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Tag: Wisconsin

  • Different weather conditions can affect your fireworks show

    Different weather conditions can affect your fireworks show

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    Many people are looking forward to the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks shows. However, everything from snow, wind and humidity can affect not only if you can launch those rockets into the sky, but also what they will look like.

    What You Need To Know

    • Heavy snow can make the fireworks’ colors less vibrant

    • Strong winds during fireworks can endanger the public

    • Lightning can strike spectators and unlit fireworks

    Ideal weather

    Clear skies, light winds and low humidity make for a great show. Extra moisture in the air can distort the colors and make them less vibrant.

    Less humidity also means we can enjoy the show a little more because we don’t feel sticky.

    Snow

    (Bradly J. Boner/AP Images for EUKANUBA™)

    Snow is okay when it comes to fireworks.

    The only problems are heavy snow can obscure the colors, and crews need to keep the fireworks dry in times of heavy snow or they might not light.

    Wind

    We also need to have the right amount of wind. Light wind might not clear the smoke quickly enough, affecting how well you can see the fireworks.  

    Too much wind can blow smoke or embers around, endangering people.

    Fireworks smoke

    Smoke from a fireworks display at Chicago’s Navy Pier filters through the skyline on wind currents from Lake Michigan. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

    Rain and lightning

    Light rain is okay when it comes to fireworks, as long as they are covered or in waterproof bags. A wet fuse will not light.

    Storms and heavy rain can lead to canceled or delayed shows. Lightning can pose a major threat, sometimes striking unlit fireworks or even people.

    (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

    Drought

    Drought conditions can also cause problems. The fallout from fireworks can spark fires when there’s a lot of dry vegetation.

    Each year, fireworks spawn many fires.

    (Photo by Heather Morrison)

    If there is a bad drought happening in your area, avoid setting off fireworks. Often, local authorities will ban the use of fireworks in high fire risk or drought conditions.

    However, bigger shows might launch over bodies of water to accommodate for a drought.

    So, keep these in mind if you plan on setting off fireworks. Check the forecast first and stay safe!

    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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  • Safety tips for driving through the rain

    Safety tips for driving through the rain

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    From drizzle to downpours, driving in the rain could be difficult and dangerous if you are not careful. According to U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, over 3,400 people are killed and over 357,300 people are injured in rainfall-related crashes. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Over 357,000 people are injured in rainfall-related crashes

    • AAA says wet pavements contribute to more than one million traffic crashes each year

    • Check the maintenance of your car before you drive in the rain

    • Hydroplaning happens when your vehicle glides on top of a thin film of water and your tires lose contact with the ground

    We want you to understand the hazards of driving in the rain and how you can drive defensively in the elements. AAA says wet pavement contributes to more than one million traffic crashes each year.

    Before driving in the rain

    Before you drive in the rain, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is prepared. You want to check your windshield wipers and make sure they don’t leave streaks and clear any rain on a single swipe. 

    Plus, you want to check if all your headlights, taillights, brake lights and turn signals are working as well. 

    Next, you want to check your tire tread depth. The tire tread and inflation of your tires are important in maintaining traction on wet roads. 

    You can check the tread by using a quarter. If you turn it upside down and dip it into the tread of a tire and you can see the entire head of the president, that means you need to replace them.

    You also need to check the tire pressure, as well.

    Driving in the elements

    When driving in the rain, it’s important to leave room between vehicles. Safety experts suggest following the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you. In addition, the National Weather Service (NWS) suggests adding an extra two-seconds when you’re driving in heavy rain.

    The NWS also say to be careful during the first half hour of rainfall because grime and oil on the road could mix with water to make them slippery. Check out our “Weather Explained: Slick roads after a dry spell” for more information.

    According to AAA, “with as little as 1/12 inch of water on the road, tires have to displace a gallon of water per second to keep the rubber meeting the road.” To navigate driving in the rain, it’s best to stay toward the middle lanes, since water pools in the outside lanes. Plus, drive at the speed to correspond to the amount of rain on the roads. 

    Beware of hydroplaning

    Hydroplaning is one risk of driving in the rain. Hydroplaning happens when your vehicle glides on top of a thin film of water and your tires lose contact with the ground.

    It only happens in a few seconds, but it can feel like your vehicle is veering on its own. You should avoid hard braking and sharp turns. AAA says pressing the breaks will make hydroplaning worse and cause you to swerve out of your lane.

    To reduce your risk of hydroplaning, slow down, turn off cruise control and don’t panic.

    If you feel like your hydroplaning, ease your foot off the gas to regain control of the vehicle and pull over and park your car until the rainfall lightens.

    If you feel your card is skidding, don’t panic and avoid hard braking. Just look and steer in the direction you want your car to go. 

    Turn Around, Don’t Drown®

    Now, if water is over the road because of heavy rain, you should never drive through it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that over half of all flood-related drownings happen when a vehicle has driven into flood water.

    Whenever you encounter a flooded road, practice Turn Around, Don’t Drown®.

    The NWS says it takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks.

    An empty vehicle is surrounded by floodwaters on a road in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

    So it’s important to beware and drive defensively in the rain and avoid any hazards if you can. 

    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 Keith Bryant

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  • The most sustainable and cost-effective ways to heat your home

    The most sustainable and cost-effective ways to heat your home

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    Winter just began, and the coldest days of the season are on the horizon. Through much of the country, many will reach to their thermostats to crank up the heat… some places more than others.

    It’s important to know what options work best when it comes to heating your home.

    What You Need To Know

    • A large portion of the country needs to heat their homes in the winter

    • Most American homes are heated by a furnace, boiler or heat pump

    • Electricity and natural gas are the most common fuel sources

    The methods of how we heat our homes range from clean and green to the kind that literally cause smoke to rise out of a chimney.

    However, the most sustainable and cost-effective way to heat a home is subjective. The answer varies from one place to another and comes down to what type of fuel sources are most accessible in that location.

    Weather and climate play a role, too. Colder regions favor certain methods over others and vice versa.

    It all stems from the fuel source

    Electricity and natural gas are, by far, the most common heating fuel sources in the U.S. Other sources include propane, wood and oil.

    According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, about 25% of households in the U.S. rely solely on electricity to heat their homes. Electric heating systems are typically the most eco-friendly, but they often come at a higher cost.

    Of course, it’s hard to pin down exact amounts, since energy prices vary by location and fluctuate over time.

    Electric heating is more suitable across the southern U.S., where winters are usually milder and the demand for heating isn’t as high. Using this fuel source across the northern half of the country where it gets and stays colder for longer can send electricity bills soaring.

    In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) stated that natural gas was 3.4 times more affordable than electricity, which is why it might be the better option for heating homes in some parts of the country. The EIA’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey reported over 50% of households in the U.S. used natural gas to heat their homes.

    Even though it might come with a slightly bigger carbon footprint, natural gas is far more cost-effective for many Americans, especially for those living in colder climates such as the Midwest and Northeast.

    (American Gas Association)

    The American Gas Association (AGA) claims that annual energy costs for an all-electric home using a cold-climate heat pump can be roughly 37% higher than a home using natural gas as its source of heating, cooking and drying clothes.

    A home heating oil delivery truck climbs a snow-covered road in the Northeast on Feb. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

    On the national scale, oil is not nearly as common as natural gas or electricity. Yet, it was once the most popular fuel in the Northeast, where it is still used in roughly 20% of homes. However, this source of heating is not as environmentally friendly and is often more expensive than electric and natural gas heat.

    The most common heating systems

    The DOE says that most Americans use either a furnace or boiler to heat their home. Both systems can be fueled by natural gas, oil or electricity, but differ in how they provide heat to dwellings.

