will make landfall in a particular place. Individual storms make impacts, regardless of how active (or not) a season is. Coastal residents should do what they can to make sure they’re prepared every year.

    As a reminder, this season has brought some new changes and a new list of names.

    You can learn more about 2024’s list of names here.

    Researchers look at a variety of factors to make their prediction.

    Current El Niño conditions are forecast to transition to La Niña conditions later this summer or fall, leading to more favorable conditions for tropical development.

    La Niña conditions typically favor more hurricane activity in the Atlantic because of weaker vertical wind shear and more instability across the main development region. 

    Sea surface temperatures are also running well above normal in the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical Atlantic, including the main development region. Some areas are experiencing record warmth.

    Warm ocean water helps fuel tropical systems, and combined with the effects of La Niña, it is expected to be an active Atlantic hurricane season.

    Here is the latest tropical update for the next 48 hours. 

    Learn More About Hurricanes

    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.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • NOAA releases its 2024 Atlantic hurricane season outlook

    NOAA releases its 2024 Atlantic hurricane season outlook

    [ad_1]

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1, and NOAA just released its annual outlook. NOAA predicts above normal activity across the Atlantic basin this year.

    What You Need To Know

    • NOAA predicts above normal activity this hurricane season

    • Atlantic sea surface temperatures are experiencing record warmth

    • La Niña conditions are expected during the peak of hurricane season

    NOAA’s outlook predicts an 85% chance of an above normal season, a 10% chance of a near normal season and a 5% chance of a below normal season. 

    NOAA forecasts a likely range of 17 to 25 named storms, of which 8 to 13 could become hurricanes, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes, which are a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

    NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.

    “This is the highest number of named storms NOAA has ever issued in its May forecast,” says Dr. Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., administrator, NOAA.

    Remember, predictions of the season’s activity are not predictions of exactly how many storms will make landfall in a particular place. Individual storms make impacts, regardless of how active (or not) a season is. Coastal residents should do what they can to make sure they’re prepared every year.

    As a reminder, this season has brought some new changes and a new list of names.

    You can learn more about 2024’s list of names here.

    Researchers look at a variety of factors to make their prediction.

    Current El Niño conditions are forecast to transition to La Niña conditions later this summer or fall, leading to more favorable conditions for tropical development.

    La Niña conditions typically favor more hurricane activity in the Atlantic because of weaker vertical wind shear and more instability across the main development region. 

    Sea surface temperatures are also running well above normal in the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical Atlantic, including the main development region. Some areas are experiencing record warmth.

    Warm ocean water helps fuel tropical systems, and combined with the effects of La Niña, it is expected to be an active Atlantic hurricane season.

    Here is the latest tropical update for the next 48 hours. 

    Learn More About Hurricanes

    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.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Tornadoes by the numbers, is 2024 seeing more twisters?

    Tornadoes by the numbers, is 2024 seeing more twisters?

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    Springtime tornadoes are nothing new for residents of the Midwest, Plains and even the South. It’s common, most cities and towns have tornado sirens and school children perform tornado drills, but is the U.S. seeing a higher number of tornadoes this year compared to the average?

    What You Need To Know

    • April 26 through May 9 was a particularly dangerous stretch of weather, producing hundreds of tornado reports

    • The number of tornado reports does not equate to the number of tornadoes

    • Thunderstorms that are capable of producing tornadoes are not as prevalent during the summer months

    In recent weeks, top stories have featured violent weather with tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail and flooding that injure people and infrastructures and even cause fatalities.

    April 26 through May 9 was an active period for severe weather. At least one tornado report was submitted to the Storm Prediction Center per day.

    Halfway through the month, the count stands at 234. How do these values compare to the average? Are we seeing more tornadoes than we used to, or is this just par for the course at this time of the year?

    Severe season

    Dr. Harold Brooks, Senior Research Scientist with NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman Oklahoma, says this is the time of the year when the greatest number of tornadoes is observed.

    Historically, May has produced the most violent twisters. Joplin, Missouri’s EF5 tornado occurred on May 22, 2011, and Moore, Oklahoma’s EF5, the last EF5 to touch down in the United States, happened on May 20, 2013.

