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☆ Great Lakes small businesses and ski areas pivot following a record warm winter
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Whitney Wild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

All told, eight states experienced a record-warm season, including Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Minnesota, plus North Dakota, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire. Instead of a winter wonderland, the past several months have offered tourists less snow, less ice aind less opportunity for some outdoor activities. According to the BEA, snow activities in states clustered around the Great Lakes add hundreds of millions of dollars to the region’s economy. For example, Wisconsin snow activities added $83.6 million in 2022, according to the BEA, and roughly $130 million in Michigan the same year. “The identity of the UP and especially Marquette is very much tied to the winter season and always has been.

Persons: Kelli, ”, –, “, Covid, I’ve, Tim Waltz, Susan Estler, ” Estler, Erin Hooley, Darlene Welch, Estler, Christopher Germain Christopher Germain, Germain, ” Germain Organizations: Chicago CNN, National Center for Environmental Information, US Drought Monitor, Small Business Administration, ”, Travel Marquette, CNN, BEA, Lake Superior Community Partnership Locations: Gwinn , Michigan, Marquette, Wisconsin , Michigan, New York, Minnesota, North Dakota , Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Michigan , Minnesota, Marquette , Michigan, Lake Michigan, Montrose Harbor, Chicago, Alaska, “, Estler

☆ I went car-free in the suburbs when my vehicle needed repairs. I'm happier and healthier, and wish I did it sooner.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Michael Kavate | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 10-minute walk took me past a row of colorful houses and apartments, red-and-yellow nasturtiums poking from their yards. The train ride, too, gave me precious time to read. It turned out swapping the train for two wheels took a bit more sweat, but no more time at all. My route took me under freeways, but most of the streets I took were so quiet that I could hear birds singing. AdvertisementGiving up my car has made me healthier, happier, and more connected to my neighbors than before.

Persons: I'd, California's, I've Organizations: Service, Oakland Locations: Los Angeles, America, South Berkeley, Oakland, Berkeley, Chance

☆ ‘Super El Niño’ is here, but will it last? What’s in store for the coming months
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The current El Niño is now one of the strongest on record, new data shows, catapulting it into rare “super El Niño” territory. It means a very strong El Niño is ongoing. El Niño influences weather around the globe, so its strength and demise will continue to have an impact on the weather we experience in the coming months. Average conditions during an El Niño winter across the continental US. El Niño has been known to enhance atmospheric river events on the West Coast.

Persons: El, El Niño, Niño, Michelle L’Heureux, ” L’Heureux, L’Heureux, El Niños, Javier Torres, There’s, CNN’s Rachel Ramirez, Brandon Miller Organizations: CNN, El, AFP, Getty Locations: El, California, West Coast, Americas, Chile, Valparaiso, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another potentially dangerous “Pineapple Express” storm was expected to hit California late Saturday, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides over the next couple of days. WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THIS LATEST ‘PINEAPPLE EXPRESS'? The storm is forecast to move south down the Central Coast and hit the Los Angeles area with downpours, flash floods and high-elevation mountain snow beginning Sunday morning. Parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties will likely get hammered hardest by this storm, according to the National Weather Service. The Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, northeast of downtown Los Angeles, canceled its eight-race program that was scheduled for Sunday.

Persons: Ventura Organizations: ANGELES, Pacific, San Francisco Bay Area, WHAT, National Weather Service, Coast, NASCAR, Coliseum, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, III, El Nino Locations: California, Santa Barbara, San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, San Diego, Hawaii, Northern California, Orange County, Southern California, Southern, Ventura, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Santa, Arcadia, San Marcos

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

☆ Panama Canal Drought Slows Cargo Traffic
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

PANAMA CANAL Colón Atlantic Ocean Lake Alajuela Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Ship traffic Pacific Ocean PANAMA CANAL Colón Lake Alajuela Atlantic Ocean Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Pacific Ocean Ship traffic PANAMA CANAL Colón Lake Alajuela Atlantic Ocean Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Pacific Ocean Ship traffic PANAMA CANAL Atlantic Ocean Colón Lake Alajuela Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Ship traffic Pacific Ocean PANAMA CANAL Atlantic Ocean Colón Lake Alajuela Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Pacific Ocean Ship traffic PANAMA CANAL Atlantic Ocean Colón Lake Alajuela Gatún Lake Panama City PANAMA Pacific Ocean Ship traffic Source: MariTrace Ship movements from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21, 2024. Panama Canal Drought Slows Cargo TrafficThe lake that allows the Panama Canal to function recorded the lowest water level ever for the start of a dry season this year, which means that vastly fewer ships can pass through the canal. The Panama Canal Authority has reduced daily traffic through the narrow corridor by nearly 40 percent compared with last year. “The fact that the Panama Canal operates on freshwater is a major disadvantage compared to other water routes,” said Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, the administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, in a video address last month. But it may not be enough to meet the pressing demand for cargo traffic through the Panama Canal.

