Weather and Climate News

Everything You Need to Know About Wildfires in One Map

Summer's heat is settling in early in parts of the West, and may arrive in earnest this weekend. With sweltering days ahead, the rising specter of wildfires isn’t far behind. To get the big-picture, we’ve created a brand new wildfire tracker that shows where every wildfire is burning with a side of climate. Hover over a red circle to see how much

2015 Was a Year for the Climate Record Books

The long-term warming of the planet, as well as an exceptionally strong El Niño, led to numerous climate records in 2015, including milestones for global temperatures, carbon dioxide levels and ocean heat, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s annual State of the Climate Report. “The future is happening now,” WMO Secretary-General

A Monster El Niño Transforms the World's Weather

From crippling drought in southern Africa to a record number of February tornadoes in the U.S. Southeast, an exceptionally strong El Niño has been making headlines around the globe as it tampers with the world’s weather. While the event has begun its slow decline, those wide-ranging impacts will continue to be felt for weeks and months to come

The Canyon Creek Complex fire on August 14, 2015

Mapping Northwest Forest Vulnerability to Climate Change

Last year, drought killed some 12 million trees in California’s national forests, according to the U.S. Forest Service, while in Oregon and Washington over 1.6 million acres were affected by wildfires, according to Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. But what if managers had known beforehand which regions would be most vulnerable? Could some

Winter Snow a No-Show in Parts of Alaska Thanks to Warm Weather

The snows are falling again across the East Coast, but up in parts of Alaska, snow has been a virtual no-show this winter thanks to extremely warm temperatures and weather patterns that have kept storms away. With temperatures expected to stay warm through February, concerns over the potential impact on the coming wildfire season are rising. Both

This Is Why The Pacific Northwest Was So Warm in 2015

Last year, Oregon and Washington experienced their warmest year on record. Here’s what we know about 2015’s anything-but-normal climate. The big climatic event for the Northwest in 2015 was the severe drought. Many of our region’s typically snow-covered mountains were reduced to bare ground. This meant that precipitation fell largely as rain, not

The 2015 Wildfire Season Set an Ominous Record

The U.S. as a whole may finally be feeling winter’s chill, but the newly released 2015 wildfire numbers serve as a reminder of how hot and smoky the past year was. The National Interagency Fire Center’s numbers vividly illustrate how that 2015 was a record setter. U.S. wildfires scorched 10.12 million acres. That bests the previous mark of 9.87

Changing drought patterns across the U.S. at the start of each decade through 2095

The 7 Most Interesting Climate Findings of the Year

At Climate Central, we love climate research (but really, who doesn’t?). We cover it relentlessly and a lot of findings have come through our inboxes this year. All those studies are crucial to shaping both what we know about the world we currently live in as well as what we’re in store for in the future depending on how we respond to climate

Wildfires set to clear fields in the Amazon

El Niño Impacts Could Spark Amazon Fires Next Fall

In the coming weeks, this year’s super El Niño impacts should kick into high gear and last through the winter. However, one of the biggest impacts might not make headlines until well after the “Godzilla” El Niño returns to the depths of the ocean. On Tuesday at the annual American Geophysical Union meeting, scientists indicated that this winter’s

A proposed constellation of satellites with thermal infrared imaging sensors that could locate wildfires

These Tiny Satellites Could Keep an Eye on Wildfires

Close your eyes. Imagine a world where satellites smaller than a shoebox could tell you about every fire burning on earth. Now open them. You’re living in that world (or at least you will be in just a few years). NASA has announced an ambitious plan to surround the earth with hundreds of tiny satellites that could monitor wildfires in near real

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Is Your State Prepared for
Climate Change?

How much has your state done to prepare for climate change related threats? With the new States at Risk: America's Preparedness Report Card (statesatrisk.org), the answer is easy to find. Chief Meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky tells us about a state that made an A, and another than earned an F. Was it yours?

Working on the Weather Forecast…For 2050

I was in the middle of putting together a half-hour drought special when the World Meteorological Organizaiton was asked to make a Sacramento 2050 forecast ahead of the Paris climate talks slated for early December. I thought this 2050 forecast would be a great way to end the special. Want to know where we are headed folks? Here’s a look.