    Above-average count

    The tornado archives began in 1950, with averages compiled from 1991 to 2020. According to the Storm Prediction Center, preliminary data from Jan. 1 – May 16, lists 806 counts of tornadoes from local storm reports for the year so far.

    Courtesy of NOAA Storm Prediction Center

    The SPC analyzed April, noting 384 preliminary tornado reports, more than double the 1991-2020 April average (182). This was the highest count on record, since April 2011 and is second only to that same year.  

    Overestimations of tornadoes

    Preliminary tornado reports are not the same as actual tornadoes.

    Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center, Matthew Elliot explains,

    “In realtime, the National Weather Service collects what are called preliminary local storm reports. For tornadoes, these can be thought of as eyewitness reports of the tornado.” 

    Reports such as damage or video of a tornado are documented, showing the location of the damage and tornado. Each report will count as one tornado preliminary report.  

    However, he mentions that sometimes there may be multiple reports of the same tornado, especially longer-track ones, leading to overestimated tornado counts.

    “Some preliminary reports end up not being tornadic after a ground survey has been completed (could be wind) while others are surveyed and entered into the official database but never have a preliminary local storm report issued (rarer but does happen).”

    Ground surveys

    When information is relayed to the local National Weather Service offices about storm damage or tornadoes, NWS teams will complete a ground survey to verify these results, usually the following day. Meteorologist Alex Elmore with the National Weather Service in St. Louis explains the process of the storm survey teams.

    An NWS emergency official surveys damage from an EF-1 tornado on Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Spectrum News 1/Jonathon Gregg)

    “When storm damage occurs and we suspect it was possibly caused by a tornado or very strong straight-line winds, we will head first toward the location of the worst known damage,” he said.

    The max wind speed can be estimated based on damage indicators, including trees, houses, out buildings, and the degree of damage such as missing shingles, partial collapse of the building, tree uprooted, etc., according to Elmore.

    “If the damage was produced by a tornado, we assign it a rating on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale based on the wind speed,” he said.

    Sometimes the damage from a storm is not from a tornado but straight-line winds. Damage from straight-line winds will all be laying in the same direction, whereas tornado damage will comprise more circular damage.

    They continue this process across the swath of damage until no more damage can be found. He says surveys for a single track can take several hours or upwards of an entire day, depending on the path length and degree of damage.   

    This process can be lengthy and take several months. Once investigations have been completed, the SPC publishes the final count. “Historically, for every 100 preliminary tornado reports, at least 65 tornadoes are confirmed,” says the SPC.

    Less summer tornadoes

    Tornado counts usually peak from March to June and then taper into the summer. The reason is because of the jet stream.

    “One of the ingredients needed for thunderstorms to produce tornadoes is strong wind shear, and this is in part provided by the jet stream,” Elmore says.

    “During the summer, the jet stream shifts northward toward the U.S.-Canadian border, reducing the amount of wind shear we see locally during severe weather, which reduces the chance for tornadoes.”

    We may see more thunderstorms during the summer, but without wind shear, storms that become severe are more likely to produce hail and damaging winds.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Full flower moon peaks this week

    Full flower moon peaks this week

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    The flower moon will illuminate our skies this week.

    What You Need To Know

    • May’s full moon is the Flower Moon

    • Full moon will peak early Thursday

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings

    May’s full moon is often called the Flower Moon. Native American names also have a spring flavor, including Budding Moon and Planting Moon.

    It is called the flower moon because of the abundance of flowers that emerge during the month across North America. 

    Last October, Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” premiered. It was titled as such to attribute to the “Reign of Terror” in the Osage nation that began in May 1921.

    The full moon will come to full peak early Thursday morning but still provide optimal viewings for both Wednesday night and Thursday night. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    Cicada moon?

    Residents along the Midwest and South might refer to this year’s May full moon as the cicada moon, due to the emergence of billions of cicadas from two separate broods.

    A 13-year cicada peers over a ledge in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, May 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    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.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Madison Beer Continues to Build on Her Virality

    Madison Beer Continues to Build on Her Virality

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    She has been one of the most recognizable faces on the internet for several years now, but Madison Beer is just getting started. Now 25, she was catapulted into the spotlight at age 13 when Justin Bieber reposted her cover of Etta James’ “At Last” on Twitter in 2012…

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    Caroline Val

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  • Weather Explained: Storm surge

    Weather Explained: Storm surge

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    Storm surge is when a storm or hurricane causes ocean levels to rise, bringing flooding and destruction to life and property.

