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At least one tornado struck parts of Nebraska on Friday afternoon, leading to the collapse of an industrial building, injuring at least three people and prompting a widespread emergency response, officials said, a day after tornadoes battered other parts of the Midwest. The Weather Service issued tornado warnings for much of Omaha, including the downtown area. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office responded to the industrial building at Garner Industries around 3 p.m. and found it “pretty much totally collapsed” with several people trapped inside, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said. Three people were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, he said, adding that roughly 70 people were inside when the tornado struck. The sheriff’s office also received reports of a derailed train in Waverly, Chief Houchin said, adding, “They didn’t require any emergency assistance, so we’re hoping it’s very minor.”

Persons: Ben Houchin, Houchin, it’s, ” Organizations: Midwest, The Weather Service, Sheriff’s, Garner Industries Locations: Nebraska, Omaha, Lancaster, Waverly ,

☆ More Atmospheric Rivers Are on the Way. Here’s What the West Can Expect.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Western United States and Canada are likely to see excessive rain and heavy snowfall from a sequence of back-to-back atmospheric rivers beginning this weekend and continuing into next week. An atmospheric river is like a powerful fire hose with only one person holding it. It could be strong in the San Francisco Bay Area, and little might fall in Southern California, or vice versa. But they are less certain where the heaviest precipitation will fall, especially later in the week. There are at least three atmospheric rivers over the next week, and an additional one beyond that.

Persons: UC San Diego — Organizations: Western United, San Francisco Bay Area, SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego Locations: Western United States, Canada, San Francisco Bay, Southern California, West Coast

In Dallas, where temperatures dropped as low as 10 degrees last week, highs were forecast to reach the 60s on Wednesday. In New York City, where the low dropped to 17 on Wednesday, unseasonably high temperatures in the 50s were expected by Thursday. And in St. Louis, which was covered in ice on Monday, a high of 50 was expected on Wednesday. Sitting in a frigid Bryant Park in New York City on Monday, Adia Rafio, 26, of Queens said she was considering making outdoor plans later this week. “I’m definitely going to take advantage,” she said as workers shoveled snow and ice nearby.

Persons: Louis, Adia Rafio, Queens, “ I’m, ” Locations: Dallas, New York City, St, Bryant, United States

Residents in Billings, Mont., woke up to a temperature of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit. In Des Moines, homeowners were digging out snow from a blizzard and facing wind gusts of 45 miles per hour. Towns and cities along the East Coast were bracing for possible flooding from yet more rain. And communities near the Gulf Coast are preparing for a deep freeze. MidwestAs of Saturday morning, blizzard warnings were in effect for most of Iowa, as well as for North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Organizations: National Weather Service Locations: Billings, Mont, Des Moines, Towns, East, United States, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska

Heavy rain and snow that could snarl morning travel in parts of the Eastern United States on Wednesday were expected to end by the afternoon and give way to a placid Thanksgiving for much of the nation, forecasters said. A storm that began late Monday and continued overnight Tuesday was expected to leave up to three inches of rain in some areas from the Gulf Coast through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast. Snowfall of up to six inches was possible in parts of New Hampshire and northern Maine, according to the National Weather Service, which would create what the forecasters called a “white Thanksgiving.”

Persons: ” Organizations: Eastern, National Weather Service Locations: Eastern United States, Gulf, New Hampshire, Maine

It’s that time of the year when airports and highways are abundantly crowded as hosts of travelers make their yearly pilgrimage for turkey and stuffing. A pre-Thanksgiving storm may make travel more difficult for many as some regions register severe thunderstorms, gusty winds, heavy rain and even snow at some high elevations. Whether wintry precipitation or just plain wet weather, the storm system could impact travel during one of the busiest travel days of the year, as millions take to the skies to break bread with family and friends. The Transportation Security Administration expects about 30 million passengers to fly between this Friday and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which represents an 11.5 percent increase from last year. In the New York area alone, which could be on the path of the storm weather, the four major airports were expecting 3.1 million passengers through Monday next week.

