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  • The lightning capital of the U.S. stayed in Florida in 2023

    The lightning capital of the U.S. stayed in Florida in 2023

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    After Four Corners, Florida–in the Kissimmee area–was crowned the lightning capital of the United States in 2022, the most frequently struck place moved a little south in 2023.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area saw the most lightning flashes in 2023

    • Over 242 million flashes were recorded across the U.S. in 2023

    • The global lightning count was over two billion

    The Finnish company Vaisala tracks lightning strikes globally every year using a lightning detection network.

    They found that the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area had the most total lightning (in-cloud and cloud-to-ground) of any metro in the U.S. with 120,998 flashes in 2023.

    Florida led the country in lightning density (lightning events per square kilometer), followed by Mississippi and Louisiana.

    Texas had the most total lightning of any state, tallying over 42 million flashes.

    June 14 was the most lightning-active day in the U.S. in 2023, with more than 3.6 million flashes.

    While somewhere in Florida is often the lightning capital of the United States, it is not the most struck place in the world.

    Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela is considered the lightning capital of the world, with an average of 233 lightning strikes per square kilometer per year, according to NASA.

    Global lightning density in 2023. (Vaisala/Xweather)

    You can see Vaisala’s full report here.

    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 Kyle Hanson

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  • Wagering with an edge: How weather affects sports betting

    Wagering with an edge: How weather affects sports betting

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    Sports betting has become increasingly popular over recent years, and bettors are always trying to find an edge.

    For outdoor sporting events, weather is one of the biggest variables, and RotoGrinders Chief Meteorologist Kevin Roth has spent the past 10 years combining his weather knowledge and passion for sports to help bettors.

    What You Need To Know

    • Weather can heavily influence outdoor sporting events


    • Knowing how weather affects a game can help bettors


    • Altitude is the biggest advantage for a home team

    From football, baseball and golf, to NASCAR, tennis, soccer and even the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, if it’s outdoors and sports-related, he’s made a forecast for it.

    After earning a master’s degree in meteorology and working on TV for 10 years, Kevin Roth saw that there was a need in the fantasy sports world for real forecasts provided by an actual meteorologist, not just a low-quality automated forecast.

    He provides forecasts and live weather updates for outdoor sporting events, and breaks down how the weather could affect the game with the lens of a fantasy sports player or a sports bettor.

    In football, fantasy sports players get an entire week to digest the latest forecast and can decide who to start until kickoff. Sports bettors don’t get the same luxury if they want to maximize their profit, since betting lines and totals are fluid.

    Football

    You might think that ‘cold weather teams’ like Kansas City, Buffalo or Green Bay have a built-in advantage during the playoffs when the calendar flips to January, and the weather could offer bitter cold temperatures, high winds and snow.

    Earlier this month on Jan. 13, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins during the AFC Super Wild Card Weekend in a frigid matchup. The kickoff temperature was -4 degrees with a wind chill of -20 degrees, making it the fourth coldest game in NFL history.

    But Roth says he’s a firm believer that cold or snowy weather doesn’t inherently favor a ‘cold weather team’ over a ‘warm weather team,’ like Tampa Bay or Miami.

    “The cold, wind and snow impacts all humans the same in a physiological way. Patrick Mahomes [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback] will get the same cold fingers in those conditions that Tua [Miami Dolphins quarterback] would.”

    In football (and other sports), the weather can really make its presence known with high winds. Kicking a field goal or throwing a deep ball is much more difficult with a brisk wind in your face, versus when it’s at your back. 

    Baseball

    According to Roth, baseball is the most interesting sport for weather effects since every single factor (rain, wind, temperature, humidity, elevation) plays a significant role in the expected outcome.

    Since there are 162 games a year, and hundreds of pitches thrown each game, there is a large sample size to help isolate variables and determine how weather affects the game. Baseball is the only major team sport where every ballpark has unique dimensions, so the impacts can vary depending on where ballplayers play the game.

    Roth says “in Chicago’s Wrigley Field, a southerly wind creates a jet stream effect that helps balls sail over the fence for home runs. A 15 mph wind blowing out in Wrigley can increase home run probabilities by over 50%. If you were to take that same wind, blowing out at 15 mph, to San Francisco’s Oracle Park, the wind only accounts for a 5% increase in home runs, as that stadium was specifically designed to minimize the impact of those winds.”

    Temperature and humidity is a variable that applies to all ballparks more equally. Most of the season (April through October) athletes play in the thick of the warm summer months. Since hotter air is less dense, offensive players score more runs during the dog days of summer since the air is thin. Routine pop-ups can carry further, sometimes becoming a home run.

    In the northern climates, teams there play those early and late season games in temperatures between 30 to 40 degrees. Roth says “the cold, dense air mass will limit how far a well-hit ball will travel, and what would have been a home run in 70 degree weather suddenly becomes a fly out.”

    Best “home field advantage?”

