Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, Sept. 7.
What You Need To Know
September’s full moon will rise this weekend
It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year
Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings
This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on Oct, 6 so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.
The moon will officially be full at 2:09 p.m. EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.
This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.
The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.
The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday. To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.
The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on Oct. 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.
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.
During hurricane season, spaghetti models are a frequently cited resource for helping forecast tropical systems. But there’s a lot you should know about spaghetti models and specifically, when and how best to use them.
What You Need To Know
Spaghetti models plot individual computer forecast models on one map
They can be a very useful tool for forecasting tropical systems
There are key limitation to spaghetti models, however
Be careful with how you use and interpret spaghetti models
Spaghetti models – also commonly referred to as spaghetti plots – can offer easy-to-digest (no pun intended) insight about a tropical system’s potential path.
They’re often cited by meteorologists during hurricane season, but there are also important distinctions about when and how best to use them.
First things first, the spaghetti models show a series of individual computer forecast models, all overlayed together on one map. Each line on the map represents a separate computer forecast model or simulation.
Spaghetti models are a key tool to help forecasters determine where a storm might be headed, and how much confidence those forecast models might have on a given storm.
But with all the help spaghetti models can offer a forecaster, they can also be equally as deceptive, or even misleading, to the untrained eye.
Spectrum News chief meteorologist Mike Clay offered a strong word of caution on spaghetti models, along with when and how best to interpret them.
“The only thing the spaghetti [model] is good for is telling how much confidence we have in the models,” Clay said. “If all of the lines are on top of each other, it tells you the atmosphere is in a state that can be modeled and you should have greater confidence.”
“If the lines are all over the place,” Clay continued, “It tells you there is low confidence and pay attention to changes.”
In particular, there is one individual ‘model’ that is actually a climatological representation of where a storm should go. However, that model, the so-called CLIP model, appears as a single line. But, this isn’t really a forecast model.
The CLIP, because it’s exclusively based on climatology, fails to take into account current weather conditions and factors. Because of that, it often shows up as an outlier.
Other models, like the Global Forecast System (GFS), are known for being not as strong at forecasting tropical systems. Some of the spaghetti models may be better with track, while others may specialize in intensity.
In other words: take the spaghetti models (and especially outliers) with a grain of salt, and leave the interpretations of them to the experts.
Italian for dinner?
If the spaghetti models look like, say, a messy bowl of linguine pasta (like the example map below), that’s usually an indicator that there’s overall lower confidence about where the storm might be headed.
On the other side of things, if the spaghetti models resemble a straight line, that’s a good sign that the models may have a better idea about a storm’s possible path.
Think of it like an unopened package of grocery store spaghetti, a clustered, linear shape to the models is a signal of a higher confidence forecast.
In the map below, the initial clustering of lines shows a stronger confidence forecast. Later on, in the Caribbean Sea, the divergence of the models shows a lower confidence forecast.
Use with caution
Another key reminder about spaghetti models is that they are purely in reference to a specific storm’s track. They don’t, for example, consider a storm’s potential strength or other possible impacts, like flooding or storm surge.
“The spaghetti [models] have nothing to do with intensity,” Clay said.
When you see a spaghetti model map, also consider the other factors that could potentially make a storm dangerous, like intensity, forward speed and potential flooding, and storm surge.
So the next time you see spaghetti models, use them, but use them wisely.
Kiko formed off the coast of southern Mexico from a tropical wave. It became a tropical storm on Aug. 31, making it the fourteenth named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Kiko intensified into a hurricane on Sept. 2.
What You Need To Know
Kiko is the fourteenth named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season
It intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 130 mph
Models have Hurricane Kiko moving close to the Hawaiian Islands next week
Kiko intensified into a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 3, and currently has maximum winds of 130 mph. It is moving west at 9 mph and is located nearly 1600 miles east of Hilo, HI.
Models have Kiko taking a west-northwesterly track over the weekend into next week, coming close to Hawaii.
While it’s too soon for impact details, the cooler waters near the Aloha State should weaken Kiko greatly. We’ll continue to monitor the track and provide updates.