Organizations: Weather Prediction, Transportation Security Administration Locations: United States, New York

Hurricane Otis exploded onto the southwest coast of Mexico early Wednesday, shocking forecasters as it emerged as one of the more powerful Category 5 storms to batter the region and create what one expert called a “nightmare scenario” for a popular tourist coastline. Few meteorologists initially thought the tropical storm would make landfall as a catastrophic hurricane. Most models failed to predict that the storm would intensify over the Pacific Ocean, leading forecasters to believe it would be at most a weak hurricane. But it strengthened with remarkable speed, and by Tuesday evening forecasters and Mexican officials were rushing to warn residents of its potential for destruction. The storm slammed ashore with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour; just a day earlier, Otis brought winds of 65 miles per hour.

Persons: Otis Organizations: Otis Locations: Mexico, Guerrero, Oaxaca

☆ Why Hurricane Otis Caught Many By Surprise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday morning, few meteorologists were talking about Tropical Storm Otis. At that time, forecast computer models didn’t show much to be concerned about. Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center said that morning that “some slight strengthening” was possible over the following days. By Sunday evening, the computer forecast models were still not showing much. A forecaster uses several tools to create a weather forecast, not just computer models.

Persons: Tropical Storm Otis, Otis, Tomer Organizations: Tropical Storm, U.S, National Hurricane Center Locations: Mexico, Tomer Burg

The group chat had been filled with balloon and champagne emojis for days. The clouds have essentially ruined many New Yorkers’ plans. Perhaps Ms. Neilsa, a model in Bushwick, captured the vibe perfectly: “I’m not going to lie, this sucks,” she said. A weekend in August lost to an annoying drizzle, but no problem. Then another weekend lost in September — then again, and again, and again, until finally, it was hard to be outside and soaked this last Saturday and not think that some mysterious force was bent on drenching the city as soon as each workweek ended.

Persons: Candace Neilsa, —, Neilsa, I’m, ” Organizations: New, Yorkers Locations: New York City, Bushwick

The storm system is helping usher in traditional autumn weather across Britain this week with cool, wind-swept rains on Tuesday and Wednesday. Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service, said on Tuesday that it was not unusual for former hurricanes to enter this part of the world. He said this particular system would bring a significant amount of rainfall to parts of Britain, but no hurricane conditions. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain for much of Wales and northwest England. “Be aware of the possibility of flooding and travel disruption in these areas” on Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasters said.

Persons: Hurricane Lee, Grahame Madge, “ Organizations: Met Office, Met Locations: New England, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Wales, England

☆ Hurricane Lee Approaches New England and Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Hurricane Lee was producing tropical storm conditions in coastal Massachusetts and Nova Scotia early Saturday, hours before its expected landfall in Canada. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for parts of Canada and a wide stretch of coastal New England in the hours before dawn. Hurricane and tropical storm watches were in effect elsewhere in Canada. New England is likely to experience weather similar to what occurs during a nor’easter, said Andrew Loconto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston. The tropical-storm-force winds extend far from the center of the storm and are expected to reach the coastline.

Persons: Lee, Andrew Loconto, ” Mr, Loconto Organizations: National Weather Service Locations: Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, Canada, New England, Canada . New England, Boston

☆ Millions Under Warnings in New England as Hurricane Lee Approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The ultimate outcome for locations in New England will depend on how a few different conditions play out over the next two days. Though the storm is expected to weaken, the Hurricane Center said it would remain “a large and dangerous cyclone” as it approaches New England and Atlantic Canada. A hurricane watch, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within the area, stretched through down-east Maine from Stonington to the U.S.-Canada border. The Canadian Hurricane Center also issued a hurricane watch on Wednesday for part of the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The center said that its hurricane and tropical storm watches referred to conditions expected on Saturday.