    If you’re a sports fan, you’ve heard of home field advantage. Oddsmakers and sports books will factor in 2 to 3 extra points for the home team in football games when creating lines, determining the favorite and underdog.

    Some factors baked into home field advantage include the crowd, home stadium familiarity, potential officiating bias and the lack of travel, sometimes visiting teams travel across multiple time zones. But how does the weather factor in?

    Roth says you have to consider elevation, since it’s the exception to the ‘this impacts everyone equally rule.’ “Our bodies take time to adjust to elevation, so any visiting team thrust into a game at elevation (i.e. – Denver) is immediately at a disadvantage when compared to players whose bodies are already acclimated to the thinner air at elevation.”

    Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) leaves the field during an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

    Roth says that Colorado teams have the best home field advantage, since the elevation change and thin air can cause fatigue in more active sports, and change the way a pitch breaks in baseball.

    What’s next?

    Roth says he’s focusing on “quantitative over qualitative.” He’s been compiling weather data on every outdoor baseball game since 2000 and the statistical results (runs, home runs, ERA, strikeouts, etc) of those games.

    The large sample size has allowed him to isolate weather as an individual variable, and the next step he plans is taking that data and applying it to the gambling odds or totals.

    Instead of saying “it’s hot and winds are blowing out, that’s great for hitting,” he can definitively say “in 72 games with similar heat and wind in this ballpark, we’ve seen a 48% increase in home runs and a 20% increase to runs scored compared to average.”

    You can check out RotoGrinders Chief Meteorologist Kevin Roth’s forecasts here:

    Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Warmer weather sets in this week

    Warmer weather sets in this week

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    Welcome to ‘Ask a Meteorologist,’ a weekly chat that discusses a new weather topic every week.

    Our average temperature for this time of the year is in the low 70s, but we’ll see temperatures climb into the 80s throughout the week.

    Bay News 9 meteorologists answer your questions about what to expect and if the warmer air stays for the weekend. 

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Look for the Full Wolf Moon this week

    Look for the Full Wolf Moon this week

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    The Full Wolf Moon rises high in our January sky this week.

    What You Need To Know

    • The January full moon’s common nickname is the Wolf Moon

    • It’ll turn truly full on Thursday

    • The moon rises high during the winter, similar to the summer sun

    • The constellation Gemini appears near this full moon



    The moon will become fullest at 12:54 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 25. While it’ll be below our horizon then, don’t worry–it appears full for a couple nights before and after the time it’s truly full.

    Native Americans’ names for this full moon include the Great Spirit Moon, Ice Moon and the wonderfully descriptive Someone’s Ears are Freezing Moon.

    If those cold weather themes have you yearning for summer, this little nugget may help. Because the full moon resides roughly opposite the sun, it rises high in the winter since the sun’s highest point is relatively low. So, when you look at this month’s full moon, its path is similar to what the sun’s will be in July.

    Simulated sky the evening of Thursday, Jan. 25. (Stellarium)

    While you’re out, you’ll have no trouble finding a couple other night sights. The full moon will appear near the stars Pollux and Castor, which are the heads of the twins of the constellation Gemini. And toward the north, you’ll see the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.

    Since it’s still early in the year, now’s a good time to make note of 2024’s astronomical events.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • Decoding tree rings: Unveiling the hidden clues of climatic history

    Decoding tree rings: Unveiling the hidden clues of climatic history

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    We’ve all heard it before. Tree rings can tell us the age of a tree, but did you know they can also tell us the weather?

    What You Need To Know

    • Tree rings can tell us the age of the tree

    • They can also help us determine what years were colder, warmer, drier and wetter

    • Studying tree rings can help us predict future climate


    How to prep for research

    There are a couple of things to consider before scientists survey trees.

    First, they must find a site where humans haven’t affected the area with logging or other research.

    Then they pick a group of the same species of trees to take samples from. Having numerous samples from the same area can provide a more reliable look at climate similarities over the years. 

    Christine Buhl, a forest health specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, uses an increment borer to core a dead western red cedar at Magness Memorial Tree Farm in Sherwood, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

    How scientists take samples

    Much like coring an apple, scientists core the trees with an instrument called an increment borer.

    This allows them to take a thin sample that shows the rings from the outside to the center of the tree.

    This method does not harm the tree, and the tree can heal quickly after it’s cored.

    After coring the tree, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that the scientists return to the lab, sand the samples so every ring is perfectly visible, and place them upright for a microscope to begin research.

    What the rings tell us

    Counting the rings on the sample can tell us the trees’ age, but it can also tell us what weather patterns were like each year.

    NOAA explains, “trees will have narrow rings during cold periods and wider rings for warm periods.”

    They also say “trees that depend heavily on moisture during the growing season will have wider rings during rainy periods and narrower rings during dry periods.”

    (Pixabay)

    How this helps us

    Studying tree rings can help scientists determine what climate was like for each year the tree was alive.

    Because trees can live for hundreds to thousands of years, we can see what the climate was like well before record-keeping began for most in the 1800s.  