Persons: El, Jan, ”, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, Gatún, Joshua Tewksbury, Gloria Arrocha Paz, Arrocha Paz Organizations: PANAMA Ship, Panama Canal Authority, Maersk, Panama Canal, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Demand, Times, Smithsonian Tropical Research Locations: PANAMA, Lake Panama, Panama City PANAMA, Lake Panama City PANAMA, Panama, East Coast, United States, Northeast Asia, South America, Tewksbury, Indio, Gatún, Panama City, Panama Canal Authority, What’s

☆ Water at Kealia pond in Hawaii has turned pink amid drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Angela Fritz | Abigail Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Water at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few coastal salt marshes on the island of Maui, has been bright pink since at least October 30, officials say, after its salt content surged amid an extreme drought. While Kealia literally means “salt encrustation,” the pond’s salinity has skyrocketed well beyond normal because of Maui’s extreme drought. The entire island is in severe or worse drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. The area where the Kealia Pond refuge is located is in what’s considered an extreme drought – the second-worst on the Drought Monitor’s scale. @Traviskeahi_photo/InstagramThe Waikapu Stream, which brings water from the West Maui Mountains down into the Kealia Pond, also flows through the area of extreme drought.

Persons: Kealia Organizations: CNN, Wildlife, University of Hawaii, Fish and Wildlife Service, US Drought Monitor Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Salt, what’s, West Maui, Maui County, Lahaina

☆ Here’s how much your Thanksgiving meal will cost you this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Something wild has happened with turkey prices that’s going to make the cost of cooking the Thanksgiving meal more palatable to families on a tight budget. “Because turkey prices are down so much, and that’s the centerpiece of the meal, celebrating Thanksgiving at home will be more advantageous this year for families,” he said. Drop in turkey prices could bring down the overall cost of a Thanksgiving home-cooked mean this year. Food price increases have been easing this year, offering much-needed relief for many households. Canned food is still costlier heading into the Thanksgiving month compared to last year.

Persons: “ There’s, ”, Michael Swanson, Swanson, Christopher Walljasper, Wells Fargo’s, There’s, “ Russets, –, Danielle Wiener, Bronner Organizations: New, New York CNN, Wells, Food Institute, USDA Livestock Marketing, USDA Locations: New York, “, Pacific

☆ Live updates: Nobel Peace prize 2023 is set to be awarded
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Christian Edwards | Ed Upright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Smoke from Canadian wildfires casts a haze over New York on June 7. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesWhile the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today, recipients do not receive their prizes until an official ceremony in December. By this time, the world will be going through an “El Niño” winter -- when ocean temperatures are warmer than normal for an extended period. For Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, El Niño is set to round off a year in which the climate disaster has become clear to all. The hottest temperatures ever in this place, that place and the other… And as yet El Niño hasn’t kicked in.”

Persons: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Dan Smith, El Niño, ”, El Niño hasn’t Organizations: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, CNN Locations: New York, Stockholm, El, China, Pakistan, Canada, Mexico

☆ US fall weather: Temperatures are about to come crashing down with a dramatic pattern change
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A dramatic change is on the way as a robust cold front delivers the first hefty dose of fall weather by the weekend, sending temperatures tumbling by as much as 35 degrees. Temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal October levels will be common through Thursday across the Great Lakes and Northeast. Overnight low temperatures will also plummet behind these fronts. Low temperatures in the upper 30s to low 50s are likely across the north-central US and Midwest by Saturday morning, and in the Northeast by Sunday morning. Rain and storms to accompany frontsThe dramatic cooldown won’t be the only noticeable weather change this week.