Hurricane Hone passed just to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii in 2024 as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph. Here are other cyclones that came close to the islands.
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.
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting on Tuesday, firing lava 330 feet into the sky from its summit crater.It’s the 32nd time the volcano has released molten rock since December, when its current eruption began. So far, all the lava from this eruption has been contained within the summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.Lava emerged from the north vent in Halemaumau Crater after midnight. The vent began shooting fountains of lava at 6:35 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. By mid-morning, it was also erupting from the crater’s south vent and a third vent in between.Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It’s located on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s about 200 miles south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
(Video: USGS via CNN Newsource) —
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting on Tuesday, firing lava 330 feet into the sky from its summit crater.
It’s the 32nd time the volcano has released molten rock since December, when its current eruption began. So far, all the lava from this eruption has been contained within the summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Lava emerged from the north vent in Halemaumau Crater after midnight. The vent began shooting fountains of lava at 6:35 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. By mid-morning, it was also erupting from the crater’s south vent and a third vent in between.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It’s located on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s about 200 miles south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.
What You Need To Know
Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons
Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records
Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30
The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.
(NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)
Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.
That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.
That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.
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 Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff
The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.
What You Need To Know
Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons
Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records
Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30
The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.
(NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)
Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.
That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.
That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.
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 Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff
The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.
What You Need To Know
Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons
Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records
Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30
The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.
(NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)
Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.
That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.
That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.
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 Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff
Hurricane Katrina remains infamous as one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States.
What You Need To Know
Hurricane Katrina reached Category 5 status but made landfall as a Category 3 with winds of 125 mph
Record storm surge was reported across the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines
80% of New Orleans was under water on Aug. 31, 2005
20 years ago on Aug. 29, it made its strongest landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in southeast Louisiana and brought devastation across the city of New Orleans and surrounding parishes.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Katrina developed from the remnants of Tropical Depression Ten and a tropical wave near the Lesser Antilles. It became Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on Aug. 23.
On Aug. 24, it was classified as Tropical Storm Katrina, and it moved through the northwestern part of the Bahamas on Aug. 25. It strengthened into a hurricane on the evening of Aug. 25 just before making its first landfall near the Miami-Dade/Broward County line.
The storm drifted southwest across southern Florida before moving over the eastern Gulf on Aug. 26. Over the warm waters of the Gulf, Katrina rapidly intensified, becoming a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 mph on Aug. 28.
A satellite image of Hurricane Katrina prior to making landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. (NOAA)
Katrina turned to the northwest and then north, making its second landfall near Buras, LA, in the southeastern part of the state on Aug. 29. It had weakened to a Category 3, with winds of 125 mph, just before landfall.
Approximately five hours later, Katrina made a third landfall near the Louisiana/Mississippi border with winds estimated at 120 mph, still a Category 3 hurricane.
Katrina moved over land and weakened but still maintained hurricane strength near Laurel, Mississippi. It was finally downgraded to a tropical depression on Aug. 30 before dissipating altogether on Aug. 31.
Katrina’s impacts
Katrina wasn’t just a Louisiana/Mississippi storm; at its height, it was 780 miles from east to west and about the same distance from north to south. Hurricane conditions were reported in southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama, with storm surges reported as far east as Destin, FL.
Storm surge affected coastal regions, with a 20-mile-wide swath of 24 to 28 feet along the Mississippi Coast. The highest surge was at Pass Christian, MS, at 27.8 feet. The storm surge was so high that it overtopped the levees in the city of New Orleans, leading to levee failures and extensive flooding. 80% of New Orleans was under water on Aug. 31.
The damage and destruction it caused equated to $125 billion (un-adjusted 2005 dollars). Not to mention the thousands of lives lost.
More Storm Season Resources
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.
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting Friday by shooting an arc of lava 100 feet into the air and across a section of its summit crater floor.
It was Kilauea’s 31st display of molten rock since December, an appropriately high frequency for one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
The north vent at the summit crater began continuously spattering in the morning, and then lava overflowed a few hours later. The vent started shooting lava fountains in the afternoon.
The eruption was contained within the summit crater, and no homes were threatened.