Persons: Lee, Janet T, Mills Organizations: Hurricane Center, U.S ., Gov, White House, Canadian Hurricane Center Locations: New England, Bermuda, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Atlantic Canada, Maine, Stonington, U.S, Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia

☆ What’s Next for Hurricane Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a typical Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, August is the ramp-up to September’s peak. This season came to life almost overnight in mid-August, producing a record four named storms in less than 48 hours. This season’s third hurricane, Idalia, formed on Aug. 29, 10 days earlier than average. It struck the southeastern U.S. last week as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a dangerous storm surge, wind damage and flooding. Only eight other hurricane seasons in more than 100 years of record-keeping have matched that pace, according to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University.

Persons: Idalia, Phil Klotzbach, Hurricane Katrina, Ida, Eric Blake, ” Organizations: Colorado State University, They, Hurricane, National Hurricane Center

☆ How to Track a Hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hurricane Idalia continued to build strength over the Gulf of Mexico’s abnormally warm waters on Tuesday, taking aim at a vulnerable but sparsely populated portion of Florida’s coastline known as the Big Bend, where the peninsula curves west into the Panhandle. My colleagues and I on The Times’s Weather desk just redesigned our hurricane tracker with detailed information about the storm’s path and severity. In today’s newsletter, I’m going to tell you how best to track a hurricane’s progress, especially if you’re in its path. But people often misinterpret these maps, thinking they’ll be safe if they live just outside the cone, for example. Nearly a year ago, officials in Florida’s Lee County saw they were on the edge of the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Ian and delayed an order to evacuate, with devastating consequences.

Persons: Idalia, they’ll, Hurricane Ian Locations: Bend, Tallahassee, Tampa, Florida’s Lee

☆ Six Weather Takeaways on Hilary Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Tropical Storm Hilary nears the United States, here are six things you should know. Hilary has made landfall in Mexico, but the expected impact in the United States is the same, with damaging winds, strong waves and, in some areas, major flooding. As Hilary approaches the United States this afternoon, winds and rain are increasing across the Southwest. Forecasters said they were already experiencing hourly rain rates of a quarter to half an inch in Los Angeles and issued a flood advisory for Los Angeles County. In the coastal mountains, winds could still gust to hurricane force (74 miles per hour or greater).

Persons: Hilary Organizations: Los Locations: United States, Mexico, Southern California, San Diego, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

☆ What to Expect From Hurricane Hilary: Day-by-Day Forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Friday: Weather deteriorates along the Baja California peninsula as tropical storm conditions begin late in the day. Saturday: Tropical storm conditions spread northward across the Baja California peninsula. Saturday night into Sunday morning: This is the earliest likely landfall along Baja California peninsula, and hurricane conditions are probable along the west coast of Mexico. Sunday evening: The Most torrential rain begins north of the U.S.-Mexico border as possible tropical storm-force winds arrive in Southern California. Sunday night: Strong winds and heavy rain continue across the Southwestern United States as the storm rapidly moves northward, likely across California.

Organizations: Southwestern Locations: Baja California, U.S, Mexico, California, Southern California, Southwestern United States

☆ Late-Season Heat Wave Hits the Northwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsEven as it continues to swelter, the South may get a break from steamy weather this week while the Northwest bakes in some of the highest temperatures people there will endure all summer. It isn’t unusual to get a day or two of 100-degree heat in places like Portland, Ore., but three days in a row this late in the season is uncommon, said Clinton Rockey, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Portland. According to Mr. Rockey, only about 40 percent of the people in northwestern Oregon have air-conditioning, which can be troublesome, especially when the low temperatures at night are expected to also break daily records for heat. The duration of this heat wave, which began on Sunday, and the high overnight temperatures are also a big concern for Matthew Cullen, a Seattle-based forecaster with the Weather Service who said there have been only a few hot days in his region this summer and no significant stretches of heat like this one, which could last at least until Thursday. While the heat is dangerous, Mr. Cullen doesn’t expect this to be anything like the heat wave of June 2021.