    Determining climate through tree rings over the past thousands of years can help reveal weather patterns and predict what climate we might see in the future.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Warming temperatures and gender disparities in sea turtles

    Warming temperatures and gender disparities in sea turtles

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    Few species have their sex determined by temperatures, but for sea turtles it’s almost a certainty.

    However, this natural occurrence could become a biological disadvantage as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to larger gender disparities.

    What You Need To Know

    • A sea turtle’s gender is determined by the temperatures in its surrounding environment

    • Higher nest temperatures produce females, while cooler temperatures yield males

    • A warming planet will likely upset gender diversity in the sea turtle population

    Temperature-driven gender reveals

    The differences in reproduction between humans and sea turtles extend beyond the obvious ‘one lays eggs while the other does not.’ One key difference between the two is how sex is determined.

    For humans and many other species, gender is determined from the by sex chromosomes when fertilization occurs. But this is not the case with sea turtles and other reptiles, given that they lack sex chromosomes.

    For them, the gender of their offspring is determined after fertilization, and the deciding factor all depends on temperature. This kind of sexual determination is called temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD).

    Building their nest onshore, a female will lay their eggs in the sand, where they will continue to develop before hatching about two months later.

    A baby Olive Ridley sea turtle crawls to the sea past discarded turtle eggs at Ostional beach on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)

    During that time, the temperature of the surrounding sand can activate an enzyme, aromatase, in the embryos responsible for converting sex hormones, and determining gender.

    Higher temperatures stimulate more aromatase activity. This yields an increase in female hormones and thus, the baby sea turtle will hatch as a female.

    On the contrary, cooler temperatures limits aromatase activity. This promotes male hormones to dominate, and so the sea turtles that hatch will be male.

    (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

    According to NOAA, sand temperatures of 88.8 degrees or more will yield female sea turtles, while sand temperatures of 81.86 degrees or less will produce males.

    Eggs incubated in sand temperatures falling between these two thresholds will cause a mix of male and female sea turtles.

    A warming world and gender inequality

    Following the world’s warmest year on record in 2023, rising global temperatures will likely upset gender diversity within sea turtle populations in the years to come.

    (NOAA)

    Researchers from Florida Atlantic University Marine Lab announced warmer nest temperatures in recent years have produced more female hatchlings, some years even recorded no male offspring at all. 

    As the male sea turtle populations continue to decrease, growing disparities in gender could ultimately endanger the species’ existence in the future.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Shawnie Caslin

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  • Where does the rain go? Understanding river basins and watersheds

    Where does the rain go? Understanding river basins and watersheds

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    Have you ever wondered where all the rain goes? It goes to the same place as snowmelt when temperatures thaw out in the spring.

    It’s called a river basin, or a watershed, and whether you know it, all the land we stand on is part of a river basin. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Rain and snowmelt goes into river basins


    • A river basin channels runoff into larger bodies of water


    • Some water soaks into the ground

    Some water will seep into the shallow ground, moving through the soil and helping keep grass, trees and plants healthy. It can even travel deeper down, recharging groundwater aquifers.

    Once the ground becomes saturated, a river basin collects runoff and excess water and drains it into a larger body of water.

    Depending on where in the basin, it can move into small bodies of water like creeks, streams and rivers, and eventually to outflow points into larger bodies of water like a reservoir, bay or the ocean.

    In the U.S., most rain runoff eventually finds its way into the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, or the Great Lakes. 

    This map below from Grasshopper Geography shows all the permanent and temporary streams and rivers of the Lower 48 in the U.S., divided into catchment areas. 

    River basins of the United States. (Robert Szucs/www.grasshoppergeography.com)

    The Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (highlighted in pink) is one of the largest in the world. It includes parts or all of 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, collecting precipitation for 41% of the contiguous United States.

    The Mississippi River’s water level closely correlates to precipitation totals across the basin. Persistent, heavy rainfall or excessive snowmelt can cause high water levels and put sections of the river into flood stage, threatening communities along the river.

    Conversely, severe drought across the Mississippi River basin can lead to low water levels, which can disrupt the shipping industry and expose some oddities from the bottom of the river.

    Snowmelt

    When snow melts, the water goes to the same place that rain would go. Generally, 10 to 12 inches of snowfall produces 1 inch of liquid water.

    In the western U.S. mountains, environmental and utility experts work to conserve that water and replenish lakes and reservoirs that shrink or dry up during times of drought. In the Central U.S., most of the snowmelt ends up in the Mississippi River.

    The annual snowpack in mountain ranges can help forecast potential flooding concerns when temperatures warm up. If there’s a large snowpack, rapid snowmelt can cause flooding.

    Below, you can see a video from Dec. 2023, after heavy rainfall and snowmelt from warm temperatures combined and led to significant flooding and high waters in Fairfax, Vt. 

    It’s more common during the spring, but also possible if temperatures climb well above normal during winter.

    Snowmelt can be just as important as rain for areas when it comes to recharging groundwater and supplying freshwater for people and animals. Less snowfall means less snowmelt and less water that could be resourceful for us. 

    Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Arctic blast brings the chill across the U.S. this weekend

    Arctic blast brings the chill across the U.S. this weekend

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    We have one more day of this arctic chill across the parts of the United States. 

    The jackets, scarves, and beanies won’t be needed from Midwest to the Northeast after Sunday. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Cold air covers the central and eastern U.S. through the weekend

    • Dozens of record cold temperatures have been broken

    • This kind of cold can be dangerous

    The arctic air wraps up from the Northeast and Southeast Sunday morning. 

    Parts of Florida will wake up to freezing temperatures on Sunday. 

    Highs will reach 15 to 25 degrees below the average for numerous spots, although this arctic surge won’t be as powerful as the previous one.

    And by Monday, temperatures should be closer to normal for this time of the year.

    What we saw

    The arctic air has been enough to tie or break dozens of record cold temperatures over the past few days–not just morning lows, but afternoon highs.

    Sunday morning saw temperatures as low as -20 to -40 degrees in northern and northeast Montana. Saco, Mont., dropped to -51 degrees, and subzero lows reached as far south as Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and parts of Indiana, according to Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

    The Associated Press reports the winter weather over the past two weeks is blamed for at least 45 deaths. That includes 14 in Tennessee alone, where 9 inches of snow fell around Nashville. Three people in Oregon were electrocuted by a live power line that fell on a car, and five people in Seattle died from exposure to cold.

    Brutal cold earlier in the week made Monday’s Iowa caucuses the coldest ever, and heavy lake-effect snow and intense wind gusts forced the Steelers-Bills NFL game to be postponed from its original kickoff. A storm system on the leading edge of the cold dropped accumulating snow as far south as Arkansas and northern Mississippi, whereas much as six inches fell.

    This week’s arctic waves have easily been the coldest of the season so far. Check your local forecast to see how cold you’ll get, and take a look at the stories below to be ready for the bitter blast.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion

    Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion

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    TAMPA, Fla. — As climatologists predict more frequent and stronger storms, Florida coastlines face the risk of erosion. But now, there is a bill in the state legislature that aims to help our shores by expanding protections against mangroves.

    What You Need To Know

    • Bill in state legistlature aims to help with mangrove restoration 

    • SB 32 would encourage local governments to replant and restore mangroves

    • Promoting mangrove growth would help the shorelines and provide ecological benefits

    Mangroves are so important to coastline protection that there are laws protecting them. SB 32 calls for the expansion of state statute by encouraging local governments to replant and restore mangroves. It would also implement permitting incentives for local governments to install what are known as “living shorelines,” which are the use of natural elements that protect as they grow.

    “Any kind of measures we can do to promote mangrove growth along our shoreline areas really go a long way to help those communities that are built behind the mangroves,” said Peter Clark, president of Tampa Bay Watch.

    Clark formed Tampa Bay Watch 30 years ago, and for the past decade, staff and volunteers with the organization have been installing living shorelines in the Tampa Bay region. One of the most recent installments at Lassing Park in St. Petersburg includes oyster reef balls, oyster shell bags, marsh grass and mangroves.

    “Once you construct these things, they’re natural. So they can stay there and continue to grow for many, many years,” Clark said. “If you construct living shorelines and other green infrastructure, that not only helps protect those areas but provides ecological benefits back to the bay.”

    The bill would also require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to partner with the state’s Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services to conduct a statewide feasibility study to determine how mangroves and other living shoreline projects could improve a community’s rating with the National Flood Insurance Program and ultimately lower insurance premiums.

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    Cait McVey

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  • The coldest time of the year largely varies on where you live

    The coldest time of the year largely varies on where you live

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    As winter progresses across the Northern Hemisphere, cold outbreaks are becoming more common. And for many across the nation, the coldest day of the year is likely on the way to your city. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The coldest day of the year largely varies if you live east or west of the Rocky Mountains

    • Most across the eastern United States find their coldest time of the year in late January

    • The western United States typically is coldest in December

    • NOAA has found that the coldest day has been shifting later into winter

    As we move deeper into the heart of winter, the coldest part of the year is upon us across the Midwest and Northeast. Back in 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an interactive map that details when the coldest day of the year is for your city. 

    In the analysis conducted by NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), climate experts found that this chilly milestone is now happening later than it used to. 

    Check out the map below. It reveals when, on average, the coldest day of the year hits based on data from 1991 to 2020. From the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast, temperatures hit rock bottom around mid-to-late January. 

    According to their report, the study found several interesting regional differences across the nation. But the most notable observation was the separation between dates the Rocky Mountains bring forth.

    That’s because temperatures out west of the Rockies are largely influenced by the parade of storm systems moving ashore from the Pacific Ocean. These storm systems determine the temperature influences, and thus temperatures more closely align with the seasonal solar cycle if you live west of the Rocky Mountains.  

    While a few pockets out west have seen their date for the coldest day of the year slide later into the season, these locations are typically found in deep valleys, where calm winds and the bountiful snow cover can cause a temperature inversion—where the temperature at the surface is colder than the temperature above the ground. 

