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☆ What is cloud seeding and does it work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Officials at the country’s National Center of Meteorology have been cited as saying the rain was not caused by cloud seeding. Here’s what to know about cloud seeding. What is cloud seeding? Cloud seeding is a weather modification concept that attempts to draw more rain or snow out of a cloud than would occur naturally. Does cloud seeding work?

Persons: hasn’t, ” Daniel Swain, ” Swain, Rachel Ramirez, Angela Fritz Organizations: CNN, United, National, of Meteorology, Aircraft, UCLA, National Academies of Sciences, United Arab Locations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE, China, Oman, Iran, Gulf of Oman

☆ Fires Are the Sum of Our Choices
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In early February, the deadliest South American wildfires in a century swept through Valparaiso, Chile, killing more than a hundred people. In the United States, mercifully little land burned — only 2.6 million acres, which was less than half the recent average. But in Canada, fires ate through more than twice as much forest as the country’s previous modern record, the total burn scar large enough that more than half the world’s countries could fit inside. In Greece, one fire forced the country’s largest-ever evacuation, and another became the largest fire in the history of the European Union. And in the United States, especially, you increasingly hear a somewhat contrarian explanation that emphasizes fire suppression rather than warming.

Persons: “, Stephen Pyne, Daniel Swain Organizations: European Union, Sydney Locations: Valparaiso, Chile, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii’s, United States, Canada, Greece, Australia, McMurray , Alberta, Hawaii, Boulder County, Colo

☆ Mudslides and Flooding Reported Across Los Angeles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Jill Cowan | More About Jill Cowan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mudslides and severe flooding were reported in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, as a storm that made its way to Southern California after pummeling northern areas of the state was forecast to bring more heavy rain and winds for another day. “If you’re worried about the north, I’m more worried about the south and what’s to come.”There were mudslides on all canyon roads in and out of Malibu, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. And in the Studio City neighborhood, firefighters had evacuated six people from two homes as water dragged debris down into the area, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Officials warned that the worst was likely still to come, with heavy rain expected for at least the next 24 hours. The danger, they said, was not primarily from winds lashing power lines or trees (although thousands were without power as of Sunday night).

Persons: Dr, Daniel Swain, I’m, Rather Organizations: University of California, Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Fire Department Locations: Los Angeles, Southern California, what’s, Malibu, Angeles, Studio

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The first of two back-to-back atmospheric rivers drenched Northern California on Thursday, flooding roads while triggering statewide storm preparations and calls for people to get ready for powerful downpours, heavy snow and damaging winds. Forecasters also said the Central Coast could see waves up to 18 feet (5.4 meters) high on Thursday and Friday. The storm came a week after heavy rain caused flooding that inundated homes and overturned cars in the county. Last winter, California was battered by numerous drought-busting atmospheric rivers that unleashed extensive flooding, big waves that hammered shoreline communities and extraordinary snowfall that crushed buildings. ___Associated Press journalists Nic Coury in Capitola, California, and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed to this report.

Persons: Brian Ferguson, Cal OES, ” Ferguson, Joshua Whitby, “ There’s, ” Whitby, Daniel Swain, Swain, Snow, Nic Coury, Scott Sonner Organizations: ANGELES, San, San Francisco Bay Area, National Weather Service, Bay, Service, California Governor’s, Emergency Services, University of California, Yosemite National, Associated Locations: Northern California, San Francisco Bay, Coast, Central, Pacifica, San Mateo County, Humboldt County, Eureka, San Diego County, Hawaii, California, Oregon, San Diego, Capitola, Monterey Bay, Los Angeles, Sierra Nevada, Sierra, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Reno , Nevada, Capitola , California

☆ California Braces for Back-To-Back Atmospheric River Storms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The first of the back-to-back storms, both products of vast airborne currents of dense moisture called atmospheric rivers, was expected to hit Northern California on Wednesday and sweep over the Southern California coast on Thursday. Some roadways and streams could flood in Southern California on Thursday, though major bouts of inundation are less likely, according to Swain. "Suffice it to say there will be some flooding in Southern California," Swain said. A series of about a dozen atmospheric river storms lashed California in rapid succession last winter, causing mass evacuations, power outages, levee breaches and road closures in a state long preoccupied with drought and wildfires. The latest storms are expected to help improve the state's water supply picture, which is lagging at below-average levels so far this winter.

Persons: Steve Gorman, Daniel Swain, Swain, Lincoln Organizations: ANGELES, Reuters, University of California, National Weather Service Locations: California, Northern California, Southern California, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay, Central Coast, Swain, Diego, Ventura County

The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. Former NASA climate scientist James Hansen, often considered the godfather of global warming science, theorized last year that warming was accelerating. That’s 0.27 degrees (0.15 degrees Celsius) warmer than the previous record set in 2016 and 2.43 degrees (1.35 degrees Celsius) warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. NASA and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office had the warming since the mid-19th century a bit higher at 2.5 degrees (1.39 degrees Celsius) and 2.63 degrees (1.46 degrees Celsius) respectively. It’s the third time in the last eight years that a global heat record was set.