In this image released by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Kilauea volcano spews lava on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
M. Zoeller / AP
A few lucky residents and visitors will have a front-row view at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The U.S. Geological Survey also live-streams the volcano’s activity online.
Whenever she gets word the lava is back, Park Service volunteer Janice Wei hustles to shoot photos and videos of Halemaumau Crater — which Native Hawaiian tradition says is the home to the volcano goddess Pele. She said that when the molten rock shoots high like a fountain, it sounds like a roaring jet engine or crashing ocean waves. She can feel its heat from over a mile away.
“Every eruption feels like I am sitting in the front row at nature’s most extraordinary show,” Wei said in an email.
Kilauea is on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s about 200 miles south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
Here’s what to know about Kilauea’s latest eruption.
Towering fountains of molten rock
A lower magma chamber under Halemaumau Crater is receiving magma directly from the earth’s interior at about 5 cubic yards per second, said Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This blows the chamber up like a balloon and forces magma into an upper chamber. From there it gets pushed above ground through cracks.
Magma has been using the same pathway to rise to the surface since December, making the initial release and subsequent episodes all part of the same eruption, Hon said.
Many have featured lava soaring into the air, in some cases more than 1,000 feet. The fountains are generated in part because magma — which holds gases that are released as it rises — has been traveling to the surface through narrow, pipelike vents.
The expanding magma supply is capped by heavier magma that had expelled its gas at the end of the prior episode. Eventually enough new magma accumulates to force the degassed magma off, and the magma shoots out like a Champagne bottle that was shaken before the cork was popped.
This is the fourth time in 200 years that Kilauea has shot lava fountains into the air in repeated episodes. There were more episodes the last time Kilauea followed this pattern: The eruption that began in 1983 started with 44 sessions of shooting fountains. Those were spread out over three years, however. And the fountains emerged in a remote area, so few got to watch.
The other two occurred in 1959 and 1969.
Predicting Kilauea’s future
Scientists don’t know how the current eruption will end or how it may change. In 1983 magma built enough pressure that Kilauea opened a vent at a lower elevation and started continuously leaking lava from there rather than periodically shooting out of a higher elevation. The eruption continued in various forms for three decades and ended in 2018.
Something similar could happen again. Or the current eruption could instead stop at the summit if its magma supply peters out.
Scientists can estimate a few days or even a week ahead of time when lava is likely to emerge with the help of sensors around the volcano that detect earthquakes and minuscule changes in the angle of the ground, which indicate when magma is inflating or deflating.
An aerial view of the surface of the Kilauea volcanoon Dec. 9, 2022, in Kilauea, Hawaii.
Andrew Richard Hara / Getty Images
“Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works,” Hon said.
The lava fountains have been shorter lately. Steve Lundblad, a University of Hawaii at Hilo geology professor, said the vent may have gotten wider, leaving molten rock less pressurized.
“We’re still gonna have spectacular eruptions,” he said. “They’re just going to be wider and not as high.”
Carrying stories of Pele
Some people may see lava flows as destructive. But Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, the executive director of the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, said lava is a natural resource that hardens into land and forms the foundation for everything on Hawaii Island.
Kanahele-Mossman’s nonprofit is named after her grandmother — the esteemed practitioner of Hawaiian language and culture and founder of a noted hula halau, or school. Hālau o Kekuhi is celebrated for its mastery of a style of hula rooted in the stories of Pele and her sister, Hiʻiaka.
Kanahele-Mossman has visited the crater a few times since the eruption began. She initially watches in awe and reverence. But then she observes more details so she can go home and compare it to the lava in the centuries-old tales that her school performs. While at the crater, she also delivers a chant prepared in advance and places offerings. Recently she presented awa, a drink made with kava, and a fern lei.
In this screenshot taken from video provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Kilauea volcano spews lava on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
U.S. Geological Survey / AP
“You as the dancer, you are the storyteller and you carry that history that was written in those mele forward,” she said, using the Hawaiian word for song. “To be able to actually see that eruption that’s described in the mele, that’s always exciting to us and drives us and motivates us to stay in this tradition.”