    But for those located east of the Rockies, the analysis found that the date for the coldest day of the year has slid later into the season. 

    While the West largely finds their temperature fluctuations based on storm systems, the eastern U.S. finds their temperature regime largely dictated by modified snow cover to the north.

    Believe it or not, snowfall in Canada drives the temperature forecast for the eastern half of the country. That’s because as snow falls and blankets the ground in Canada, that snowfall at the surface helps cool temperatures.

    As Canada’s snow cover grows, it reflects more and more solar radiation away from the ground and back out to space, keeping temperatures colder than they could be. 

    As storm systems develop and move eastward across Canada, the wind flow can then push this colder air mass at the surface southward into the United States. This is what’s responsible for those cold air outbreaks across the northern tier of the country. 

    Now, keep in mind, these dates are calculated by averaging temperatures over a 30-year period, from 1991 to 2020. The actual coldest day may happen in your area earlier or later than what the map above suggests. 

    NOAA’s analysis points out an interesting shift, however: Compared to climatological averages from 1981 to 2010, the coldest day is now occurring three to six days later or more in many places east of the Rockies. 

    The newer 30-year averages ending in 2020 also show more warming early in the winter in the eastern U.S., according to NOAA. This lines up with findings from Climate Central, which revealed that winters in the United States are warming faster than any other season east of the Rockies and in Alaska. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Zach Covey

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  • ‘Sudden stratospheric warming’ can drive arctic outbreaks. Here’s how

    ‘Sudden stratospheric warming’ can drive arctic outbreaks. Here’s how

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    You’ve almost certainly heard of the polar vortex. But what about “sudden stratospheric warming,” a weather term that’s started making the rounds on social media? They’re related to one another, and they can play a big role in winter weather.

    What You Need To Know

    • Not all our weather happens near the ground

    • Atmospheric waves sometimes break on the polar vortex, making it weaken

    • A weaker polar vortex sometimes makes air far aloft descend and quickly warm

    • These events can cause arctic outbreaks



    The polar vortex

    First, a quick review of the polar vortex. The one we care about lives in the stratosphere, the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere. The stratosphere is above where most of our weather happens, starting about 6 miles above the ground and reaching up about 31 miles.

    That polar vortex forms in the fall as polar nights get longer and temperatures turn colder. In the spring, it breaks down as daylight returns and temperatures become more balanced.

    Polar temperatures in the stratosphere are very cold in the winter, but turn relatively warm in the summer. (NOAA)

    But something else can make it break down during the winter, waves in the atmosphere. That’s where sudden stratospheric warming comes in.

    Sudden stratospheric warming

    The atmosphere has waves, just like the ocean. After all, it pretty much is an ocean… just made of air, not salt water. These waves rise up and down, and sometimes they’ll break and crash on the polar vortex, weakening it.

    What happens if the vortex weakens enough? Its winds can reverse direction, causing cold air in the stratosphere to descend and quickly warm. And that’s where the name “sudden stratospheric warming” comes from.

    “Sudden” doesn’t mean it happens out of the blue, completely unexpectedly. And “warming” is relative, since we’re still talking temperatures that are way below zero.

    Polar vortex temperature centered on 2022, when a sudden stratospheric warming event happened. (NOAA)

    Cold air outbreaks

    Forecasters try to get a sense of whether sudden stratospheric warming might happen because it can give clues about weather patterns a few weeks away.

    Instead of a stable swirl keeping the arctic air bottled up, the polar vortex is knocked off-kilter, coming off the North Pole or splitting into a couple pieces. The frigid air mass sometimes spills southward, although it doesn’t always dump into North America. It can just as easily hit Europe or Russia.

    Major sudden stratospheric warming events happen once every winter or two on average, according to NOAA. These can cause big cold air outbreaks, although not every cold wave can lead to sudden stratospheric warming.

    It also turns out that El Niño can cause sudden stratospheric warming events–and polar vortex breakdowns–because of how it influences the pattern of waves in the jet stream in the late winter.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • ‘Snow’ kidding! Looking back at the day it snowed in Tampa Bay

    ‘Snow’ kidding! Looking back at the day it snowed in Tampa Bay

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    On Jan. 19, 1977, Tampa Bay briefly became a winter wonderland. Or a winter nightmare, depending on your perspective.

    What You Need To Know

    • It snowed in Tampa Bay on Jan. 19, 1977

    • Parts of Tampa Bay had more than one inch of snow

    • For the first time on record, snowflakes fell in South Florida

    Forty-seven years ago, snow fell across the Sunshine State. There were reports of snow flurries as far south as Homestead and Miami Beach for the first time on record!

    An arctic front moved across Florida, bringing bitterly cold temperatures down the peninsula.

    Weather map at 7 a.m. ET on Jan. 19, 1977. (NOAA)

    Snow started late on Jan. 18. On the morning of Jan. 19, parts of Tampa Bay had more than an inch of snow.