Persons: haven’t Organizations: CNN, Cleveland, Midwest, Sunday, US Drought Monitor Locations: Gulf Coast . States, Louisiana, Midwest, Minnesota, Michigan, Lakes, New York, Minneapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York City, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Gulf, Texas, Oklahoma

☆ Nobel Peace Prize could give a glimmer of hope amid era of conflict and climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded in Norway on Friday, as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine rages on and other flashpoints threaten to ignite across the globe. But the peace prize can serve as a beacon of hope in fraught and fractured times. “I think it’s precisely in a situation like this that the peace prize becomes particularly important. But Nobel specialists have been quick to dismiss such speculation, saying it is rare for the peace award to go to a wartime leader. “It would be like saying in 1941 that (then-British Prime Minister) Winston Churchill should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

Persons: humanity’s, “ There’s, ” Dan Smith, ” Henrik Urdal, Volodymyr Zelensky, Winston Churchill, Zelensky, ” Smith, Bryan R, Smith, Urdal, “, ”, ” Urdal, Alfred Nobel’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Center for Civil Liberties –, Ales Bialiatski, Dmitry Muratov, Muratov, ANDERSEN, El Niño, El Niño hasn’t, Victoria Tauli, Annie Ling, Juan Carlos Jintiach, Raoni Metuktire, Evaristo Sa, Lula da Silva Organizations: CNN, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Peace Research Institute, British, Getty, International Court of Justice, ICJ, Criminal Court, ICC, Ukraine – Memorial, Center for Civil Liberties, AFP, UN, New York Times, Brazilian Amazon, Brazil Locations: Norway, Ukraine, Stockholm, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Europe, SIPRI, AFP, Russia, Rome, Belarusian, Russian, Oslo, China, Pakistan, Canada, New York, Mexico, ”, Victoria, Ecuadorian, Brazilian, Amazonia

☆ Mississippi River forecast: Grim outlook for rain and water levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Water levels on the Mississippi River are nearing historic lows for the second consecutive year, triggering a drinking water emergency in Louisiana as ocean water flows upstream, unimpeded by the river’s uncharacteristically weak flow. Lower Mississippi River water levels are forecast to continue to drop through at least mid-to-late October, according to Dedeaux. A confluence of extremesWater levels on the Mississippi River began to plummet in early September, well ahead of the October drop last year. This outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows how drought is expected to improve in many areas along the Mississippi River which desperately need rain. Sixty percent of the water that flows into the lower Mississippi River comes from the Ohio River, while the other 40 percent comes from the upper Mississippi River, Dedeaux told CNN.

Persons: Katie Dedeaux, “ We’re, Dedeaux, It’s, Cullen Jones, Gerald Herbert, Alexis Highman Organizations: CNN, NOAA, Geological Survey, National Weather Service, Army Corps, New, Louisiana, US Drought Monitor, Forecast Center, Center Locations: Mississippi, Louisiana, Ohio, Jackson , Mississippi, Memphis, Missouri, Lower Mississippi, New Orleans, Mississippi , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Nebraska , Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota , Wisconsin , Iowa , Mississippi, El, Midwest

☆ Argentina wheat sales stall as farmers wait for election, rains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Maximilian Heath | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This figure compares with 5.28 million tons recorded at almost the same date 2022/23, according to the farming secretariat. The Buenos Aires grains exchange forecasts a 2023/24 wheat harvest of 16.5 million tons, up from the previous drought-hit harvest but lower than a peak of 22.4 million tons in 2021/22. Reuters GraphicsWEATHER AT PLAYThe other factor that is holding wheat sales in the weather, after a historic drought hammered crops over the last year. Cane agreed that, along with a drop in international wheat prices compared with last season, climate uncertainty is weighing farmers as they wait for heavier rainfall. A report on Wednesday by the Rosario grains exchange said heavier rain may only arrive "in the last days of September or the first days of October."

Persons: Nina, Agustin Marcarian, Miguel Cane, Cane, Patricia Bullrich, Javier Milei, Sergio Massa, Roberto Frigo, Rosario de Tala, Frigo, Maximilian Heath, Nicolás Misculin, Adam Jourdan, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Entre, Tala, Thomson Locations: Navarro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, El, Rosario de, Entre Rios, Rosario

☆ The congestion at the Panama Canal is so bad that one shipper paid $2.4 million to jump a line and get through the waterway: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Panama Canal has been hit by a serious drought this year, causing long transit times for ships. A shipper recently paid $2.4 million for a winning bid to jump the queue, according to one energy shipping firm. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe congestion in the Panama Canal is closely watched because 40% of US container traffic passes through the waterway, according to an August report from Container xChange, a logistics platform. The Panama Canal Authority said in a Tuesday statement that there's been an improvement in the queue of vessels waiting to transit the canal. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Panama Canal Authority and Avance Gas did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Oystein Kalleklev, Kalleklev, there's, project44 Organizations: Service, Gas, Shipping, Maersk, Wall, Panama Canal Authority, Bloomberg, Avance Locations: Panama, Wall, Silicon

CNN —Water levels at Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world and South America’s largest – are dropping precipitously after an unprecedented winter heat wave. While water levels are known to fluctuate each year, these changes have become more extreme due to the climate crisis. Communities that rely on fishing are struggling as low water levels adds to mounting problems: declining fish stocks due to pollution and overfishing. “It’s going to keep affecting us, there won’t be any more totora, the islands are deteriorating, that’s what worries us,” Charca told CNN. Grinia Avalos, deputy director for climatology with Senamhi, told CNN that these warmer temperatures are expected to continue until at least February 2024.