Visiting the volcano
Park visitation has risen all eight months of the year so far, in part because of the eruption. In April there were 49% more visitors than the same month of 2024.
Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane noted that the last several episodes have only lasted about 10 to 12 hours. Those wanting to go should sign up for U.S. Geological Survey alert notifications because the eruption could be over before you know it, she said.
She cautioned that visitors should stay on marked trails and overlooks because unstable cliff edges and cracks in the earth may not be immediately apparent, and falling could lead to serious injury or death. Young children should be kept close.
Volcanic gas, glass and ash can also be dangerous. Nighttime visitors should bring a flashlight.
Although the 2025 hurricane season seems like it’s been slow to start with only five named storms, there’s still a long way to go, and with NOAA’s above-average prediction, that streak won’t likely last.
What You Need To Know
Hurricane Hunters fly into a tropical system to gain information about the storm
Peter Guittari flew for the Hurricane Hunters’ squadron for twelve years
Most intense storm he flew into was Super Typhoon Forrest 1983
What methods do we use to get information about a storm?
If a storm is in the middle of the Atlantic, we use radar observations to get data, but if a storm is close enough to an area of land, we send scientists into the storm from above. This special group of professionals is called Hurricane Hunters.
Hurricane Hunters
Two branches of Hurricane Hunters now exist, one operated by NOAA and the other by the United States Air Force. Beginning in the 1960s, Weather Bureau aircraft began flying into storms to gain data about the intensity and conditions of the atmosphere. It wasn’t until 1976 that the aircraft had a Doppler radar.
Peter Guittari, a retired Hurricane Hunter talks about his time in the squad and the most impressive storm he flew into. from the Air Force, remembers those days in the 1970s. From 1979 through 1991, he flew missions out of Keesler Airforce Base in Biloxi, MS. He flew WC-130 military planes, Bs, Es and Hs.
“We got to see some very very nice places, including the Caribbean and the Pacific,” he said, recalling his time fondly.
Retired Hurricane Hunter, Peter Guittari, reminisces about his time flying into storms.
As for how he ended up a Hurricane Hunter. “I was in the 130s, and the unit needed some extra people. I was a flight engineer, and they needed extra people. A buddy of mine was in that squadron, and he called me up and asked if any of you guys would like to come here and do this? And we said yes, so that was 1979, and I was flying 130s for about four years.”
Collecting data
Once a storm was identified that needed data, a crew was assembled and briefed. Guittari says that when they took flight, they would fly as high as they could to save fuel and then drop down to 1500 feet so the weather and dropsonde operators could collect their data.
While he flew hundreds of missions over his twelve years with the Hurricane Hunters, his most memorable storm occurred in the Pacific, specifically, Super Typhoon Forrest in Sept. 1983. “We estimated the winds to be in excess of 200 knots.”
He loved his job, and the only reason he left was that they closed the squadron down. To this day, he has an appreciation for meteorology, and although he now lives in northern Arkansas, he still follows storms when they make news.
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.
Tropical activity is on the rise as we approach the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which arrives on Sept. 10. After the first few months of the season, the tropics will come alive in August.
What You Need To Know
Tropical cyclone development becomes more common this month
The season’s first hurricane usually forms in early to mid-August
The peak of hurricane season arrives in early September
Based on a 30-year climate period from 1991 to 2020, an average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes (category 3+). The first named storm normally forms in mid to late June, the first hurricane forms in early to mid-August, and the first major hurricane forms in late August or early September.
In August, you typically see more tropical waves developing into named storms.
In the Atlantic basin, tropical storms are more likely to form just to the east of the Caribbean islands throughout August. Development is also common in the Gulf and along the east coast during this time of the season.
The first hurricanes of the season form during this time of hurricane season and will more than likely develop near the Caribbean islands and along the eastern coast.
So if you live in a hurricane-prone region, before August and September, be sure to have your hurricane kit ready to go before a storm heads for your area.
More Storm Season Resources
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.
Even as the threat of a tsunami swamping Hawaii had passed on Wednesday, social media posts were still circulating claims that Oprah Winfrey had refused immediate access to a private road that would allow residents a shorter evacuation route.
