Articles

Do you want to start your own weather company?  Doing so can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll do during your career.  

Early fall may offer perfect beach conditions, but offshore storms can create dangerous rip currents and large waves just as lifeguard coverage decreases. Beach safety expert Bruckner Chase will share tips for staying safe this season, updated NOAA safety messaging, and insights into 2024 drowning statistics in an important webinar for weather communicators and beachgoers.

“What value to decision- making is a map that is red everywhere all of the time?”
—Justin Mankin of Dartmouth College, on a recent finding that the U.S. Drought Monitor may not be keeping up with actual drought conditions across the country.

Bill Sjoberg, consultant with Leverage Information Technology in Lanham, Maryland, with advice for job-seekers looking to establish a career. For more, listen to the Clear Skies Ahead (https://blubrry.com/clear_skies_ahead/), with new episodes released every month.

Bob Henson provides tips for discussing climate change in everyday conversations, focusing on clear, relatable communication without overwhelming others with facts. He emphasizes addressing common misconceptions and maintaining a hopeful tone to encourage constructive dialogue.

Dr. Lourdes B. Avilés shares her journey from casually admiring atmospheric optics like rainbows to a deeper interest in rare phenomena such as antisolar halos, which are caused by sunlight reflecting and refracting through ice crystals on the opposite side of the sun. After years of searching, she finally experienced the thrill of spotting these elusive halos during a flight, capturing a quick glimpse that deepened her passion for understanding these unique atmospheric effects.

Hear from space weather experts about the May 2024 aurora event. They discuss space weather forecasts, their accuracy, and challenges communicating the science. 

Aboard the South African icebreaker S.A. Agulhas II on the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, researchers were conducting a study of rogue waves in a region where oceanic conditions are among the most extreme on Earth.

I have been chasing storms during the Arizona monsoon season with my camera for the past ten years or so, and on August 11, 2022 I found myself southeast of Tucson with some promising indications of activity appearing on radar.

22%—The overall decline in the annual amount of water in mountain snowpacks in the contiguous United States since 1982, according to research published recently in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.

Stormtracker 16 Meteorologist Jeremy Lewan breaks down the best practices to keep you safe while enjoying your beach vacation.

The Weather Band Photo Contest showcases incredible weather photography from around the world. In our "Weather Lens" webinar, 2023 winners Kristy Sharkey, Elan Azriel, and Michael Seger shared their insights. The session, moderated by retired TV meteorologist Alan Sealls, offered valuable tips for anyone getting into weather photography. Thinking about entering our 2024 Photo Contest (open until August 30)? Check out their advice!

Jan Null, a forensic meteorologist and Certified Consulting Meteorologist at Golden Gate Weather Services in Half Moon Bay, California, speaks on his approach to the challenges of depositions and trials. For more, listen to the Clear Skies Ahead podcast at https://blubrry.com/clear_skies_ahead/, with new episodes released every month.

2024 temperatures are expected to be well above average and possibly even hotter. In the summer months, it is important to monitor how your body feels in the heat to prevent heat-related illnesses. This webinar explains what actions you can take to combat extreme heat impacts to your health this summer.

On 21 May, 2024, a powerful tornado struck Greenfield, Iowa, where an NSF BEST project team, including Karen Kosiba, PhD, and Jen Walton of Girls Who Chase, captured record-setting data. We spoke with them about their experiences and findings.

On May 21, 2024, DOW radars near Greenfield, IA, recorded EF4 tornado windspeeds of 309-318 mph, among the fastest ever! Hear from scientists who've gotten up close with tornadoes in 2024, and learn how the NSF-funded BEST project will enhance tornado prediction and safety.

Sixty percent of lightning and three-quarters of lightning fatalities in the U.S. occurs between June and August. Keep an eye on the weather forecast before your outdoor plans and consider postponing if thunderstorms are expected. If you’re outside and you hear thunder, just remember: When thunder roars, go indoors!

Strong microburst during a summer thunderstorm.

As an AMS member spanning four decades, I am sharing recent research and resources that should attract and inform anyone interested in California’s weather and climate. We are sharing a colorful and informative website that includes California weather stories and updates from each season. Surf through our stories and enjoy learning about the latest from the Golden State. You might even want to contribute some of your discoveries to our website in the form of stories, images, or links to other research.

PROBLEM: Satellites collect a wealth of information about Earth, but data they collect about the planet’s water bodies either have high spatial detail with just occasional updates or lower spatial detail with more frequent updates, forcing scientists to choose between accuracy and frequency. Data fusion, which combines data snapshots from multiple sources, is used as a workaround but is limited by sensitivity to atmospheric disturbances and other climatic factors that can result in noise, outliers, and missing data.

SOLUTION: ...

Whatever coastline is in your summer plans, always respect the water and remember that where weather, water, waves, and people meet, stay situationally aware to keep the lifeguards dry and your holiday safe and fun. 
 

Q: When increasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) help to further heat Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, water evaporates more easily from the warmed seas and into the warmer air that can hold more water vapor, which should lead to more precipitation. Why then have many studies not clearly shown twentieth-century precipitation increases in concert with GHG levels?

Ginger Zee, chief meteorologist and chief climate correspondent of the Climate Unit at ABC News in New York, on experiences she pursued to improve her on-air skills. For more, listen to the Clear Skies Ahead podcast (https://blubrry.com/clear_skies_ahead/), with new episodes released every month.