    The biggest difference between the two is that furnaces heat air, while boilers heat water.

    Over the years, these systems have been improved to be more energy efficient. To see how efficient each furnace or boiler is, the DOE examines its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE).

    The AFUE is essentially a percentage measuring how much fuel gets converted to heat. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the furnace or boiler is.

    1.) Furnaces:

    Most modern homes use a central furnace, which burns a fuel source (either oil or gas) to heat air.

    Technician works on a furnace. (Photo by Natalie Sopyla)

    The heated air then flows through a series of ducts, where it is released through vents in each room. Cooler air in the room is then sucked back through a return vent, then it goes back into the furnace to be reheated.

    This method of heating is fast and energy efficient, which is why most households use it.

    2.) Boilers:

    Radiators and baseboard heaters in older homes provide heat via a boiler. Hot water or steam travels through pipes in the home. When the hot water reaches the radiator or baseboard unit in each room, it releases its heat. The cooled water then flows back to the boiler to be reheated. 

    (Pexels)

    Since water takes longer to heat than air, this method can take longer for a home to reach the desired temperature, and might not be seen as the most efficient way to heat a home.

    That aside, boilers are usually better for people who suffer from indoor allergies, as furnace or forced air systems can blow around dust and pollen particles.

    3.) Heat pumps:

    Heat pumps are becoming more common and provide heat to the majority of homes in the Southeast. This system runs on electricity and does not require a fuel source to provide heat, which can significantly cut electricity costs compared to an electric furnace or boiler.

    Serving as both an air conditioning system and a heating system, heat pumps move warm air out and allow cooler air to flow back into a home during the summer. These systems work in reverse when it gets cold outside, and cooler air is pumped out and warmer air pumped in.

    While heat pumps are energy efficient and work well in milder climates, they are not the best option for areas that experience frequently temperatures below 40 degrees. They simply will struggle to provide enough heat, requiring the need for a secondary heating system.

    Secondary sources of heat

    Residences in colder climates will sometimes need a secondary source to generate heat, especially those that rely on heat pumps as their main system.

    To raise the temperatures up a few degrees, some people use space heaters or wood-burning stoves or fireplaces.

    (Pexels)

    These options are good at providing supplemental heat, but aren’t the best and most sustainable choices to heat a home by themselves.

    Each may be enough to heat one room, but you would need multiple fireplaces, wood-burning stoves or electric space heaters to heat an entire home. If the home is large, you could even need more than one in each room!

    Along with the additional costs associated with plugging in multiple space heaters or purchasing wood to burn, these methods come with fire hazards and can increase indoor pollutants, possibly outweighing their benefits.

    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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  • PolitiFact – Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved rate hikes, but not $1.9 billion

    PolitiFact – Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved rate hikes, but not $1.9 billion

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    Electric and natural gas are always on Wisconsin residents’ minds, especially during the winter months. 

    Like many other things, the cost of electric and natural gas has been rising.

    That’s due to a host of factors, with the increases governed by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, an independent regulatory agency. The body sets new rates and approves major construction projects such as power plants, water wells and transmission lines.

    The Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity took note of those increases, which are typically approved only a few at a time, did a little math and posted Dec. 4, 2023 on X, formerly know as Twitter:

    “Wisconsin utilities have charged ratepayers more than $1.9 billion of increases since 2019.” 

    That’s an eye-popping number, especially at a time when there are concerns about the impact of inflation on the pocketbooks of state residents.

    Is the math right? No.

    A look at increases approved by the Commission

    When we reached out to Americans for Prosperity, spokesperson Emilee Taylor told us the initial post – which was deleted after we asked about it –  contained an error: The $1.9 billion should actually be $1.5 billion. 

    A followup tweet used the correct figure. But our practice is to rate initial statements, which typically reach the widest audience.

    When asked for more information about how the group reached the $1.5 billion number, Taylor sent a host of links to various Public Service Commission meeting agendas from the past several years, which show approved increases. 

    “The Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group used PSC agendas to calculate $1.5 billion in approved rate increases since 2019. In our calculations, we account for both electric and natural gas — operating under the assumption that most Wisconsinites associate the two related as they are sometimes on the same utility bill,” Taylor said in a Dec. 18, 2023 email.

    “All items added together—rate cases, fuel cases, and fuel surcharges—for electric and natural gas utilities equals $1.5 billion: $1.3 billion in electric, and $250 million in natural gas.”

    When we contacted the commission, communications director Meghan Sovey shared an analysis assembled by employees. 

    According to that information, since 2019 there have been nearly $959 million in increases authorized for electric retail customers, and about $269 million in increases authorized for natural gas customers. 

    Those numbers include some recently-authorized increases that won’t go into effect until 2024 and 2025. 

    Their total: $1.472 billion in increases. 

    Of course those increases are split across consumers, and no one person or community is footing the bill for that amount. And, a large portion of the increase is being paid by businesses, and not directly by consumers.

    Our ruling 

    Americans for Prosperity claimed “Wisconsin utilities have charged ratepayers more than $1.9 billion of increases since 2019.” 

    After we asked, the organization said the tweet contained an error, deleted it, then updated the number to $1.5 billion. While AFP did delete the tweet, we are still rating that $1.9 billion claim. 

    The lower figure was on point, but as is our practice, we rate the original claim – not what groups and individuals do later to make it more accurate. 

    We rate that original claim False.

     

     

    See Figure 1 on PolitiFact.com

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  • “They go directly to the intent”: Experts say new tapes give Jack Smith “powerful” Trump evidence

    “They go directly to the intent”: Experts say new tapes give Jack Smith “powerful” Trump evidence

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    Two days before the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, the Trump campaign’s fake electors plot to block then-President-elect Joe Biden’s ascent to the Oval Office faced an almost insurmountable hurdle: The fake elector certificates from two key battleground states were held up in the mail.

    Trump campaign operatives scrambled for a solution. They settled on flying copies of the false certificates from Michigan and Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., a move that depended on a chain of couriers and help from two Republicans in Congress to get the files to then-Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the Electoral College certification.

    Those operatives even floated the idea of chartering a jet to ensure the documents reached D.C. in time for the proceeding, according to emails and recordings first obtained by CNN.

    “The new details provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the chaotic last-minute effort to keep Donald Trump in office,” the outlet reports.

    The fake elector scheme is a prominent feature of special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal case against the former president. Some of the officials involved have spoken to Smith’s investigators.

    The recordings and emails also indicate that a top Trump campaign lawyer took part in last-minute discussions about delivering the fake elector certificates to Pence, potentially undermining his testimony to the House Jan. 6 Committee that he had passed off responsibility and didn’t want to put the ex-vice president in a difficult position.

    The details largely come from Trump-aligned lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, an architect of the fake elector plan who is now a key cooperator in several state probes of the plot. Chesebro pleaded guilty in October to a felony conspiracy charge in Georgia in connection with the elector’s scheme and has convened with prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, who are investigating the false electors in their respective states.

    Chesebro is also an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal election interference case against Trump.

    CNN obtained audio of Chesebro’s recent interview with Michigan investigators. Reports from earlier this month said that he also told state investigators about a December 2020 Oval Office meeting where he briefed Trump about the fake elector plot and its ties to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

    Emails the outlet obtained corroborate Chesebro’s statement to Michigan investigators that he communicated with top Trump campaign lawyer Matt Morgan and another campaign official, Mike Roman, to ship the documents to D.C. on January 5.

    From there, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., along with a Pennsylvania congressman, assisted in the effort to transport the documents to Pence.