The warnings followed one of the century’s most powerful earthquakes, an 8.8 magnitude quake that struck off a Russian peninsula and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a wide swath of the Pacific. Posts on X and TikTok contended Winfrey refused to open her private road, or was slow to do so during the evacuation.
But the roadway does not actually belong to Winfrey, and efforts to open the road to the public started soon after the tsunami warning was issued.
Here’s a closer look at the facts.
CLAIM: Winfrey owns the private road and refused to allow public access for residents trying to reach higher ground, only relenting following public pressure.
FACT: This is false. Despite being commonly known as “Oprah’s road,” the portion of Kealakapu Road is privately owned — but not by Winfrey. It belongs to Haleakala Ranch, which also owns the land surrounding the road, its president Scott Meidell told The Associated Press. Winfrey has an easement agreement with the ranch, which allows her to use and make certain improvements to the road, her representative told the AP in a statement. Winfrey has paved the road as part of the agreement, Meidell said.
The decision to open the road to the public is principally up to the landowner, Winfrey’s representative noted. Meidell said Haleakala Ranch “had conversations with Ms. Winfrey’s land management staff during this process. So, they’re consulted to be sure.”
Haleakala Ranch contacted the local fire department and the Maui Emergency Management Agency just after 3 p.m. local time, shortly after the tsunami warning went into effect, Meidell said. The road was made accessible shortly after 5 p.m., he said, and ranch personnel assisted in the evacuation of around 150 to 200 vehicles until the final group of cars were escorted up the road at 7 p.m.
Maui County officials said in a press release shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday that “Oprah’s road” was accessible to the public, an advisory repeated in a 9:30 p.m. update. But Meidell said further evacuations weren’t necessary after 7 p.m. because police had confirmed “at that point the highway was completely empty of traffic.”
Maui police and the Maui Emergency Management Agency did not immediately return the AP’s requests for comment.
“As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false,” a representative for Winfrey wrote in a statement first disseminated to news outlets Tuesday night. The decision to open the road was made quickly “when the warning was issued to evacuate, working with local officials and Oprah’s Ranch,” the representative added in a statement Wednesday.
Cars were escorted in separate caravans that each “had a lead vehicle and a sweep vehicle to make sure that there weren’t any incidents on the mountain road,” Meidell said.
Haleakala Ranch encompasses nearly 30,000 acres of open space from the southern shoreline to Upcountry Maui, according to its website, and has been family-owned and operated since the late 1800s. The private road connects a public roadway with a highway on the island’s oceanside.
Some Hawaii residents have long expressed frustration with the large swaths of land that wealthy public figures like Winfrey own on Maui and have advocated against short-term rentals that dot the region and worsen the already low housing supply. The islands have faced a chronic housing shortage only exacerbated in 2023 when a deadly wildfire destroyed most of Lahaina, a town on Maui and the historic former capital of the Hawaiian kingdom. The wildfire was the deadliest in U.S. history in a century that left more than 100 people dead.
Users claimed with no evidence then that Winfrey had hired private firefighters to protect her land before the fires started, and hired security to keep others of her land during the evacuations. Some X users also spread false claims linking Winfrey to the cause of the blaze. Winfrey teamed up with Dwayne Johnson to launch the People’s Fund for Maui and committed $10 million to help residents who lost their homes in the wildfires. The fund raised almost $60 million as of April 2024.
In 2019, Winfrey confirmed on X, then Twitter, that county officials were given permission to use the private road immediately after a brush fire started on Maui’s southern area. The road ultimately was not used, Maui County spokesperson Chris Sugidono told the AP at the time.
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Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed reporting.
Our next full moon, popularly called the Sturgeon Moon, will rise in the night sky the evening of Friday, August 8th, across the U.S.
What You Need To Know
August’s full moon is often called the Sturgeon Moon
It is also called the Corn Moon
Venus, Neptune and the moon will be close to each other in the sky days after the full moon
The full moon this month, our eighth of the year, will rise after sunset Friday evening across the east coast of the U.S. and fully peak overnight.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon because it occurs around the time the sturgeon fish were most easily caught by Native Americans around the Great Lakes. It is also called the Corn Moon and Harvest Moon by other Native American tribes.