    Three factors can determine the severity of storm surge: coastal orientation, the slope of the continental and tides. 

    Watch the video above to learn how these three things affect storm surge and what you can do to keep you, your family and property safe. 

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

    Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

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    A strong geomagnetic storm is impacting the Earth. 

    NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has observed extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions for the first time since Oct. 2003, meaning the northern lights, or aurora borealis, could be visible for much of the northern United States on Friday night and early Saturday morning.

    It may be visible low on the horizon further south, from Southern California east across the Southern U.S.

    What You Need To Know

    • The northern lights could be visible in the northern U.S. on Friday night

    • Extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions have been observed for the first time since 2003

    • Further south, the northern lights may be visible on the horizon

    According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have reached Earth, leading to extreme geomagnetic activity. A CME is an eruption of solar material, and G5 conditions are very rare.

    Geomagnetic storming could continue through the weekend, with more CMEs on the way to Earth. Under clear skies, the northern lights should be visible across much of the northern U.S. on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Further south, they could be visible on the horizon.

    Tonight’s forecast

    Here is tonight’s forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. The northern lights are likely to be visible on Friday night and early Saturday morning for areas shaded in green, and they could be visible on the horizon for areas shaded in yellow.

    To ensure the best chance at getting a look at the northern lights tonight, look toward the northern horizon. The best viewing conditions are under cloud-free skies and away from bigger cities with light pollution.

    If you see the northern lights tonight, be sure to submit your photos on the Spectrum News App!

    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.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • The northern lights: Photos vs. what your eyes see

    The northern lights: Photos vs. what your eyes see

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    Dazzling, shimmer curtains of red and green… you’ve probably seen amazing photos of the aurora, or northern lights. Unfortunately, if you’re lucky enough to see the aurora with your own eyes, it typically won’t live up to those expectations.

    Technology and biology are why.

    What You Need To Know

    • Cameras can have long exposures and wide apertures to let in lots of light

    • Image editing can bring out the colors

    • Our eyes don’t pick up color very well in low light



    For those of us in the mid-latitudes–that is, most of the U.S.–aurora aren’t visible very often, especially the farther south you are. And when they do show up, they’re typically not very bright.

    So how do photographers snap such stunning photos?

    Technology

    “Cameras with long exposures will pick up on the northern lights because cameras use that long exposure of several seconds to absorb the light and colors of the aurora,” says Willard Sharp, who photographs everything from severe storms to solar storms. “Modern camera sensors are very sensitive in low light, so it’s easier to get a detailed photo of the aurora.”

    Northern lights fill the sky in Edinburg, N.Y. (Photo by Derek Spagnola)

    A long exposure and wide-open aperture let a lot of light in. “This allows the camera to gather data in a photo that I can then work with in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to bring out details and get the colors to look good and natural,” Sharp says.

    “Your eyes may not catch as much color here [in the Lower 48], but the camera will do a wonderful job with that several second exposure to get a vivid picture.”

    Biology

    And why won’t your eyes catch much color? As great as they are, they’re just not equipped to do color at night.

    You might know that your eyes have rods and cones, which are stimulated by light. The gist is that we have three types of cones that work with the brain to see red, green and blue (and all the combinations of those), but cones need a lot of light… something that the night sky doesn’t provide.

    Rods are much more sensitive to light so we can see at night, but they don’t have nearly the same color abilities as cones. Sure, we can kind of see color, but it’s not at all vivid. Our eyes, like a camera, need a wide aperture and a lot of light to get the most out of what’s in front of us.

    Normalized wavelengths the rods and cones of the eye are sensitive to. (CC by 4.0/Ibrahim Al-Bahadly)

    Even so, “when you head north to, say, Canada, the lights are much brighter even with weaker geomagnetic storming, so the eyes can see them much more easily,” Sharp says.