    “This is a high-level decision to get the Michigan and Wisconsin votes there,” Chesebro told Michigan prosecutors. “And they had to enlist, you know, a US senator to try to expedite it, to get it to Pence in time.”

    Chesebro also explained the episode with Wisconsin prosecutors when he sat for an interview with the attorney general’s office last week as part of a separate state investigation into the fake elector scheme, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

    Wisconsin prosecutors asked about the episode “extensively” the source said, pointing out that Chesebro talked about how a Wisconsin GOP staffer flew the certificate from Milwaukee to Washington and then gave it to Chesebro.

    The firsthand account from Chesebro’s perspective clarifies the narrative underlying the effort to hand-deliver elector slates to Pence, which is vaguely referenced in Smith’s federal indictment.

    Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include conspiring with Chesebro and others to obstruct the certification process on Jan. 6. Before Chesebro’s guilty plea in Georgia, his attorneys contacted Smith’s team. As of this week, he has not heard back from federal prosecutors, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

    Federal investigators have interviewed several people involved in the scramble with the false elector certificates, another source told the outlet. That includes sit-downs with Trump staffers who were tapped to fly the papers to D.C. and some fake electors who knew of the planning.

    Asked about the episode, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed CNN to his previous comments, where he said, “my involvement in that attempt to deliver spanned the course of a couple seconds,” and that, “in the end, those electors were not delivered.”

    Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

    The recordings CNN obtained could strengthen Smith’s body of evidence against Trump in his federal election subversion case, according to former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams.

    “It’s one thing for a jury to read a transcript or even hear someone talk about things they heard somebody else say, it is another thing to hear voices to have sort of an evocative effect, that is more valuable and powerful,” Williams said during a Thursday afternoon appearance on the network.

    He explained that the attempts to transport these ballots across state lines and to D.C. “could be introduced as evidence showing the state mind of not just of the former president, or people around him who knew what they were doing and attempting to take all efforts to get these fake or alternate — their argument is — ballots to Washington, D.C.., it can speak to intent.”

    Former impeachment lawyer and CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen echoed those sentiments in an appearance on “The Situation Room” Thursday evening, arguing that the new details will likely be “very important” for Jack Smith’s effort to prove his case as well as for prosecutors charging the conduct at the state level, like Fulton County, Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis.

    “And the reason those details about the elaborate plan to get all the materials to Washington for Jan. 6 matters so much is they go directly to the intent here,” Eisen said.

    Chesebro’s account, he added, paints a clear picture of the widespread, last-ditch efforts to prevent the transfer of presidential power to Biden.

    “This wasn’t just, as it started out, a preventive measure in case Trump won court cases,” Eisen said. “This was an active alleged conspiracy to have Mike Pence and Congress block the rightful winner of the election from taking office, and Jack Smith has said that that is a criminal conspiracy. And it’s hard to understand how lawyers and other professionals couldn’t see why that was wrong.”

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  • Herb Kohl, Former U.S. Senator And Owner Of The Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Team, Has Died. He Was 88

    Herb Kohl, Former U.S. Senator And Owner Of The Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Team, Has Died. He Was 88

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    Herb Kohl, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin and former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has died. He was 88.

    His death Wednesday was announced by Herb Kohl Philanthropies, which did not give a cause but said he died after a brief illness.

    Kohl was a popular figure in Wisconsin, purchasing the Bucks to keep them from leaving town, and spending generously from his fortune on civic and educational causes throughout the state. He also used his money to fund his Senate races, allowing to him to portray himself as “nobody’s senator but yours.”

    In the Senate, a body renowned for egos, Kohl was an unusual figure. He was quiet and not one to seek credit, yet effective on issues important to the state, especially dairy policy. He was one of the richest members of the Senate, and the Senate’s only professional sports team owner.

    Kohl was born in Milwaukee, where he was a childhood friend of Bud Selig, who went on to become commissioner of the MLB. The two roomed together at the University of Wisconsin and remained friends in adulthood.

    After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1956, Kohl went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1958, and he served in the Army Reserve from 1958-64. He helped grow the family-owned business, Kohl’s grocery and department stores, and served as company president in the 1970s. The corporation was sold in 1979.

    Kohl also got into Wisconsin politics in the 1970s, serving as chair of the state Democratic Party from 1975 to 1977.

    In 1985, Kohl bought the Bucks for $18 million.

    “I am pleased, happy and delighted,” he said at a news conference. “The Milwaukee Bucks are in Milwaukee and they are going to stay in Milwaukee.”

    He later remarked: “The opportunity I was given to purchase and to keep the team here in Milwaukee is one of the most unique and fortunate experiences I’ve ever enjoyed.”

    The team was in the middle of its sixth straight winning season when Kohl bought it, and it went on to post winning records in the first six full seasons with Kohl as owner, before stumbling through most of the 1990s. The team improved in the late ’90s and early 2000s. In 2006, Kohl, owner of the small-market Bucks, was one of eight league owners to ask NBA commissioner David Stern to implement revenue sharing.

    Kohl’s civic commitments extended well beyond keeping professional basketball in Wisconsin. He donated $25 million to the University of Wisconsin to help fund construction of the Kohl Center, home to the school’s basketball and hockey teams. It was the single largest private donation in university history.

    “I was very happy to be in a position to help build a first-rate, state-of-the-art sports arena,” Kohl once said. “I think it cements the university’s reputation as one of the premier athletic programs in the Big Ten and the country.”

    He also used his own money to fund the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, which donates money for scholarships and fellowships to students, teachers and schools in Wisconsin.

    In 1988, Kohl decided to run for the Senate, following the announcement that Sen. William Proxmire was retiring, and defeated then-state Sen. Susan Engeleiter, the Republican candidate. He won reelection in 1994, 2000 and 2006. His considerable fortune helped scare away the Republican Party from mounting a serious challenge in 2006.

    Kohl never accepted a pay raise in the Senate; he drew a salary of $89,500 every year, the same pay he got when he entered the Senate in 1989, returning the rest to the Treasury Department.

    In the Senate, Kohl tended to home state interests. He opposed the Northeast Dairy Compact, a program opposed by Midwestern dairy farmers, and helped prevent it from being renewed in Congress. Kohl was instrumental in coming up with a replacement program, the Milk Income Loss Contract, which paid dairy farmers cash when prices fell below a certain level; the program especially helped Wisconsin dairy farmers.

    As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee, which controls the budget of the Department of Agriculture, Kohl had a strong say on farm policy. He was also the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee and the Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. Kohl served as chair of all three panels when Democrats were in the majority.

    Kohl didn’t mind doing things in the Senate without much credit. As Congress became more and more partisan, the diminutive Kohl almost seemed to be a throwback to another era.

    “I am a person who does not believe in invective,” he once said. “I never go out and look to grab the mike or go in front of the TV camera. When I go to work everyday, I check my ego at the door.”

    Kohl’s moderate temperament was matched by his voting record.

    In 2001, he was one of just a dozen Democratic senators to vote for President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, but he voted against the president’s tax cuts in 2003. He also voted to authorize military force against Iraq in 2002.

    Kohl, who never married, said that being single gave him time to balance the demands of life as a senator and owner. A sign on his Senate office desk said: “The Bucks Stop Here.”

    Former AP reporter Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, D.C., was the primary writer of this obituary. AP reporter Todd Richmond reported reported from Madison, Wisconsin.

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  • Shakes on a plane: What causes air turbulence

    Shakes on a plane: What causes air turbulence

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    Everyone has experienced it. You’re in the middle of your flight, and all of a sudden, you feel the plane shake or jolt.