The best viewing will be after sunset on Friday. To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.
The beautiful twilight sky (Nov 28, 2019) after sunset with the planets conjuction of Moon (with earth shine), Venus and Jupiter. (Getty)
This event, called a planetary conjunction, will be a good one for night sky watchers. Venus will be easily seen with the naked eye, but you will need a telescope or binoculars to see Neptune as well.
The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on September 7th, 2025. This is a special full moon as it will appear closest to the autumnal equinox.
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.
Our next full moon, popularly called the Sturgeon Moon, will rise in the night sky the evening of Friday, August 8th, across the U.S.
What You Need To Know
August’s full moon is often called the Sturgeon Moon
It is also called the Corn Moon
Venus, Neptune and the moon will be close to each other in the sky days after the full moon
The full moon this month, our eighth of the year, will rise after sunset Friday evening across the east coast of the U.S. and fully peak overnight.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon because it occurs around the time the sturgeon fish were most easily caught by Native Americans around the Great Lakes. It is also called the Corn Moon and Harvest Moon by other Native American tribes.
The best viewing will be after sunset on Friday. To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.
The beautiful twilight sky (Nov 28, 2019) after sunset with the planets conjuction of Moon (with earth shine), Venus and Jupiter. (Getty)
This event, called a planetary conjunction, will be a good one for night sky watchers. Venus will be easily seen with the naked eye, but you will need a telescope or binoculars to see Neptune as well.
The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on September 7th, 2025. This is a special full moon as it will appear closest to the autumnal equinox.
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 classic summer thunderstorm is doing more for your lawn and garden than you might realize. That extra bit of green and growth after a storm isn’t just because it rained.
There is a science behind why that is the case, and I’m here to explain it.
What You Need To Know
Lightning plays a big role in the nitrogen cycle
Nitrates are considered a “super fertilizer” that helps plants green up faster
Most plants receive usable nitrogen through bacteria in soil
Understanding what the nitrogen cycle does is important to know before diving into lightning’s role in the cycle. Simply put, plants need nutrients to grow.
About 78% of Earth’s atmosphere is made up of “free” nitrogen (N2) gas. All living things need nitrogen to build amino acids, essential proteins, as well as DNA and RNA.
Nitrogen in its “free” form cannot be used by living things. That is where the nitrogen cycle comes in. For nitrogen to be used, it must be changed into different states like nitrates (NO3), nitrites (NO2), and ammonium (NH3).
Nitrogen is mostly brought into the living world by way of bacteria in the soil, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into the nitrates. Once in any of those usable states, plants can take up these molecules and grow.
Lightning’s role in the nitrogen cycle
While most of the free nitrogen is converted through bacteria, lightning also plays a meaningful role.
During a storm, the explosive heat of lightning tears the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air apart. The free molecules then recombine, forming nitrogen oxides, which fall down to earth in the rain.
Given that most rain doesn’t carry many nutrients, nitrogen oxide-filled raindrops can bring abundant free fertilizer to your yard and garden during a storm. A storm or two may not make a big difference, but multiple rounds of storms over the course of a week or two can bring lush green and vivid colors to your garden.
So when you hear cracks of thunder outside, just know that your plants are thankful!
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 classic summer thunderstorm is doing more for your lawn and garden than you might realize. That extra bit of green and growth after a storm isn’t just because it rained.
There is a science behind why that is the case, and I’m here to explain it.
What You Need To Know
Lightning plays a big role in the nitrogen cycle
Nitrates are considered a “super fertilizer” that helps plants green up faster
Most plants receive usable nitrogen through bacteria in soil
Understanding what the nitrogen cycle does is important to know before diving into lightning’s role in the cycle. Simply put, plants need nutrients to grow.
About 78% of Earth’s atmosphere is made up of “free” nitrogen (N2) gas. All living things need nitrogen to build amino acids, essential proteins, as well as DNA and RNA.