    Kids were building snowmen and having snowball fights, and they didn’t want to go to school.

    But for adults trying to get to work, it was a dangerous drive.

    If you think driving in Florida is bad on a sunny day, imagine what it was like on icy roads!

    The snow didn’t last long.

    However, it was a rare sight and is an interesting part of Florida’s weather history. 

    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 Juli Marquez

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  • Winter chill moving into Florida

    Winter chill moving into Florida

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    A cold front moving through Florida on Tuesday will deliver some chilly temperatures this week.

    Bay News 9 meteorologist Josh Linker and Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zach Covey answer your questions about the upcoming winter chill to Florida.

    Remember to include what city you’re asking about when submit your question. Refresh the page to see the latest responses.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Why we don’t officially name winter storms

    Why we don’t officially name winter storms

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    Every spring, the World Meteorological Organization releases a list of names for hurricanes that season.

    But why don’t we name any other storm, particularly winter storms?

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. does not officially name winter storms

    • Other countries name non-tropical storms year round

    • The National Weather Service has no plans for naming winter storms

    History of naming storms

    We have unofficially named winter storms throughout history.

    Storms such as The Great Blizzard of 1888, a storm that brought feet of snow to the Northeast and killed over 400 people, or a more recent storm in 2010, Snowmageddon, that crippled the mid-Atlantic with snow.

    But naming winter storms didn’t become regular until 2012, when a television weather company did so. At the time, this decision divided the weather community. Some saw the practice as more of a publicity stunt than a way to save lives, as they did not consult any official weather agency.

    After 5 years of The Weather Channel naming winter storms, an ad hoc committee of the American Meteorological Society conducted a study and agreed that there was no evidence to support that the naming of storms increases the safety of the public.

    The flip side

    Even though the U.S. does not name storms other than tropical cyclones, the UK Met Office started officially naming storms in 2015. They not only name winter storms, but powerful storms that form throughout the year that cause substantial impact.

    Each area in the UK has different criteria for naming storms, but the fun part is that the public can suggest names for the upcoming year.

    Taking a stand

    However, the National Weather Service still stands on the side of not naming winter storms, but what is the reason?

    I talked to Maureen O’Leary, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service, and she said, “unlike tropical storms, winter storms are diverse with conditions that evolve throughout the storm’s life. That is why our forecasts, watches and warnings focus on specific impacts such as wind conditions, snowfall, ice, temperature, visibility and other impacts.

    “Winter storm conditions can vary widely and over a very large area, from community to community. It’s critical that people understand how a storm will impact them, in their area, or where they are going.”

    She also said there are no plans to consider naming winter storms.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • This year’s Iowa caucuses will be the coldest ever

    This year’s Iowa caucuses will be the coldest ever

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    Iowans are used to cold weather, but the arctic blast that’s spread across much of the country is the biggest one to happen at the same time as the caucuses.

    What You Need To Know

    • The coldest Iowa caucuses before this year were in 2004

    • Most have had highs in the 30s and 40s

    • This year, wind chills will be in the -20s throughout Iowa on caucus night



    The Iowa caucuses began in 1972. That year, the high in Des Moines was 25 degrees and scattered snow fell around the state.

    Since then, the warmest caucus day was 49 degrees on Feb. 20, 1984. The coldest, in 2004, had a high of just 16 degrees with wind chills in the single digits.

    That’ll seem almost tropical compared to what’s coming on Monday.

    Highs throughout Iowa will struggle to even get close to 0 degrees–and that’s just the actual temperature. Caucus-goers are going to face frigid wind chills in the -20s while they’re heading to and from their local precincts in the evening.

    Here’s a snapshot of the conditions people had to brave through to caucus.

    If there’s any good weather news in the Hawkeye State, it’s that they’ll have dry weather on Monday. That’ll be a welcome change after two powerful winter storms socked parts of the state with heavy snow in the days before. The bad weather forced Republican candidates to cancel some events.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • How you can calculate the wind chill this winter

    How you can calculate the wind chill this winter

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    Winter means cold, and winter plus wind equals colder! The term to describe the combination of wind and cold is “wind chill.”

    What You Need To Know

    • The “feels-like” temperature in winter is known as the wind chill

    • Wind chill is calculated based on the air temperature and wind speed

    • Frostbite is a danger when we have extremely cold wind chills

    How does wind chill work?

    First, understand that our bodies lose heat through convection.

    When we are outside and there is little to no wind, the air temperature is the same temperature we feel. There’s little to no difference between the two.

    In the example below, the outside temperature is 20 degrees, and it feels like it because a layer of that heat remains around our body to help us stay warm.

    When it is windy, the moving air breaks up the insulating warm layer. This wind helps to speed up the heat loss and makes the body feel much colder outside.

    Add in a 20 mile per hour wind to an outside temperature of 20 degrees, and it doesn’t feel like 20 degrees anymore. Instead, the wind chill is only 4 degrees!