    The pilot comes on the intercom and announces you’re experiencing turbulence and to buckle up.

    But what exactly is turbulence?

    What You Need To Know

    • Turbulence is the unsteady movement of air

    • Many things can cause turbulence, including fronts, thunderstorms and mountains

    • Most turbulence is harmless, and engineers designed and built planes to handle it

    Turbulence is the unsteady movement of air resulting from eddies and vertical currents. There are many types of turbulence. Let’s explore some.

    Convective turbulence

    (NWS)

    When the sun heats the Earth’s surface, it’s usually uneven because different surface types heat up differently, and this can lead to turbulence.

    The heat then rises, and the cool air descends, leading to bumpy rides. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), turbulence is found from the base to the top of where the air stops rising, usually up to the clouds. Above this layer of turbulent air, you’ll find smooth conditions, usually above clouds.

    On days where pilots expect convective turbulence, they’ll travel in the morning or evening when heating is not so intense.

    Frontal turbulence

    (NWS)

    Frontal turbulence occurs when warm air meets cold air.

    The warm air will lift over the cold air, creating friction between the two air masses and producing turbulence.

    Wind shear

    Wind shear is the change in wind direction and/or wind speed over a horizontal or vertical distance. It can also cause turbulence, especially when the change is large.

    Wind shear often exists in areas of temperature inversions, along troughs and lows and around jet streams.

    The atmospheric temperature profile usually goes from warm (the ground) to cold (higher in the atmosphere). In a temperature inversion, that profile goes from cold to warm.

    Turbulence will often occur at the top of the inversion since that is where the warm, unstable air sits.

    We usually associate lows and troughs with wind shear. This change in wind speed and direction creates turbulence.

    The NWS states that a jet stream is a horizontal wind that follows a wave pattern, usually located where there are large horizontal differences in temperature between warm and cold air masses. Turbulence usually occurs where there is a large difference in horizontal wind speeds over a short distance.

    Turbulence from obstructions

    (NWS)

    When wind flows around an obstacle, it can break off and form into an eddy. The NWS defines eddies as gusts with sudden changes in speed and direction, and the size of an object and velocity of the wind can determine the eddy’s intensity.

    The NWS says this type of turbulence can cause dangerous impacts when flying. Aircraft can fail to gain enough altitude to clear low objects. When landing, aircraft can experience drops.

    Wind around bigger objects, such as mountains, is more noticeable. The wind moving up the windward side helps planes and other aircraft get over the peak.

    But on the leeward side, the wind blowing down can cause problems for pilots. The downdraft can push an aircraft into the mountain or cause the pilot to not clear the peak.

    Pilots often will gain enough altitude in advance to prevent this.

    Your next trip on an airplane

    I hope this information will help you relax the next time you fly.

    If you experience turbulence, you’ll now know that it’s just wind, and your pilot knows how to manage it.

    Engineers also designed and built your airplane to handle it.

    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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  • The ‘Full Cold Moon’ is here, even though it’s not cold

    The ‘Full Cold Moon’ is here, even though it’s not cold

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    December’s full moon is appropriately called the “Full Cold Moon,” although that name isn’t quite as relevant this year, considering the lack of bitter air around the country.

    What You Need To Know

    • December’s full moon is the “Cold Moon”

    • It’s also sometimes called the Moon Before Yule

    • The moon is fullest Tuesday evening

    • The constellations Gemini and Orion are near the moon all night



    The moon will become its fullest at 7:33 p.m. ET/4:33 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Dec. 26.

    December’s full moon is also sometimes called the Moon Before Yule, since it happens near the ancient celebration around the winter solstice. Native American names include the Long Night Moon–also because it falls near the winter solstice and the longest night of the year–and Big Winter Moon.

    No matter the name, you can use the moon to find a couple of constellations. In the evening, it’ll appear right above Gemini and left of Orion. In the morning, Gemini is left of the moon and Orion is below.

    Simulated view of the eastern sky the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 26. (Adapted from Stellarium)

    You can also see the Big Dipper and Little Dipper in the northern sky throughout the night.

    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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  • The North Pole: More than a Christmas story

    The North Pole: More than a Christmas story

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    It is one of the most mysterious places on Earth, where only a handful of people have visited and an unspecified number of elves and reindeer may live.

    It is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, but you won’t find much water here.

    It is the home to only one sunrise and one sunset every year.

    You may think you know about the North Pole, but there are a lot of interesting facts to share.

    What You Need To Know

    • The North Pole has a multitude of meanings

    • The ice cover at the North Pole varies by season

    • The legend of Santa and the North Pole dates to 1866

    Where is the North Pole?

    Before we answer that question, we have to ask another: Which North Pole are you trying to find? The geographic North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth. It has no time zone, and no matter what direction you are pointing, it is south of where you are standing. 

    The geographic North Pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, surrounded by ice up to 10 feet thick at times, but the exact location can change slightly, based on the Earth’s wobble on its axis. 

    The geographic North Pole is in a different location than the magnetic North Pole, which is the spot that guides our compasses and other navigation systems. The Earth’s iron core and magnetic field create the magnetic North Pole.

    Discovered in the 1830s, the magnetic North Pole is near Ellesmere Island, Canada, about 500 miles from the geographic North Pole. 

    Weather at the North Pole

    It doesn’t take a meteorologist to know the North Pole is cold pretty much all year round.

    In the coldest part of the year, between the autumnal and vernal equinoxes (late September to late March), there is no sunlight, and temperatures average around 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

    When the North Pole sees nothing but sunlight between late March and late September, temperatures average right around the freezing mark.

    These temperatures are warmer than temperatures at the South Pole because the North Pole sits over water. 

    (AP Photo/David Goldman)

    Visitors to the North Pole

    While the North Pole doesn’t get many visitors outside those elves we mentioned earlier and the occasional explorer (more on that in a minute), animals are sparsely seen.

    You may see a rare polar bear sighting and a flock of migrating birds.

    The Arctic tern is usually spotted there and has the longest migration of any bird, traveling round trip from the North and South Poles every year!

    Exploration of the North Pole

    The main reason for early explorers to seek out and travel through the North Pole was to find a northwest passage or a sea route from the north Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

    Many expeditions took on this task with no luck, with the earliest being in 1827 by British Admiral William Parry.

    A Swedish explorer even tried to reach the North Pole by hydrogen balloon.

    The main debate on who reached the North Pole first is between a pair of Americans, physician Frederick Albert Cook and explorer Robert Peary and their teams. Peary’s team included Matthew Henson, the first African American Arctic explorer.

    Over the years, each man called the other a fraud or claimed their expedition was the first successful trip to the Pole. The men then published accounts of their trips in the booklet “At the Pole with Cook and Peary,” which was a best-seller. The debate about the veracity of both men’s claims is still up for debate. 

    The first verifiable expedition to the Pole was completed in 1926 by Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who was also the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911. Instead of taking a dog-sled, his preferred method to reach the South Pole, he took a dirigible and floated over the Pole with a team of others on board. 

    The USS Nautilus. (AP Photo)

    More fun firsts for the North Pole

    The Soviet Union landed the first planes at the North Pole on April 23, 1948, while the first naval vessel, the U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus, reached the Pole on Aug. 3, 1958.

    One of our favorite facts about the Pole was that Ralph Plaisted of Minnesota was the first to reach the North Pole by snowmobile on April 19, 1968.

    Also, Ann Bancroft was the first female to reach the Pole on May 1, 1986, part of the first expedition to reach the North Pole on foot without being resupplied. 

    Speaking of Santa

    We couldn’t end a story about the North Pole without talking about the jolly elf himself.