    Photography tips

    Sharp has a “night skies cheat sheet,” if you’re interested in trying out astrophotography. And you’ll need patience. Forecasting space weather is even more difficult than Earth weather forecasts, and Sharp says looking at the data can be “daunting.”

    “Sometimes a predicted geomagnetic storm will not pan out as expected. Other times minor space weather events trigger big and bright aurora displays,” says Sharp.

    NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has an aurora dashboard that displays current space weather conditions and aurora forecasts. Sharp also recommends SpaceWeatherLive. Here are the parameters he likes to see:

    • Kp: At least 5
    • Bz: At least -10 for at least one hour; two or more hours is better, and -20 suggests aurora visible to the naked eye
    • Solar winds: At least 500 km/sec
    • Density: At least 5, but 10 or higher is better

    Wondering how northern lights even happen in the first place? We have the answer. Plus, your chances of seeing amazing aurora photos–or maybe with your own eyes–could be increasing, as solar activity is forecast to peak in 2024.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

    Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

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    A strong geomagnetic storm is expected Friday night. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Watch for the first time since 2005, meaning the northern lights, or aurora borealis, could be visible for much of the northern United States on Friday night and early Saturday morning.

    It may be visible low on the horizon further south, from Southern California east across the Southern U.S.

    What You Need To Know

    • The northern lights could be visible in the northern U.S. on Friday night

    • It’s the first G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Watch issued since 2005

    • Further south, the northern lights may be visible on the horizon

    According to the Space Weather Predicition Center, several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) will likely reach Earth and lead to highly elevated geomagnetic activity. A CME is an eruption of solar material, and G4 watches are very rare.

    The CMEs are forecast to arrive at Earth late Friday, May 10, or early Saturday, May 11. Under clear skies, the northern lights should be visible across much of the northern U.S. Further south, they could be visible on the horizon.

    Tonight’s forecast

    Tonight’s forecasted “planetary K index” is an 8 out of 9, and the forecasted G-scale is a 4 out of 5. That indicates a severe geomagnetic storm, and a very active aurora.

    Here is tonight’s forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. The northern lights are likely to be visible on Friday night and early Saturday morning for areas shaded in green, and they could be visible on the horizon for areas shaded in yellow.

    To ensure the best chance at getting a look at the northern lights tonight, look toward the northern horizon. The best viewing conditions are under cloud-free skies and away from bigger cities with light pollution.

    If you see the northern lights tonight, be sure to submit your photos on the Spectrum News App!

    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.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

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    A large storm system crossed the Rockies over the weekend. It produced rain and snow in parts of Wyoming and Montana. On Monday it pushed east toward the Plains as a cold front developed along it.

    This system will encounter a warm moist area in the center part of the country, helping to support thunderstorm development. Simultaneously, a low pressure will ride along this front, enhancing the storms.

    Heavy rain and flooding will be possible with already saturated grounds and swollen waterways. Several weather disturbances will rotate around this larger system this week, keeping severe weather chances in play. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The month of May sees a high number of tornadoes on average from the Midwest to the Plains


    • Severe threat moves to the Ohio River Valley for Tuesday

    • With unstable air in place on Wednesday, a large severe weather outbreak is possible along the Midwest


    With storm fuel in place and the advancing system, severe thunderstorms will be possible from the Plains to the Mississippi River Valley. This will not be a one-day event. Severe weather will be possible from Tuesday through Thursday.

     

     

    Severe weather potential this week

    The severe potential pushes east into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio during the day on Tuesday. The region is under a level 3/5 for severe weather with all threats possible. Damaging wind, large hail, tornadoes and heavy rain. 

     

    Another low pressure develops along the frontal boundary on Wednesday, enhancing the threat for Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and eastern Texas. The Storm Prediction Center already categorized the threat as a level 3/5 with all impacts expected on Wednesday afternoon into the evening. Those impacts include tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain. 

    With the system moving off to the south and east on Thursday, the front will trigger storms for areas from New Jersey south through North Carolina and east-central Texas. While the risk for severe storms exists on Thursday, the threat is lower. 

    However, there is still the potential for damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes in the highlighted regions. 

    Prepare for storms

    Make sure you have a plan for if you are at work or home. Even if you could be driving. 

    Here are five ways to prepare in case the sirens go off. 