Persons: ”, Nazario Charca, Anton Petrus, Taylor Ward, Sixto Flores, Raldes, Flores, Claudia Morales, Jullian Huattamarca, Juan Karita, Dina Boluarte, Huattamarca, “, Uros, Sergi Reboredo, Charca, It’s, ” Charca, El, Grinia Avalos, Connor Baker Organizations: CNN, Getty, Reuters, El Nino, Crisis, “ Locations: South America’s, Peru, Bolivia, Puno, AFP, Agriculture, Taquile, Peruvian, Lake Titicaca, South America

☆ Low water levels in Texas reveal dinosaur tracks dating back 110 million years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —As Texas baked in record-breaking heat this summer and a growing drought pushed water levels down, a group of volunteers uncovered something sort of magnificent: new giant dinosaur tracks that are believed to be from around 110 million years ago. Paul Baker, the retail manager at Dinosaur Valley State Park, told CNN he has “never seen this many dinosaur tracks” before. It is a hotspot for dinosaur enthusiasts and tourists who typically flock the now-dry Paluxy River to fish, swim and kayak. Paul BakerThe Paluxy River usually draws tourists for fishing, swimming and kayaking, but has been bone dry in this summer's growing drought. Baker was raised in Dinosaur Valley State Park – his father was a park manager for 30 years – and now operates several businesses, including the park’s gift shop.

Persons: Paul Baker, ”, Baker, I’d, it’s, ” Baker, “, dino, ” Kuban, –, ” Read, Mead Organizations: CNN, Dinosaur, US Drought Monitor, Glen Kuban, Society, Master Naturalists, North America — Locations: Texas, Dallas, Dinosaur, Kuban, Dinosaur Valley, North America, ”, Iraq

☆ Dried-up Texan river bed reveals perfectly-preserved tracks of 111-foot-long dinosaur
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Intense heat has caused new parts of the Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas, to dry up, revealing the astonishing imprints. A view of the dried-up river Paluxy in Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. Three-toed tracks nearby larger ones in Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. A three-toed track inside a larger one in Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. AdvertisementAdvertisementA wooden ruler is roughly half the size of this dinosaur track in Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas.

Persons: Paul Baker, Glen, Paul Baker Baker, Glen Rose, Jeff Davis, Davis, It's, " Baker, Baker, Paul Baker It's Organizations: Service, Dinosaur, Facebook, US Drought Monitor, Dallas Morning News, BBC Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Dinosaur, Glen Rose , Texas, Dinosaur Valley, Glen Rose

☆ A sunken World War 1-era wooden ship potentially the size of a football field was discovered in a Texas river by a man on a jet ski after severe drought revealed the wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The wreckage turned out to belong to a large, wooden ship built during World War 1. The Texas Historical Commission said more than two dozen of these sunken ships are in Texas rivers. Milner sent photos of his find to the local Ice House Museum, which then contacted the Texas Historical Commission. AdvertisementAdvertisementTexas Historical Commission sonar data from 2019 showing the submerged hulls of two of the abandoned World War I vessels in the Neches River. The Texas Historical Commission said in a statement on Facebook that "the summer heatwave and low rainfall" revealed the hidden shipwreck.

Persons: Bill Milner, Milner, Sabine Rivers, Amy Borgens, Sabine, Borgens, Susan Kilcrease, Kilcrease Organizations: Texas Historical Commission, Service, Ice House Museum, The, The Texas Historical Commission, US Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, Facebook, Ice, US Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corporation, Texas Standard, . Texas Historical Commission, US Drought Monitor Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, The Texas, Sabine, Beaumont , Texas, . Texas, Beaumont

☆ The world's worst traffic jam isn't on any road — it's at one of the most important shipping routes where ships are paying upto 3x fare just to get across
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Over 200 ships are currently stuck in a massive traffic jam in the Panama Canal. The US is the largest user of the Panama Canal, so the bottleneck could hit holiday shipping. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe world's worst traffic jam is at the Panama Canal, where hundreds of massive ships are stuck due to a serious drought that reduced water levels. The traffic jam is so bad that ships have paid multiple times the toll to pass through. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US is also the largest user of the Panama Canal, accounting for 70% of the waterway's traffic, per Container xChange.