Persons: Nature, ”, Katharine Jacobs, Gavin Schmidt, El, NASA's Schmidt, Schmidt, Samantha Burgess, Europe's, Burgess, James Hansen, Daniel Swain, Russ Vose, Jennifer Francis, Katharine Hayhoe, Randall Cerveny, “, ” Cerveny, Natalie Mahowald, “ I've, Kim Cobb, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Associated Press, University of Arizona, El Nino, Service, NASA, AP, UCLA, U.S . National Oceanic, Administration, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental, United Kingdom Meteorological Office, . Records, World Meteorological Organization, Climate Research, Conservancy, NOAA, Arizona State University, WMO, Cornell University, The Associated Press Locations: British, El, Paris, Brown, AP.org

Riverside Animal Control looks for stray dogs as as the Fairview Fire smoulders near Hemet, California, U.S., September 9, 2022. After disastrous years in 2020 and 2021, wildfire damage this season has been largely limited to the sparsely populated northwest corner of the state. The five-year average over the same interval is 6,142 fires and 1.2 million acres burned. "We're really only a prolonged heatwave followed by a windstorm away from having major fires," Chavez said. UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain said climate change is going to result in more extreme dry years periodically interspersed with more extreme wet years.

Persons: David Swanson, California's, Tim Chavez, Nick Schuler, Michele Steinberg, Chavez, Daniel Swain, we'll, Swain, Daniel Trotta, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Riverside, REUTERS, of Water Resources, Labor, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Cal Fire, National Fire Prevention, UCLA, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Fairview, Hemet , California, U.S, California, Western Canada, United States, Hawaii, Lahaina, Southern California

☆ California Escapes Fire Season Mostly Unharmed, but Danger Could Lie Ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

After disastrous years in 2020 and 2021, wildfire damage this season has been largely limited to the sparsely populated northwest corner of the state. Cal Fire has reported 5,474 wildfires burning 257,407 acres (104,169 hectares) in 2023, similar to the same period of 2022. The five-year average over the same interval is 6,142 fires and 1.2 million acres burned. "We're really only a prolonged heatwave followed by a windstorm away from having major fires," Chavez said. UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain said climate change is going to result in more extreme dry years periodically interspersed with more extreme wet years.

Persons: Daniel Trotta, California's, Tim Chavez, Nick Schuler, Michele Steinberg, Chavez, Daniel Swain, we'll, Swain, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: of Water Resources, Labor, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Cal Fire, National Fire Prevention, UCLA, YouTube Locations: California, Western Canada, United States, Hawaii, Lahaina, Southern California

☆ Hurricane Hilary expected to strengthen to Category 4 before weakening, dumping rain over California and Southwest US this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hurricane Hilary is expected to intensify into a lashing Category 4 storm as it nears Mexico’s Baja Peninsula on Friday and then weaken over the weekend, bringing rain and flooding to parts of the Southwest US. The storm strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane Thursday evening and is likely to build into a powerful Category 4 on Friday, the advisory said. Southern swaths of California and Nevada could see 3 to 5 inches of rain with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches. Smaller amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected across central parts of those states as well as across western Arizona and southwest Utah. Parched Southwest may see brief reliefAs the rainfall passes through the Southwest, it may help combat prolonged drought and recharge depleted groundwater.

Persons: Hilary, “, ” Daniel Swain Organizations: CNN, Southwest, National Hurricane Center, Southwestern, National Weather Service, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, US Drought Monitor, University of California Locations: Peninsula, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Baja California Sur, California, Southwestern United States, Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, San Diego, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Valley , California, Death, floodwater

☆ Hurricane Hilary forms off Mexico’s Pacific coast and could bring rain to U.S. Southwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This satellite image taken at 10:50am EDT on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Hilary off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Hilary strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast Thursday, and it could bring heavy rain to the U.S. southwest by the weekend. The hurricane center said it could possibly survive briefly as a tropical storm and cross the U.S. border. No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The outlook for excessive rainfall in Southern California stretches from Sunday to Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles weather office.

Persons: Hilary, Daniel Swain Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S, National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, Southwestern, UCLA Locations: Mexico, U.S, Baja California, Los, Baja, Southern California, Southwestern United States, arroyo, San Diego , California, Yuma , Arizona, Bakersfield , California, Tucson , Arizona, Angeles, California

☆ Hurricane Hilary rapidly intensifying, could bring significant flooding to Southern California, Southwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hurricane Hilary is rapidly intensifying in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico on Thursday and is on track to deliver potentially significant rain and flooding to parts of the Southwest as a weaker system starting this weekend. One of those places is Death Valley, California, the hottest place on Earth. The combination of rainfall and increased cloud cover across the Southwest is expected to bring a significant cooldown over the weekend. The most recent was an unnamed tropical storm in 1939, NOAA records show. 1997’s Nora was the last and only other tropical storm to maintain its status after crossing into California.