    Calculating the wind chill

    The wind chill temperature is calculated based on the temperature and wind speed. Check the chart below to determine the wind chill and how long it takes to get frostbite.

    At the top of the chart you’ll find the air temperature, and on the left is the wind speed. When you line up those two factors, where they meet is the wind chill.

    Ways to stay warm

    Frostbite happens when body tissue freezes; your hands, feet, and nose usually freeze first. Your body protects your vital organs by cutting circulation to those extremities and focusing it on the most important places.

    We’ve fought wearing jackets since we were kids, but one of the easiest ways to keep yourself safe from frostbite or hypothermia is by dressing appropriately. Wearing layers and cover all exposed skin (including fingers, toes, ears, nose and so on).

    How you fuel your body can also help you stay safe. Stay hydrated because that increases your blood volume, which in turn helps prevent frostbite. 

    Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine constricts your blood vessels, which prevents the warming of your extremities. Alcohol reduces shivering, which is the body’s attempt to keep you warm.

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    Meteorologist Robyn King

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  • Your astronomical calendar for 2024

    Your astronomical calendar for 2024

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    We’re heading into another year, and there are so many astronomical events we can look forward to.

    What You Need To Know

    • A rare total solar eclipse will occur in April

    • We have many meteor showers happening throughout the year

    • Mercury will be our most-viewed planet

    • We’ll also see Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn


    Check out what to expect for each month. The second half of the year will bring plenty of fun shows.

    January

    Quadrantids meteor shower: We started the year with a bang. This meteor shower produced 40 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 3rd. Don’t worry if you missed it. We have plenty more meteor showers this year.

    (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

    View of Mercury: Our first 2024 view of Mercury occurred on the 12th. We’ll be able to view this planet six more times this year! 

    February

    February is quiet, only offering a new moon on the 9th and a full moon on the 24th.

    March

    First day of spring, also called the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere) will occur on the 19th this year at 11:06 p.m. ET. The Sun will pass directly over the equator, and we’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the planet.

    (Spectrum News/Lacy Leonardi)

    Mercury in sight: our second view of Mercury will happen on the 24th. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.

    Penumbral lunar eclipse: occurring when the moon passes through Earth’s penumbra. This eclipse will take place on the 25th and be visible through all the U.S.

    April

    Total solar eclipse: this rare event will occur on the 8th and be visible in the eastern U.S. The Moon will completely block the Sun, letting us see the outer ring of the Sun. You don’t want to miss it because it won’t happen again until 2045.

    (Pixabay)

    Lyrids meteor shower: this is a decent shower that produces about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It will run from the 16th to the 25th but will peak on the night of the 22nd. Unfortunately, the full moon will block out many meteors, but you should still be able to catch a glimpse of the brightest ones.

    May

    Eta Aquarids meteor shower: this decent meteor shower will produce 30 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere at its peak on the 6th. The new moon means we’ll have a dark sky and an excellent show.

    Mercury returns: our third viewing of Mercury this year will occur on the 9th. You can see it in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    June

    First day of summer: this year, the summer solstice will occur at 4:50 p.m. ET on June 20, marking the first day of summer for the northern hemisphere. The North Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will travel over the Tropic of Cancer.

    July

    Another view of Mercury: our fourth view of Mercury will happen on the 22nd. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.

    (Pixabay)

    Delta Aquarids meteor shower: this shower will produce 20 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 28th. The moon will block out a lot of the meteors, but you will still catch a few bright ones.

    August

    Perseids meteor shower: one of the best meteor showers of the year, you’ll see 60 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 12th. The good news is the Moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving us with dark skies for the show.

    Full moon and blue moon: we’ll get this full moon and blue moon on the 19th. It’s called a blue moon because it’s the third of four full moons of the season.

    September

    View of Mercury: our fifth view of Mercury will be on the 5th. Look for it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    See Saturn’s rings: Saturn should be visible all night on the 8th. You’ll see a glimpse of its rings and brightest moons with a medium or large telescope.

    Full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will occur on the 18th. Don’t miss it, as the moon will look larger and brighter.

    Partial lunar eclipse: occurring when the Moon passes through the penumbra and partially through the umbra. We’ll see this partial lunar eclipse on the 18th, and most of the U.S. will be able to view it.

    (Photo by Anthony Leone)

    The Blue Giant: we’ll get a view of Neptune all night on the 20th. Unfortunately, because of its distance, it’ll only look like a tiny blue dot in the sky unless you have an extremely powerful telescope.

    First day of fall: the autumnal equinox will occur at 8:43 a.m. ET on the 22nd. We’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the world as the Sun shines over the equator, marking the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere.

    October

    Draconids meteor shower: practice patient with this shower on the 7th, as it only produces 10 meteors per hour. Unlike other showers, you’ll want to view this one in the early evening.

    Another full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will happen on the 17th. It’ll be the second supermoon of three in 2024.

    Orionids meteor shower: this shower will peak on the night of the 21st, bringing us 20 meteors per hour. The waning gibbous moon will block fainter meteors, but you should still be able to catch some brighter ones.