Nitrogen in its “free” form cannot be used by living things. That is where the nitrogen cycle comes in. For nitrogen to be used, it must be changed into different states like nitrates (NO3), nitrites (NO2), and ammonium (NH3).
Nitrogen is mostly brought into the living world by way of bacteria in the soil, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into the nitrates. Once in any of those usable states, plants can take up these molecules and grow.
Lightning’s role in the nitrogen cycle
While most of the free nitrogen is converted through bacteria, lightning also plays a meaningful role.
During a storm, the explosive heat of lightning tears the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air apart. The free molecules then recombine, forming nitrogen oxides, which fall down to earth in the rain.
Given that most rain doesn’t carry many nutrients, nitrogen oxide-filled raindrops can bring abundant free fertilizer to your yard and garden during a storm. A storm or two may not make a big difference, but multiple rounds of storms over the course of a week or two can bring lush green and vivid colors to your garden.
So when you hear cracks of thunder outside, just know that your plants are thankful!
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 Perseid meteor shower is always a highly-anticipated astronomical event. However, this year, the viewing may be more difficult than in years past.
What You Need To Know
The Perseid meteor shower has up to 75 meteors per hour
The best time for viewing will fall in the pre-dawn hours
A full moon may get in the way of peak viewing
The Perseid meteor shower starts Thursday, July 17 and lasts through Aug. 24. While you can spot meteors zooming across the sky any time after dark, your best opportunity will be in the few hours before sunrise.
As the night goes on, the constellation Perseus — where the meteorsappear to originate — will rise higher in the northeast sky. However, you can look anywhere overhead, not just in that direction.
Meteors will be visible through the duration of the event, but its peak is on Tuesday, Aug. 12. If you’re lucky enough to have a clear sky, you may see 50 to 75 meteors every hour.
The Perseids produce long, bright trails, making it one of the more visual annual showers.
In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2016. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
We see the Perseids in the late summer as the Earth passes through the dust and debris that Comet Swift-Tuttle leaves behind. The “shooting stars” actually come from grains that are about the size of Grape Nuts, according to Sky & Telescope, that burn in the atmosphere as they zip by at over 130,000 miles per hour.
The nuggets of Grape Nuts cereal are a good approximation of the cometary dust grains that create meteor showers. (Courtesy of Sky & Telescope)
There is one fly in the ointment for this year’s Perseid viewing. The next full moon on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 9, is expected to be one of the brightest of the year. This will severly limit the number of meteors seen in the day or two leading up to and following the full moon.
This would closely coincide with the peak on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
No matter what, you’ve got plenty of time to see this premier celestial event for the next several weeks.
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 Perseid meteor shower is always a highly-anticipated astronomical event. However, this year, the viewing may be more difficult than in years past.
What You Need To Know
The Perseid meteor shower has up to 75 meteors per hour
The best time for viewing will fall in the pre-dawn hours
A full moon may get in the way of peak viewing
The Perseid meteor shower starts Thursday, July 17 and lasts through Aug. 24. While you can spot meteors zooming across the sky any time after dark, your best opportunity will be in the few hours before sunrise.
As the night goes on, the constellation Perseus — where the meteorsappear to originate — will rise higher in the northeast sky. However, you can look anywhere overhead, not just in that direction.
Meteors will be visible through the duration of the event, but its peak is on Tuesday, Aug. 12. If you’re lucky enough to have a clear sky, you may see 50 to 75 meteors every hour.
The Perseids produce long, bright trails, making it one of the more visual annual showers.
In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2016. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
We see the Perseids in the late summer as the Earth passes through the dust and debris that Comet Swift-Tuttle leaves behind. The “shooting stars” actually come from grains that are about the size of Grape Nuts, according to Sky & Telescope, that burn in the atmosphere as they zip by at over 130,000 miles per hour.
The nuggets of Grape Nuts cereal are a good approximation of the cometary dust grains that create meteor showers. (Courtesy of Sky & Telescope)
There is one fly in the ointment for this year’s Perseid viewing. The next full moon on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 9, is expected to be one of the brightest of the year. This will severly limit the number of meteors seen in the day or two leading up to and following the full moon.