Persons: Clinton Rockey, Rockey, Matthew Cullen, Cullen doesn’t Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Service Locations: Portland, Portland ., Oregon, Seattle

A “complicated and active” storm system swept across the Eastern United States on Monday evening, delivering widespread thunderstorms that killed at least two people, grounded thousands of flights and left more than a million homes and businesses without power. The line of storms barreled through a stretch from Georgia to New York, downing power lines, sending trees crashing into homes and tearing roofs from buildings, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service. At least one tornado was confirmed, just after 5:30 p.m. in the village of McGraw, about 30 miles south of Syracuse, N.Y. In Florence, Ala., a 28-year-old man died after he was struck by lightning in a parking lot in the city, about 60 miles west of Huntsville, local police said. And in Anderson, S.C., a 15-year-old boy was killed when a large tree fell and struck him, according to local fire officials.

Organizations: Eastern, National Weather Service, Weather Service Locations: Eastern United States, Georgia, New York, McGraw, Syracuse, N.Y, Florence, Ala, Huntsville, Anderson, S.C

☆ Severe Weather Expected in Eastern U.S., Forecasters Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A “complicated and active” storm system was sweeping across the Eastern United States on Monday, bringing the potential for multiple rounds of widespread thunderstorms that are capable of producing damaging winds, flash flooding, hail and tornadoes, forecasters said. Unsettled weather was expected to stretch from New York to Georgia, with the highest risk in the Mid-Atlantic.

Organizations: Eastern Locations: Eastern United States, New York, Georgia

Dangerous heat that has scorched other parts of the country for more than a month spread to the nation’s most populous region on Thursday, with spiking temperatures and a blanket of oppressive humidity that prompted widespread heat warnings in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The heat will probably peak in the region on Friday, when about 118 million Americans, more than a third of the population, were expected to be in the “danger” zone, where the heat index — a measure that combines temperature and humidity — would rise into the 100s, according to a New York Times analysis of National Weather Service and U.S. Census Bureau data. That’s among the largest proportions of the U.S. population to be threatened at the same time by extreme heat so far this year. More than a dozen daily heat records could be set across the Northeast on Thursday and Friday, meteorologists said, with many of them likely to occur at night, when temperatures are unlikely to cool down as much as usual.

Organizations: New York Times, National Weather Service, Census Locations: New England

☆ Risk of Excessive Rain Returns to the Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A moderate risk of excessive rain capable of causing flash flooding is forecast for southern Vermont and a portion of upstate New York on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Light rain Thursday morning was expected to ease before thunderstorms approach the area in the afternoon. These storms could drop rainfall at a rate of two inches or more per hour. “Additional heavy rainfall will pose a rapid increase in the risk for flash flooding following the intense rainfall and flooding earlier this week,” forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said Thursday morning. This rain might not be as bad as what fell earlier in the week, but forecasters are concerned about any rain that falls on the saturated ground.

Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Locations: Vermont, New York, New England

Continued rain and widespread flash flooding are expected Monday in New York and into New England, a day after heavy rain flooded homes, stranded vehicles, made roads impassable and caused other damage in the Hudson Valley on Sunday. At least one person died, the authorities said. State Senator James Skoufis, who represents Orange County, said that the victim was a woman in her 30s, but the circumstances surrounding her death were still unclear.

Persons: James Skoufis Locations: New York, New England, Hudson, Orange County

The air quality index Wednesday morning reached the “unhealthy” benchmark in cities across the United States including Seattle, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Major cities most often see these air quality index spikes after Fourth of July celebrations, said Dan Westervelt, an associate research professor at Columbia University and air pollution adviser to the State Department. “Basically, there was a huge spike particulate matter pollution last night. It’s still lingering around today, but I expect it wont last tomorrow,” Dr. Westervelt said. “I think the risk to healthy individuals is fairly low, since it is so short-lived.”

Persons: Dan Westervelt, It’s, Westervelt, “, ” Organizations: Columbia University, State Department Locations: United States, Seattle, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, West Coast

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