    Have a way to stay updated on weather information, including a NOAA Weather Radio and making sure notifications are turned on for your weather and news apps.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    [ad_1]

    A large storm system crossed the Rockies over the weekend. It produced rain and snow in parts of Wyoming and Montana. On Monday it pushed east toward the Plains as a cold front developed along it.

    This system will encounter a warm moist area in the center part of the country, helping to support thunderstorm development. Simultaneously, a low pressure will ride along this front, enhancing the storms.

    Heavy rain and flooding will be possible with already saturated grounds and swollen waterways. Several weather disturbances will rotate around this larger system this week, keeping severe weather chances in play. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The month of May sees a high number of tornadoes on average from the Midwest to the Plains


    • Severe threat moves to the Ohio River Valley for Tuesday

    • With unstable air in place on Wednesday, a large severe weather outbreak is possible along the Midwest


    With storm fuel in place and the advancing system, severe thunderstorms will be possible from the Plains to the Mississippi River Valley. This will not be a one-day event. Severe weather will be possible from Tuesday through Thursday.

     

    Severe weather potential this week

    The severe potential pushes east into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio during the day on Tuesday. The region is under a level 3/5 for severe weather with all threats possible. Damaging wind, large hail, tornadoes and heavy rain. 

    Another low pressure develops along the frontal boundary on Wednesday, enhancing the threat for Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and eastern Texas. The Storm Prediction Center already categorized the threat as a level 3/5 with all impacts expected on Wednesday afternoon into the evening. Those impacts include tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain. 

    With the system moving off to the south and east on Thursday, the front will trigger storms for areas from New Jersey south through North Carolina and east-central Texas. While the risk for severe storms exists on Thursday, the threat is lower. 

    However, there is still the potential for damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes in the highlighted regions. 

    Prepare for storms

    Make sure you have a plan for if you are at work or home. Even if you could be driving. 

    Here are five ways to prepare in case the sirens go off. 

    Have a way to stay updated on weather information, including a NOAA Weather Radio and making sure notifications are turned on for your weather and news apps.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Ruth Landers, Producer and Mother of Actresses Audrey Landers and Judy Landers, Dies at 85

    Ruth Landers, Producer and Mother of Actresses Audrey Landers and Judy Landers, Dies at 85

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    Ruth Landers, who created the 1990s PBS kids show The Huggabug Club with her daughters, actresses Audrey Landers and Judy Landers, has died. She was 85.

    A longtime resident of Sarasota, Florida, Landers died April 18 of natural causes, her family announced.

    Audrey Landers, 67, portrayed Afton Cooper on Dallas on and off for seven seasons and played the dancer Val Clarke in the 1985 big-screen version of A Chorus Line, directed by Richard Attenborough. Judy Landers, 65, was on such TV shows as Vega$, B.J. and the Bear and Madam’s Place.

    Aimed at preschoolers, The Huggabug Club featured Audrey as Miss Audrey and Judy as Miss Judy, working opposite full-bodied puppets. Filled with songs and scripts written by Audrey, it aired on PBS from January 1995 to June 1997, followed by years of reruns.

    Ruth also produced Ghost Writer (1989), featuring her daughters; Club Fed (1990), starring Judy; and California Casanova (1991), starring Audrey; and executive produced Circus Camp (2006), which included her daughters and other family members.

    Ruth Béate Landers was born on May 17, 1938, in Frankfurt, Germany. Shortly after the Kristallnacht incidents in November 1938, she and her mother, grandmother and grandfather — the surviving members of her family — fled the Nazis for Shanghai.

    She arrived in the U.S. in 1948 and in her mid-20s launched her own national printing company, Office Research Corp. Later, she managed the careers of her daughters and served as Audrey’s manager when she toured as a singer.

    Ruth also co-founded the Landers Star Collection, providing affordable fashion to women through Home Shopping Europe, QVC and ShopNBC.

    In addition to her daughters (Judy is married to former Dodgers reliever Tom Niedenfuer), survivors include her grandchildren, twins Daniel and Adam, Lindsey and Kristy; great-grandchildren Sawyer, Evangeline and Hendricks; and sister Esther.

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    Mike Barnes

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