This would closely coincide with the peak on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
No matter what, you’ve got plenty of time to see this premier celestial event for the next several weeks.
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.
When you think of a baseball player hitting a home run, there are lots of variables that come into play. Who is the batter? Who is the pitcher? What stadium are they playing at? But what about the weather?
Wind, rain and snow may come to mind first, but temperature and humidity can influence how far a baseball travels and be a deciding factor in if the ball makes it out of the park.
What You Need To Know
The temperature can influence how far a baseball travels
Warm and humid air is less dense than cold and dry air
Lower density allows the baseball to travel further
Warm air is less dense than cold air. Air expands when it’s heated, so the molecules are more spread out. This means there is less air for the ball to travel through, giving it less resistance.
Now factoring in humidity, warmer air can hold more moisture. Water vapor is light compared to nitrogen and oxygen molecules, so humid air is less dense than dry air at the same temperature.
When it’s hot and humid, the air is lighter, and the baseball can travel further.
A 2023 study claims that “a 1° C increase in the daily high temperature on the day of a baseball game played in a stadium without a dome increases the number of home runs in that game by 1.96%.” A bigger difference in home runs was observed for games played during the early afternoon versus night games because of the larger difference in temperature.
How about cold air? Cold air is more dense than warm air, so the ball has to travel through more air. Molecules move closer together when the air contracts as temperature lowers.
If it’s cold and dry out, the drier air will have fewer water vapor molecules, so the nitrogen and oxygen comprising the air will be heavier than the humid air would be.
Ideally, outdoor games in hot and humid climates are most favorable for seeing your favorite team or player hit a home run.
Tonight’s MLB Home Run Derby is in Atlanta, and the forecast calls for no rain and temperatures near 90 degrees with heat index values in the mid-90s. Get ready to watch the ball fly!
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.
Help your air conditioner help you stay cool this summer. Check out these things that you can do today to take some pressure off your A/C and save you some money on your electric bill.
What You Need To Know
Your ceiling fan should spin a certain way to create a breeze
Limit the amount of sunlight coming into your home
This can especially become helpful if you have a second floor, since warm air rises and you might need a little extra “oomph” to keep things cool there.
(Spectrum News/Justin Gehrts)
Open up
Don’t close doors to rooms or walk-in closets. Keeping them open lets air circulate. One exception to this rule is the bathroom while showering, beyond obviously wanting privacy. You don’t want your air conditioner working hard to counteract the warm, humid air, so close that door while you’re in there and turn on the ceiling vent fan.
Block the sun
Okay, you can’t completely blot out the sun’s light to keep it from heating up your house. But you can close your blinds or curtains. Bright sunlight shining through the windows adds unwanted heat… well, maybe not unwanted by everyone.
Turn the dial
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Turn up your thermostat a few degrees. There’s a good reason it’s repeated so often. Every degree of cooling increases energy usage by as much as 8%!
(Photo by Olivia Levada)
Try upping it by a degree or two at first and gradually increase it as you get more used to the higher setting. Remember to use fans to your advantage.
If you’d rather not set your thermostat higher all the time, try doing it when you’re going to be away for a while. Just don’t crank it really low for your return; a colder setting doesn’t make your home cool any faster.
Keep it clean
Replace the indoor air filter as necessary (usually every couple of months), since a dirty filter reduces air flow and makes your A/C work harder than it needs to.
(Spectrum News)
You also need to keep the actual air conditioning unit that’s outdoors clean. Remove leaves and other debris, then hose off the dust, dirt and other stuff that’s gotten stuck in there.
Extra credit
Want to go above and beyond the five simple tips above? Here are three bonus ideas.
Seal air leaks around windows. Many kids have heard “we’re not cooling the outside!” as they hold the front door open for longer than necessary. Your house might already be doing that without being as obvious. Closing those leaks keeps warm air out and cool air in.
Get an A/C inspection. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having a professional check on your air conditioner each year can save you a lot of trouble… and sweating, if it conks out in the middle of the summer.
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.