Persons: Hilary, Daniel Swain, San Diego Hurricane, —, Nora Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, University of California, US Drought Monitor, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, San Diego Locations: Mexico, Cabo San Lucas, Peninsula, California, Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Central California, Los Angeles, Death Valley , California, Death, floodwater, New Mexico, Phoenix

☆ Opinion | Maui and the Age of the Urban Firestorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It wasn’t even really a wildfire. In general, we’ve long believed the built environment offered formidable firebreaks, and worried over what might be lost when fires passed near homes as a form of tragic collateral damage. As of Tuesday, the official death toll in Maui was 99, but almost 1 percent of all residents remained unaccounted for, and many locals were suggesting the death toll could increase significantly in the days ahead. A climate lawsuit launched by the island against Big Oil in 2020 specifically cited additional wildfire risk. But still, when the fire broke out, almost no one seemed adequately prepared.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Tubbs, Marshall, Chuck, Swain Organizations: Costco, New York, Big Oil Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Santa Rosa, Calif, Paradise, Boulder County, Colo, New, Maui

April 25 (Reuters) - Most of the vast, scenic valley at the heart of Yosemite National Park in California will close to visitors this weekend in a rare shutdown prompted by forecasts of floods from rapid snowmelt. The closure will start at 10 p.m. on Friday and last at least until Wednesday, May 3, possibly longer, depending on how swiftly melting mountain snow runs off into the Merced River through Yosemite Valley, the National Park Service said on Tuesday. About 100 miles to the north, the Merced River at the Pohono Bridge at the west end of the Yosemite Valley was forecast to top flood stage late this week, the park service said. The vast glacial Yosemite valley received a record 40 inches of snow during the winter, prompting the closure of the entire park to the public on Feb. 25 for three weeks. That shutdown marked one of the longest and most expansive weather-related closures in the park, according to park spokeswoman Nancy Phillipe.

☆ Huge winter storm churns across northern U.S., threatening record snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

CHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A massive winter storm spreading across the U.S. West into the Northern Plains and Midwest on Tuesday could produce blizzards, brutal cold, and record snowfall, making road travel treacherous and disrupting air travel. The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for a broad swath of the western and north-central United States. Some spots in the South may have temperatures that are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than some places in the Northern Plains, the forecast showed. While the U.S. East has experienced a relatively mild winter, the Northern Plains has had an extreme winter in terms of snowfall and temperatures, NWS meteorologist Matthew Bunkers in South Dakota said. Although the snow storm could wreak havoc on daily life, it was welcomed by skiers.

☆ Winter storm threatens record snowfall in parts of US
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Waves come to shore along the coastline as a winter storm approaches Oceanside, California, U.S., February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mike BlakeCHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A winter storm spreading across the U.S. West into the Northern Plains and Midwest on Tuesday could produce blizzards, brutal cold, and record snowfall, making roads treacherous and disrupting air travel. The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for large parts of the western and north-central United States. The agency said these areas will also be under a winter storm warning until Friday and advised people against traveling. Although the snow storm could wreak havoc on daily life, it was welcomed by skiers.

☆ Small California town wonders if restored floodplain prevented disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows the town of Grayson near floodwaters from the San Joaquin River in Grayson, California, U.S., January 25, 2023. Advocates for floodplain restoration say it can help solve California's dual dangers of flooding and drought, replenishing groundwater for future drought relief while protecting towns from the catastrophic flooding that scientists predict will come with climate change. One of the volunteers was David Guzman, who works in an almond processing plant and lives right up against a slough of the San Joaquin River. But some experts say floodplain restoration can help spare adjacent towns, and they envision a day when a proliferation of projects will prevent wider flooding throughout the state. The valley lies west of the north-south Sierra Nevada mountain range and includes the smaller San Joaquin Valley.

Flood watches are in effect for 12 million people in Central and Northern California. The cyclone will send a pair of warm and cold fronts over Northern California, which is already rain-soaked. “When you have more water vapor in the air because the air is warmer — you can transport more water vapor quickly,” Ralph said. Although some smaller reservoirs in Northern California have filled up, larger reservoirs still have the capacity to absorb more. “I think we will have largely alleviated the short-term drought in Northern California," Swain said.

This season, they have gone on 28 flight missions for cloud seeding in Wyoming. This photo shows flares fixed on the aircraft's wing that house the silver iodide used for cloud seeding. Weather Modification International 2022Once the pilot flies into the storm, they ignite the cardboard casings full of silver iodide and “seed” the clouds. Their results, published in 2020 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, managed to quantify how effective cloud seeding is. The amount of precipitation produced by cloud seeding — up to 10% — isn’t enough at all to quench the drought-stricken West.

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