Persons: Lars Oestergaard Nielsen, Maersk's, Insider's Rebecca Cohen Organizations: Morning, Wall, Bloomberg, Clarksons Research Services, Reuters, Panama Canal Authority, Maersk Locations: Panama, Americas, project44, Gulf, East Coast

☆ 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 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

☆ Live updates: Maui wildfires death toll rises, Lahaina 80% destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tiffany Kidder Winn via APThe wind-whipped fires in Maui spread swiftly and created a deadly tinderbox, overwhelming residents and local officials in one of the nation’s deadliest wildfires. Fueled by a combination of strong winds and dry conditions – and complicated by the island’s geography – the fires have killed at least 36 people. Severe level drought conditions in Maui County ticked up to 16% from 5% last week, while statewide moderate drought levels jumped to 14% from 6%. Dried-out land and vegetation can fuel wildfires, which can swiftly turn deadly if strong winds help fan the flames toward communities. These winds coupled with low humidity levels produced "dangerous fire weather conditions” through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said.

Persons: Tiffany Kidder Winn, ” Jennifer Marlon, Dora wasn't, Clay Trauernicht, –, ” Trauernicht, Trauernicht Organizations: Yale School of, CNN, US Drought, National Weather Service, University of Hawaii, of Forestry, Wildlife Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui, County, Manoa . Hawaii, West Maui

☆ These factors are making it hard to combat the deadly Maui wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The wildfires in Maui spread swiftly and turned deadly, stunning local officials who were quickly overwhelmed. Fueled by a combination of strong winds and dry conditions – and complicated by the island’s geography – the fires have killed at least 36 people. Moderate drought covers more than one-third of Maui, with some areas experiencing severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. Dried-out land and vegetation can provide fuel for wildfires, which then can swiftly turn deadly if strong winds help fan the flames toward communities. “These strong winds coupled with low humidity levels are producing dangerous fire weather conditions” through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said.

Persons: ” Jennifer Marlon, ”, Clay Trauernicht, ” Marlon, Derek Van Dam, Abby Frazier, ” Frazier, Hurricane Dora, Niño, Frazier, Trauernicht, ” Trauernicht, –, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Yale School of, University of Hawaii, US Drought Monitor, Fourth, National Weather Service, Clark University in, El Nino, Pacific Fire Exchange, of Forestry, Wildlife Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Manoa, Santa Ana, Southern California, Oahu, Clark University in Massachusetts, “, Hurricane, Pacific, ” Hawaii, West Maui

☆ Argentina's cabinet chief says harvest should bring economic relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Nicolás Misculin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Argentina's Cabinet Chief and vice presidential pre-candidate Agustin Rossi gestures in his office during an interview with Reuters, at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin MarcarianBUENOS AIRES, July 21 (Reuters) - Argentina's financial crisis, which has been marked by exchange rate volatility and soaring inflation, should start abating in November and December, with large foreign currency inflows from the wheat harvest, cabinet chief Agustin Rossi told Reuters on Friday. Argentina's prolonged financial crisis has been aggravated by a ferocious drought that reduced crucial agricultural exports by an estimated $20 billion this year. "(Inflation) does not go down with abrupt devaluation... We do not believe that this is necessary in Argentina," Rossi said. "We are optimistic, we believe that we will find a way," Rossi said of the IMF talks.

Persons: Agustin Rossi, Agustin Marcarian, " Rossi, Nestor Kirchner, Rossi, Sergio Massa, Alberto Fernandez, Nicolás Misculin, Alexander Villegas, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Argentina's, Reuters, Casa, REUTERS, Peronist, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Agustin Marcarian BUENOS AIRES, Vaca

"Much of the (Midwest) region did not see appreciable rainfall. As of June 20, 58% of the Midwest was in moderate drought or worse, the broadest area since 2012, the Drought Monitor data showed. 2 soybean producer in moderate drought or worse. In Illinois, the largest soy grower and second-largest corn producer, moderate drought or worse spanned 82% of the state. Conditions worsened across the eastern half of the High Plains, with 34% of the region in moderate drought or worse.

Persons: climatologists, Karl Plume, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Drought, Drought, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Chicago, of Trade, USDA, Weather, Thomson Locations: North Dakota, Kansas, U.S, Midwest, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Southern Plains, Chicago

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