    Stories of St. Nick date back centuries, but no one ever knew where he lived. Many credit American illustrator Thomas Nast with popularizing the idea of Santa living at the North Pole in an issue of Harper’s Weekly in 1866.

    The illustration includes the title “Santa Clausville, N.P.,” and at a time when the public had a keen interest in the North Pole, readers understood the abbreviation. 

    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 Nathan Harrington

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  • The birth of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

    The birth of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

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    The heartwarming story of Rudolph guiding Santa through the winter snow helped guide the author to a better life.

    What You Need To Know

    • Robert L. May created Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

    • He wrote the story for his daughter Barbara May Lewis 

    • Barbara says she is Rudolph’s big sister

    • Rudolph has indeed gone down in history

    I had no idea where the story Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer originated, so I had to do some digging.

    The story was always around when I was a child, and yes, I cried when the snow monster took Rudolph over the cliff. Hey, I was four years young!

    Robert (Bob) May wrote the story in 1939. A self-proclaimed outcast, he was smart for his age and skipped a couple of grades. This resulted in him being younger and smaller than his classmates.

    He described himself as a nerdy kid and a loser. I think we can all relate to that sentiment at one point in our lives.

    He used his opinion of himself to help his daughter navigate the challenges of growing up, telling her a bedtime tale of a misfit reindeer.

    Bob always wanted to write an American Novel and eventually found work at Montgomery Ward as a catalog writer. Montgomery Ward was known for giving away free books at Christmas time to children throughout the country.

    May thought Rudolph would be a good character in a book and took pen to paper. After much labor of words, May wrote Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

    Montgomery Ward printed two million copies that year, and Bob received hundreds of letters from children, teachers, and other store managers. It was a huge success. After 10 years, his company gave him the rights to the story.

    With help from May’s brother, a songwriter, they turned the short story into a song. The song found its way to a famous cowboy, Gene Autry, and blew up the charts in 1949. The classic Christmas animation soon followed.

    Rudolph forever earned Bob and his family a comfortable life.

    Rudolph truly went down in history!

    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 Michael Gouldrick

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  • Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders New Legislative Maps In Redistricting Case

    Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders New Legislative Maps In Redistricting Case

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    In an ideologically split 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state’s electoral maps, which were gerrymandered over a decade ago to favor Republicans, were unconstitutional, setting up a redrawing of the maps in advance of the 2024 election in the crucial presidential swing state.

    The court’s majority said that over half of the state assembly’s 99 districts, and at least 20 of its 33 Senate districts, violated the state’s constitutional requirement for districts to be made of “contiguous territory.”

    “Given the language in the Constitution, the question before us is straightforward,” wrote Justice Jill J. Karofsky in the majority decision. “When legislative districts are composed of separate, detached parts, do they consist of ‘contiguous territory’? We conclude that they do not.”

    The GOP-favored maps, first drawn in 2011 when Scott Walker took over the state’s governorship and reinforced in 2022 when conservatives controlled the state’s highest court, have given the Republican Party a stranglehold in the Wisconsin legislature.

    The GOP holds a 64-35 majority in the state assembly and a 22-11 majority in the state senate, even as the state’s electorate remained deeply split in recent presidential elections. In 2020, the state broke for Joe Biden by just over 20,000 votes.

    The decision was praised by Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers. “Wisconsin is a purple state, and I look forward to submitting maps to the Court to consider and review that reflect and represent the makeup of our state,” Evers said in a statement. “And I remain as optimistic as ever that, at long last, the gerrymandered maps Wisconsinites have endured for years might soon be history.”

    Robin Vos, a Republican and the Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, argued that “the case was pre-decided before it was even brought.” Vos added: “[It’s a] sad day for our state when the State Supreme Court just said last year that the existing lines are constitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court will have the last word.”

    Lawmakers must draw up new maps by mid-March 2024, but with time running out, the court’s majority said if the two parties fail to agree, the court would step in and create constitutional maps that would not advantage either Republicans or Democrats.

    The decision reflects the momentous right-to-left swing the court has undergone in the last year. In April, current liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz beat a far-right candidate in the most expensive court election in U.S. history, shifting the court from conservative to liberal control. 

    During her campaign, Protasiewicz had described the state’s electoral maps as “unfair” and “rigged,” leading some GOP officials, led by Vos, to call for her impeachment if she ruled in favor of redrawing the districts.

    Protasiewicz did rule for the majority, but Vos had already appeared to back off on Wednesday. “[Impeachment is] one of the tools that we have in our toolbox that we could use at any time,” he said in an interview. “Is it going to be used? I think it’s super unlikely.”

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    Jack McCordick

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  • Bake up a storm with the sweet flavors of winter

    Bake up a storm with the sweet flavors of winter

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    As the holiday season marches along, why not bake up a flurry of sweet treats with a winter theme?

    What You Need To Know

    • Winter weather themed desserts are very popular through the holidays

    • Cold weather months naturally send people into a baking mood 

    • Many winter weather themed desserts contain very few ingredients

    • Baking is a good way to stay cozy and warm during a snow storm

    Who wants to eat a season? Apparently, some folks do exactly that as soon as December rolls around.

    From snowball cookies to marshmallow snowmen, there is no telling what inspiration dessert makers create with the flurry of baking excitement.

    It takes more than just a few snow flurries to get them going, as there is a version of the sugar cookie called the blizzard. The otherwise tumultuous winter storm vision is folded into a bowl with a wooden spoon and it lands on the parchment in a variety of flavors.

    Although these cookies do not contain actual snow as an ingredient, it’s the combination of sugar, vanilla, butter, flour, eggs and baking powder topped with snowflake and pearl sprinkles that makes it look like a mini snow covered island.

    Does this sound too basic sugar cookie for your taste? If you are looking for more oomph in your holiday snack, there are variations on the original. Take the chocolate, cream cheese and marshmallow blizzard cookie versions instead.

    These recipes make up some rip roaring flavorful combinations in every single bite. What makes the blizzard theme fitting is the combination of sugar cookie ingredients combined with a few extra swirls of partially melted white, chocolate and semi-chocolate chips.

    This gives the cookie a marble coloring that adds the vision of windy or whirling snow within the scrumptious treat. 

    If you want to bring back an original snow ball shaped holiday confection, why not go for the pecan-filled snow ball cookies recipe? This recipe contains only a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand in your pantry. Pecans, flour, salt, sugar, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar, to be exact. 

    If you are looking for more fun and easy winter dessert recipes, check here. Or you can just search winter inspired desserts or snowflake cookies and you’ll be blown away at the possibilities.

    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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    Heather Morrison

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  • FSU board backs lawsuit challenging contract that binds school to ACC

    FSU board backs lawsuit challenging contract that binds school to ACC

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida State Board of Trustees on Friday cleared the way for a lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference, challenging a contract that binds the school to the league for the next 12 years and creating a potential path to leave without paying more than $500 million in penalties.

    What You Need To Know

    • FSU trustees Friday approved a legal challenge to the contract that ties the Seminoles to the ACC

    • The university seeks a way to potentially leave the conference without paying over $500 million in penalties

    • The lawsuit says the ACC’s grant of rights violates antitrust law and its penalties are unenforceable

    • The ACC said the move violates FSU’s commitments to the ACC and its members and that the program re-signed the deal in 2016

    “I believe this board has been left no choice but to challenge the legitimacy of the ACC grant of rights and its severe withdrawal penalties,” Florida State Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins said during a trustees meeting.