    November

    Taurids meteor shower: a very minor shower. This show will only produce 5-10 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 4h. The first quarter moon will block most of the meteors, but you’ll still see a few after midnight.

    Full moon and supermoon: the last of the supermoons of 2024, you can catch this full, big and bright moon on the 15th.

    Mercury’s back: Mercury loves to show off, as this will be our sixth view of the planet on the 16th.

    Uranus: Uranus appears on the 17th and you’ll be able to view it all night. Unfortunately, if you don’t have an extremely power telescope, you’ll only see a tiny dot in the sky.

    (NASA/JPL)

    Leonids meteor shower: another minor shower, this one will produce 15 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 17th. The best time to view this show will be during the early morning of the 18th, but the nearly full moon will block out most of the meteors.

    December

    Jupiter and its moons: Jupiter will appear on the 7th and be visible all night. You’ll be able to see Jupiter’s cloud bands with a medium telescope. Even with just binoculars, you’ll be able to see its four largest moons.

    Geminids meteor shower: welcome to the best meteor shower of every year. Peaking from Dec. 13-14, this shower will produce 120 multicolored meteors per hour. Unfortunately, an almost full moon means we won’t see a lot of the meteors, but we should still be able to catch a good amount. Bundle up and head outside after midnight for the best viewing time.

    First day of winter: on the 21st, the winter solstice will occur at 4:19 a.m. ET, marking the first day of winter. The South Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will be in its southernmost position in the sky.

    (Photo by Sean Organ)

    Ursids meteor shower: the last shower of the year will be the Ursids meteor shower on Dec. 21-22. It is minor, producing 5-10 meteors per hour, and the waning gibbous moon will block out many of the meteors.

    One last view of Mercury: Mercury was the first planet we saw this year, and it’ll be the last. You’ll be able to view it on the 25th low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    Viewing these events

    If you’re trying to view a planet, it might become a little tricky differentiating it from a star. Caballero-Nieves, assistant professor in Astronomy at FL Institute of Tech., explains “planets are typically brighter than stars. Stars also twinkle. This is called scintillation. Stars will change a little in brightness and even color, and planets do not.”

    “Finally, if you look at a planet over several nights or months, you will notice that it moves with respect to the stars near it. That’s where the Greeks gave the planets their names, which means wanderer.”

    If you want to view all these heavenly events this year, head to a dark area away from city lights.

    It also doesn’t hurt to buy a telescope, either. What kind of telescope should you buy?

    Caballero-Nieves suggests that “You should first decide what you are interested in observing. Reflecting telescopes use mirrors and are more compact, but reflecting telescopes that use lenses can be more affordable.”

    “Smaller telescopes are great for looking at bright things like the Moon, planets and bright stars. Larger telescopes are better for observing faint things like galaxies, nebulas and comets.”

    Hopefully, you will see some wonderful views this year!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Scattered thunderstorms return late Friday

    Scattered thunderstorms return late Friday

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    We’ll see scattered showers and thunderstorms develop with a broken line of storms overnight ahead of a cold front. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Some storms could be strong

    • The main concern is gusty winds

    • Less than half an inch of rain is expected for most


    While this system will not be as strong as the one we saw on Tuesday, we do have a low chance of seeing a strong or severe thunderstorm, particularly tonight as a broken line moves through.

    The main concern will be strong wind gusts. While unlikely, a brief tornado cannot be ruled out entirely.

    Showers and storms should clear the area by 5 a.m. Saturday. 

    Rainfall will not be as abundant since storms and showers will be scattered. We’ll see less than half an inch of rain in most areas.

    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 Kyle Hanson

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  • Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

    Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

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    Learn how wind can affect the outside temperature.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • 2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

    2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

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    The U.S. dealt with 28 disasters that each cost over $1 billion last year, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. That’s the most in one year since records began in 1980.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. had 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023

    • 19 of them were severe storms and tornadoes

    • The 28 disasters cost an estimated $93 billion

    • Last year broke the record of 22 such events in 2020



    The average number of billion-dollar disasters since 1980 is 8.5 per year. However, from 2019 to 2023, the average was 20.4 events, including the previous record of 22 events in 2020.

    NOAA adjusts for the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation.

    Here’s when and where 2023’s billion-dollar disasters happened.

    The majority were from severe storms and tornadoes, which made up 19 of them. The rest included four floods, two tropical cyclones (including Hurricane Idalia), one wildfire, one winter storm and one drought/heat wave.

    The year may end up with one more, depending on the tally from the mid-December East Coast storm.

    In total, NCEI estimates 2023’s billion-dollar disasters cost $93.0 billion, above the average of $60.5 billion. They also say these also contributed to at least 492 deaths.

    NOAA’s information on 2023’s costly disasters came the same day that Europe’s climate agency reported the global average temperature last year set a record that was 2.66 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The Lower 48 had its fifth-hottest year on record, according to NOAA.

    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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