    The lawsuit was filed soon after in Leon County Circuit Court, claiming the ACC has mismanaged its media rights and is imposing “draconian” exit fees

    Florida State outside counsel David Ashburn said a lawsuit was ready to be filed that claims the ACC’s grant of rights violates antitrust law and has unenforceable withdrawal penalties. Ashburn said it would cost a school $572 million to withdraw from the conference. The lawsuit also accuses the ACC of breach of contract and violation of public policy.

    ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Virginia President Jim Ryan, chairman of the conference’s board of directors, posted a response to the lawsuit on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

    “Florida State’s decision to file action against the Conference is in direct conflict with their longstanding obligations and is a clear violation of their legal commitments to the other members of the Conference,” the ACC said in the post. “All ACC members, including Florida State, willingly and knowingly re-signed the current Grant of Rights in 2016, which is wholly enforceable and binding through 2036.”

    Florida State is looking for a way out of the conference it has been a member of since 1992 because it believes the ACC is locked into an undervalued and unusually lengthy media rights deal with ESPN that runs through 2036. The school leaders also say the league refuses to change its revenue distribution model to match FSU’s value.

    “It is a simple math problem,” Florida State athletic director Michael Alford said. “A very clear math problem.”

    FSU leaders have been pushing for unequal distribution of revenue for more than a year. The ACC has agreed to create a bonus system that would direct more revenue to schools that have postseason success in football and basketball, but that has not solved the frustration at FSU.

    “It’s time for us to try to do something about it,” Florida State President Richard McCullough said.

    McCullough said the trustees’ approval of the legal challenge was not a direct reaction to FSU recently being left out of the College Football Playoff, despite having an undefeated record. Florida State will play Georgia at 4 p.m. Dec. 30 in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

    “This is not a reaction, but something we’ve done a lot of due diligence on,” he said.

    Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said on X, “Proud of Florida State, Pres McCullough and the FSU BOT for their bold action today to take a stand against an untenable situation. Unfortunate that it came to this, but college athletics is changing by the second and Florida must once again lead the way.”

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Weather Explained: Increasing your odds of having a white Christmas

    Weather Explained: Increasing your odds of having a white Christmas

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    So, you’re dreaming of a white Christmas? In some cities, a white Christmas is quite a treat!

    In 2004, a freak storm delivered a white Christmas to the residents of Brownsville, TX. It was the first white Christmas for the community, which hasn’t seen measurable snow since 1899.

    If you want to plan your travels next year to increase your odds of a white Christmas, your best bet is somewhere north and in the mountains.

    Aspen, Colorado, for example, has a white Christmas nearly every single year! Why? Not only is it much colder at their elevation (8,000 ft), but the community is farther north and away from large bodies of water. 

    Watch the video above to learn more about the best places to have a white Christmas, and keep up with your forecast to see what Christmas looks like for you!

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    Meteorologist Nick Merianos

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  • PolitiFact – Did Wisconsin's governor reject Iowa modeled redistricting plan he had earlier endorsed?

    PolitiFact – Did Wisconsin's governor reject Iowa modeled redistricting plan he had earlier endorsed?

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    The State of Wisconsin’s redistricting process has been fraught for years, facing government deadlocks and interventions from the federal courts.  

    The fall 2023 legislative session marked yet another addition to this prickly timeline when Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced a redistricting bill he said tracked closely with an idea Democrats had long supported: “An Iowa-style nonpartisan redistricting” model that would allow the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau to write new legislative maps.  

    Democratic Gov. Tony Evers quickly dismissed the legislation as “bogus,” prompting Vos to respond in a Sept. 15, 2023 news release: Democrats “rejected our (Iowa model) proposal to enact the very plan they originally endorsed.” 

    So is Vos correct that Democrats are now opposing the very idea they advocated for years? 

    First, what is the Iowa model and how does it compare to the GOP plan? 

    In response to an email from PolitiFact Wisconsin seeking backup, Vos’ spokesperson, Angela Joyce wrote: “There have to be some differences as our Constitution is different than Iowa’s, and in listening to Democrats’ concerns, we made some amendments to the legislation.”

    Let’s start with the Iowa system.

    Since 1980, Iowa’s legislative districts have been drawn by nonpartisan staff with their Legislative Services Agency. Under Iowa law, legislative maps cannot be redrawn with the intent of favoring a political party, incumbent state legislator or member of Congress. Key provisions include:  

    • The state’s Legislative Services Agency holds three public hearings on a proposed set of maps, then submits a report on the maps to the state’s legislature, which may vote to approve or reject them. No amendments are allowed other than corrections to errors. 

    • If lawmakers reject the first proposal, the agency has 35 days to propose a new set of maps addressing the reasons the first set were voted down. This process can happen one more time, with the agency offering a third proposal. If the process makes its way to a third proposal, the legislation can be amended — or lawmakers can draft their own set. If the Legislature adopts its own maps, they are subject to review by the state Supreme Court, which in Iowa is composed of appointed, rather than elected, justices. If the legislature fails to adopt maps the Iowa Supreme Court adopts a plan. 

    The GOP’s plan is almost identical to what Democrats proposed as early as 2003 in its key element: transferring map-drawing authority away from partisans and to the state’s Legislative Reference Bureau. 

    The Republicans’ proposal has some small variations to accommodate for differences between the states’ constitutions, according to a memo prepared by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau.  

    Per the memo, here are key ways they are similar: 

    • Both Iowa and the GOP’s proposed legislation prohibit the drawing agency from using data on incumbent legislator addresses, voters’ political affiliations, previous election results and demographic information. 

    • Both create a redistricting advisory commission to hold public hearings, report on map proposals, and perform other duties. 

    • The Iowa legislature’s feedback must, to the extent allowed by Iowa’s statutes and the Constitution, be incorporated into the second or third map proposal. If a map proposal is vetoed by the governor, the governor’s feedback must be incorporated into the second or third map proposal. The GOP’s proposed legislation has similar requirements for incorporating the legislature and governor’s feedback between map proposals. 

    Why are Democrats critical of the GOP plan? 

    Democrats point to a provision in the Republican legislation for what happens if the attempt to agree on maps gets to a third try. Evers’ most recent proposals required a three-fourths supermajority to approve changes made on the third attempt. Under the Republican plan, a simple majority could approve changes in the third attempt. Evers wants the supermajority to ensure that one party does not ultimately enact a partisan gerrymander at the end of the process

    As the Journal Sentinel reported in a Sept. 14 article:  

    “Democratic lawmakers who have worked on redistricting bills are put off by the fact that the GOP proposal is most similar to a bill from 2015 — rather than more recent proposals that have been adjusted and still received support from a handful of Republicans….. 

    “Under the GOP bill, the Legislative Reference Bureau would submit maps to the Legislature, which could reject the first two proposals. Once a third proposal is introduced, lawmakers could amend it with a simple majority. It would then require the governor’s approval, and would likely end up in the courts without an agreement — unless the Legislature were able to override the governor’s veto. 

    “Recent bills, and Evers’ budget proposal, would have required a three-fourths majority to approve the final maps.” 

     

    Why do Vos and other Assembly GOP members want this now?  

    Passage of the legislation would bypass lawsuits before the state Supreme Court that seek to rewrite the current Republican-favorable maps that were adopted in 2021.  

    With the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz earlier this year, liberals hold a majority on the court for the first time in years. Protasiewicz rebuffed calls by Vos and others to recuse herself from the lawsuits  – a move which Vos has warned could lead to her impeachment after she called the current maps “rigged” while campaigning for the court seat. The court heard oral arguments Nov. 21.  

    Our ruling 

    In a news release, Vos claimed Evers and Democrats “rejected our (Iowa model) proposal to enact the very plan they originally endorsed.”  

    There are a lot of key parallels in the Iowa redistricting model and a redistricting bill proposed here in Wisconsin. In fact, Wisconsin’s nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau termed them “virtually identical.”

    And Democrats as early as 2003 called for transferring map-drawing authority to the bureau and away from lawmakers. The Republican proposal does that. But the GOP plan also abandons a key provision that Evers introduced in 2019, requiring approval of three-fourths of all members in the Assembly and Senate to pass the maps if a third round of voting becomes necessary. 

    Our definition of Mostly True is that the statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.

    That fits here. 

     

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  • Pacific storm dumps heavy rains

    Pacific storm dumps heavy rains

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    SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Torrential rain flooded homes and streets in Southern California’s coastal cities Thursday, stranding some drivers in typically idyllic Santa Barbara and compounding holiday travel headaches.

    The downpours targeted Ventura and Santa Barbara counties northwest of Los Angeles County overnight, swamping areas in the cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where a police detective carried a woman on his back after the SUV she was riding in got stuck in knee-deep floodwaters.

    Rainfall rates exceeding 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) an hour unleashed flash flooding about 1:30 a.m. in Ventura County, the National Weather Service said. Later in the morning, streets began filling with water in parts of Santa Barbara as the storm delivered another deluge. By midday, the rain and wind had eased and residents ventured outside to look at the damage.

    Sven Dybdahl, owner of olive oil and vinegar store Viva Oliva in downtown Santa Barbara, said he had trouble finding dry routes to work Thursday morning, but most of the heavy rains and flooding had receded shortly before 11 a.m. He said he was grateful that the weather is only expected to be an issue for a few days at the tail end of the holiday shopping season, otherwise he’d be worried about how the rains would affect his store’s bottom line.

    “It will have an impact but thankfully it’s happening quite late,” he said.

    The city of Port Hueneme issued evacuation orders for residences on four streets and warned of potential evacuations on four other streets. About 60 houses were affected by the orders, all in a senior citizen community, said Firefighter Andy VanSciver, a Ventura County fire spokesperson. An evacuation center was set up at a college gymnasium.

    Three people from the senior community were taken to hospitals out of an abundance of caution, and there were multiple rescues of drivers from flooded vehicles, he said.

    The city of Oxnard said in a social media post that many streets and intersections were heavily impacted. “Please stay off the city streets for the next several hours until the water recedes,” the post said.

    “This is a genuinely dramatic storm,” climate scientist Daniel Swain, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an online briefing. “In Oxnard, particularly, overnight there were downpours that preliminary data suggests were probably the heaviest downpours ever observed in that part of Southern California.”

    The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Oxnard and the city of Ventura at 1:28 a.m. due to a high-intensity thunderstorm, but no tornado activity was immediately observed, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.

    Hours later at Heritage Coffee and Gifts in downtown Oxnard, manager Carlos Larios said the storm hadn’t made a dent in their Thursday morning rush despite “gloomy” skies.

    “People are still coming in to get coffee, which is surprising,” he said. “I don’t think the rain is going to stop many people from being out and about.”

    Pedestrians walk on a flooded sidewalk as rain comes down, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 in Santa Barbara, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

    The storm swept through Northern California earlier in the week as the center of the low-pressure system slowly moved south off the coast. Forecasters described it as a “cutoff low,” a storm that is cut off from the general west-to-east flow and can linger for days, increasing the amount of rainfall.

    The system was producing hit-and-miss bands of precipitation rather than generalized widespread rainfall. Forecasters said the low would wobble slightly away from the coast on Thursday, drawing moisture away and allowing some sunshine, but will return.

    The San Diego-area weather office warned that rather than fizzling, the storm was gathering energy and its main core would move through that region overnight through Friday morning.

    Meanwhile, Californians were gearing up for holiday travel and finishing preparations for Christmas. The Automobile Club of Southern California predicted 9.5 million people in the region would travel during the year-end holiday period.

    The Northeast was hit with an unexpectedly strong storm earlier this week, and some parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were still digging out from rain and wind damage. Parts of Maine along the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers were hit especially hard.

    Floodwaters were receding throughout northern New England, though some localized areas were still in the flood stage, said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were also still in effect in parts of Maine and New Hampshire, he said.

    At least four people died in Maine as a result of the storm.

    The storm cut power to 400,000 customers in Maine, and restoration was still underway Thursday morning.

    —-

    Antczak reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Short day, long night: The winter solstice explained

    Short day, long night: The winter solstice explained

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    It’s December, there’s a chill in the air, and more places are seeing snow. With the days getting shorter and the nights longer, the transition to winter is apparent. 

    The winter solstice marks the official start of winter, which will take place on Thursday this year.

    What You Need To Know

    • The winter solstice is a time and not a day

    • This year, the solstice will occur at 10:27 p.m. ET on Dec. 21

    • The solstice is when the Northern Hemisphere’s tilt away from the sun is at its maximum

    The tilt of the Earth

    The tilt of the Earth to the sun is the reason we have our seasons. Believe it or not, the Earth is closer to the sun during our winter.

    It’s Earth’s tilt that gives us our season.

    During the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt away from the sun, putting the sun at a lower elevation.

    We also get the shortest day and longest night of the year on the winter solstice.

    This year, our winter solstice occurs at 10:27 p.m. ET on Dec. 21.

    If you’re not a fan of the shorter days, don’t worry. After Dec. 21, the days gradually get longer until the summer solstice on June 20, 2024.

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

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    Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • Christmas tree syndrome: Why your allergies may flare up

    Christmas tree syndrome: Why your allergies may flare up

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    If you notice more sniffles and worsening allergy symptoms this time of year, you may suffer from “Christmas Tree Syndrome,” according to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pine pollen may cause sneezing inside your home

    • Mold spores are also a possible culprit

    • Artificial trees can also cause allergies to flare

    • Some types of live trees are better than others for allergies

    If you notice more allergy and asthma symptoms with a live tree in the house, pine pollen is most likely the problem. Otherwise, experts warn that mold spores could grow on your Christmas tree.

    In a 2011 study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers took samples from their own Christmas trees and discovered more than 50 kinds of molds.

    (Pixabay)

    Allergies and asthma symptoms aren’t just caused by real trees, either. Even those who opt for a fake Christmas tree could still feel ill.

    If not properly stored in your basement or attic, dust and mold can accumulate or grow on the branches, aggravating symptoms.

    Combating the issue

    According to the American Christmas Tree Association, shaking out and hosing off real trees before bringing indoors can reduce allergy and asthma symptoms in some people. Although you’ll want to let the tree dry off before transferring indoors.

    Since drying off can take a while, experts claim you can use a dry air compressor to speed up the process.

    Using an air purifier and taking down the tree the day after Christmas can also reduce exposure to any mold spores that are still present on the tree.

    Those who decide on an artificial tree should also thoroughly dust and wipe down its branches to remove any allergens before putting up and taking down. This can also apply to any other indoor decorations you decide to put up, too.

    Once the holidays are over, place the tree and its components in an air-tight container and avoid storing it in a cardboard box. Cardboard is an ideal breeding ground for molds to grow on, which could spread to your tree.

    (iStock)

    Provided pollen is your biggest trigger, choosing a fake tree would probably be your best bet. However, if you are dead-set on putting up a live Christmas tree, experts recommend trying a fir, spruce, or cypress.

    Two popular suggestions for those with allergies or who are sensitive to tree scents are the White Fir and Leyland Cypress.

    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 Katie Walls

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  • Most of the U.S. will have to dream of a white Christmas this year

    Most of the U.S. will have to dream of a white Christmas this year

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    Burl Ives sang the words “I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer”… you’re going to need the cup of cheer, because most of the country won’t wake up to a winter wonderland next Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • A mild pattern has kept winter storms at bay

    • Very few areas will have at least an inch of snow on the ground on Monday

    • This year’s snow coverage is relatively low compared to the long-term average



    The recent mild pattern has been quite persistent and will stay that way right through the holiday. Here’s what temperatures compared to average look like through Monday.

    The relative warmth is great news for travelers hoping snow and ice won’t snarl their pre-holiday trip. But for those who like seeing a white Christmas, it’s a disappointment. Here’s where one of our reliable computer models predicts at least an inch of snow will be on the ground Christmas morning (which is the definition of a white Christmas).

    Snow will definitely be in short supply this year. For example, those who average three out of four Christmases being white… well, this year is that one-out-of-four.

    Travel weather next week likely involves a couple of weather systems in the central and eastern U.S. that’ll produce both rain and snow. Keep up with your local forecast to see what conditions may be like in your area–rain, snow or shine.

    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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  • PolitiFact – Wisconsin senator's claim that Dems used alternative slates of electors 'repeatedly' is false'

    PolitiFact – Wisconsin senator's claim that Dems used alternative slates of electors 'repeatedly' is false'

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    It’s been three years since a group of Republicans gathered at the state Capitol in Madison, with armed guards, trying to cast electoral votes for then-President Donald Trump, despite not being the official electors for the state and even though Trump lost.  

    But U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is still defending their actions — even after the group in a court filing acknowledged the group’s actions were used to try to overturn the election. 

    In a Dec. 11 interview on CNN, Johnson was asked if Robert Spindell, who serves on the Wisconsin Elections Commission and was one of the fake electors, should resign from his position for participating in the scheme. 

    Johnson said Spindell shouldn’t resign, there was an “active court case” and there were “all kinds of irregularities in Wisconsin in the 2020 election.”

    “In order to make sure that the case wasn’t determined to be moot, they had to have an alternate slate of electors just like Democrats have done repeatedly in all kinds of different states,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing untoward about what they did. There was nothing illegal about what they did. They were just an alternate slate of electors.”  

    Kaitlan Collins, host of “The Source wuth Kaitlan Collins” on CNN, pushed back, asking whether he meant they did nothing wrong. 

    “These folks did nothing different than Democrats have done in many states,” Johnson said.  

    Collins then asked whether a person who participated in the fake electors scheme should remain on a state board.  

    “Democrat electors have done that repeatedly,” Johnson said, ignoring the question. “It’s happened in different states.” 

    Is Johnson right that that Democrats have also used alternate slates of electors “repeatedly in all kinds of different states”

    In a word: No. 

    Johnson’s response

    When we asked Johnson’s office to back up the claim, which created a lot of conversation on social media, spokesperson Kiersten Pels said “the senator meant that Democrats have ‘repeatedly’ been denying and challenging elections for decades and cited the below examples in a tweet response to CNN.”

    But that’s not what Johnson said, and it’s not what viewers heard. If anything, it’s an acknowledgement that, at best, the senator misspoke. 

    The response Pels referred to included four examples. We’ll take a look at them, through the prism of the claim Johnson made on CNN. 

    They fall short. For instance, only one of the four even involves a slate of electors.

    1960 election: Hawaii electors  

    Johnson asserted: “In the 1960 election, Democrats in Hawaii chose an alternative slate of electors, allowing JFK to be certified as the winner.”

    That election, in which Democrat John F. Kennedy defeated Republican Richard Nixon, is one of the most memorably close presidential elections in U.S. history.  

    Here is some background from a Aug. 25 Politico article, which sought to debunk the same sort of comparison, which other Republicans were advancing. 

    In December 1960, Hawaii’s election results were still in doubt. Nixon was leading by 140 votes with a recount underway. At the same time, presidential electors were meeting to cast their ballots, as law requires. Hawaii electors for both Nixon and Kennedy met separately to cast their votes for their respective candidates and sent them to Washington, D.C.  

    The recount put Kennedy ahead by roughly 115 votes, giving him the state. The results were then certified and a new slate of Electoral College certificates were signed and sent to Washington.  

    But the Hawaii electors were chosen, on the date prescribed by law, while the recount was underway and the result was still in question. In Wisconsin, the Republican fake electors met after a Trump-backed recount failed and after the courts had already certified Joe Biden as the winner.

    So, contrary to Johnson’s assertion, it was not the alternate slate of electors that allowed Kennedy to be chosen. It was the result of the recount. What’s more, Nixon himself — then the vice president — had slates of electors from both parties before him, and chose the Democratic one after the Hawaii recount was completed and certified for Kennedy. 

    2004 election: Republican George W. Bush and Democrat John Kerry

    Johnson asserted: In 2005, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones led a group of 31 representatives in objecting to the certification of Ohio’s electors. Those 31 include Jim Clyburn, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee, now-Sen. Ed Markey, Benny Thompson and Maxine Waters.  

    Johnson has the facts right, but applies them incorrectly to support his CNN claim. The Democrats objected to a rightfully-chosen slate of electors. They did not offer an alternate slate of electors. 

    2016 election: “Rogue electors” discuss trying to block Trump

    Johnson asserted: “In 2016, Democrat electors from Washington state and Colorado signed onto an attempt to block Trump from winning an Electoral College majority.”

    When Trump won in 2016, defeating Hillary Clinton, many Democrats were upset at the results.  

    After the election, Politico reported in Nov. 2016, some Democrat electors were trying to rally support for other electors to not vote for Trump — this was what was termed “rogue electors” at the time. Likewise, some electors considered not voting for Clinton in states Clinton won.  

    Again, this is not a slate of fake electors.

    2016 election: More anti-Trump fallout

    Johnson’s final assertion: “In 2017, Reps. Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee, Raúl Grijalva, Maxine Waters, and Jim McGovern, all objected to electoral votes for Trump.”

    As in 2005, when the formal certification process was underway in Congress, some Democrats in the House objected to the electoral votes that were cast for Trump. 

    Biden, then vice president, presided over the joint body, heard the objections and at one point told Jayapal, who objected to Georgia’s vote certificate, “it is over.”  

    Again, this did not involve a slate of fake electors.

    Finally, it is worth noting that after the 2020 election many Republicans objected to certifying various electoral votes for Biden. Indeed, that was part of the overall scheme — to have alternate slates of electors put in front of then-Vice President Mike Pence, so he could accept them instead of the legitimate ones.

    Johnson’s role with fake electors 

    It’s worth noting Johnson will always be connected with the issue, based on a text exchange that was revealed by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the capitol.  

    On Jan. 6, 2021, Sean Riley, a Johnson aide, texted Chris Hodgson, a Pence staff member, saying Johnson “needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise.”  

    “What is it?” Hodgson responded. 

    “Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didn’t receive them,” Riley said.  

    “Do not give that to him,” Hodgson said.  

    Hours later the U.S. Capitol was under siege by Trump supporters hoping to delay the Electoral College vote count and overturn the election.  

    Johnson has changed his explanation of his involvement from having “no involvement in an alternate slate of electors” to admitting he was made aware of “Wisconsin electors” by a Dane County attorney and facilitated a text message introduction with a staff member and the attorney. 

    Our ruling 

    In a CNN interview, Johnson claimed Democrats have also used alternate slates of electors “repeatedly in all kinds of different states.”

    That is wrong. His own aide acknowledged that Johnson meant to make a different point, a more general one about Democrats objecting to past election results. And, in any case, none of the evidence Johnson provided matches the original claim. 

    We rate the claim False.

     

     

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