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The northern and southern lights, which are usually confined to the Arctic and Antarctica, have generated awe and wonder for centuries. The northern lights were visible over St. Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay, England on Monday. The southern lights glowed over Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday. Over the next few years, the northern lights might appear further south more regularly, said Robert Massey, executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society. A National Weather Service employee took a photo of the northern lights in Maine on Sunday.

☆ Northern Lights Are Seen in Places Where They Normally Aren’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The sky over an unusually wide swath of the northern hemisphere lit up with a brilliant display of color overnight into Monday morning, dazzling people across North America and Europe. The display was potentially visible as far south as Iowa in the United States, as well as in parts of southern England, scientists said. The phenomena, known as the aurora borealis or northern lights, occurs when particles emitted by the sun collide with particles that are already trapped around Earth’s magnetic field, and can often be seen from parts of Iceland, Canada and Alaska. But on Friday, the sun let off a large burst of energy, said Robert Steenburgh, a space scientist with the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (These bursts are also known as coronal mass ejections.)

☆ Looming spring storm to spawn blizzards, ice, tornadoes across central U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Other cities potentially in harm's way but at lower risk for tornadoes included Chicago, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, Madison, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa. "There's a potential for some very strong tornadoes and some tornadoes that could be on the ground for quite some time, especially in northern Arkansas and western Tennessee," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at private forecasting service AccuWeather. Feerick said the storm system would intensify through Friday as the sprawling low-pressure system at its core moves farther eastward, drawing up greater moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Dust storm warnings were in effect for portions of the Southern Plains. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A powerful 'X-class' solar flare just hit Earth. Forecasters are bracing for more sun activity in the coming days.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The sun blasted Earth with a powerful X-class solar flare on Tuesday, causing radio blackouts. Three more moderate solar flares followed, and we could see more eruptions in the coming days. This may be a precursor to even more solar activity in the coming days. NASA/SDOThat report forecast a chance of more M-class flares in the coming days, with a "slight chance" of another X-class flare on Thursday. More often, though, solar activity triggers energetic displays of Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, sometimes pushing them further south than their normal Arctic occurrence.

☆ The Northern Lights could dazzle the skies from Washington to New York on Friday, blown by winds from a giant 'hole' on the sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Northern Lights could appear in the skies over some northern US states on Friday. The lights could be dazzling thanks to solar winds blowing from a giant coronal hole on the sun. NOAA/Space Weather Prediction CenterThese solar winds are coming from a giant coronal hole on the sun. As that giant hole spread across the corona, it blasted strong, high-speed solar winds into space, in the direction of Earth. They have previously driven the aurora lights as far south as New York and Idaho.

☆ California braces for next bout of heavy rain, snow and high winds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

High-wind warnings and advisories were posted for a vast region stretching from the Mexico border through Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an excessive- rainfall notice for much of the Southern California coast, warning of an at least a 40% chance of showers exceeding flash-flood conditions. Heavy showers began drenching the Los Angeles region before dawn and triggered some street flooding but tapered off by early afternoon. Up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain was expected in coastal regions and valleys of Southern California, and as much as 6 inches in lower mountains and foothills, the NWS said. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles.

The Nor'easter left about 190,000 homes and businesses in New York and New England without power as of Wednesday morning, according PowerOutage.com, a tracking service. In California, about an equal number of customers had no electric service on Wednesday in the wake of the latest in a series of atmospheric river storms to churn through the state this winter. [1/3] A California plate is seen at an area affected by floods after days of heavy rain in Pajaro, California, U.S., March 14, 2023. Along California's coast and lower inland areas, the heavy rain and melting alpine snow triggered renewed flooding from rain-swollen rivers and streams, compromising levees. "It's a little too soon to say for sure if it's another atmospheric river, but the storm is coming," he said.

[1/7] Floodwaters from the Pajaro River are seen flowing under Highway 1, currently closed by officials, in Monterey County, California, U.S. March 14, 2023. read moreNine atmospheric rivers already lashed California in rapid succession from late December through mid-January, triggering widespread flooding, levee failures, mudslides and punishing surf. Massive flooding from failed levees on the Pajaro River in Monterey County this weekend prompted hundreds of evacuations and dozens of water rescues. Mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect for residents in 10 California counties on Tuesday, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Nathan Frandino in Monterey County, California; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'River in the sky' forces thousands to evacuate as floods hit California, leaving 2 dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A "river in the sky" has poured down on California, causing flooding. Thousands are under evacuation orders as another storm is set to come on Monday. First responders and the California National Guard had to save over 50 people overnight from the water overnight, AP reports. Approximately 15 million people are under flood watches in California and Nevada as a second "river in the sky" approaches, CNN reports. They added that it "won't take long once the steady heavy rain gets started for flooding impacts to resume."

☆ California flood watch issued as next atmospheric river looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Reuters) - Flood watch notices were posted across northern and central California for Thursday ahead of an atmospheric river storm expected to douse much of the state with heavy rain, including mountain areas still buried from a near-record snowfall. But smaller, waterfront communities along several major rivers and their tributaries also braced for the possibility of overflowing streams swollen by heavy showers and runoff of melting snow. Elsewhere, the NWS issued "prepare now" alerts for residents along the Big Sur, Carmel, Salinas and Pajaro rivers. "It's really a combination of all this heavy rainfall coming and also rapidly melting snow." The looming deluge follows a three-week barrage of nine atmospheric river storms that struck California in late December through mid-January, triggering widespread flooding as well as hundreds of mudslides, rockfalls and sinkholes across the state.

☆ Thousands without power as California storms bring rain, snow and cold
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] The Los Angeles river during a rare cold winter storm in the Los Angeles area, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciFeb 25 (Reuters) - Nearly 85,000 households and businesses were without power in the Los Angeles area on Saturday, as storms continued to pummel parts of California, bringing snow to higher elevations and dumping rain and hail in the flatlands. In Southern California, "this is a rare case of a cold, significant storm event," Jackson said. On Saturday, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected to bring rain, hail and a mixture of snow and moisture called "graupel" to the area, the National Weather Service said. Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Southern California delights in rare snowfall as winter blast lingers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The Hollywood sign is seen through clouds during rare cold winter weather, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2023. The storm was expected to strengthen on Friday and linger over California through Saturday, the National Weather Service said. In Southern California, "this is a rare case of a cold, significant storm event," Jackson said. SEVEN FEET OF SNOW IN SOME SPOTSEven before the latest storm in California, much of the state has experienced an unusually rainy, chilly winter. Heavy rain will inundate many parts of California through Saturday, the weather service said.

☆ Massive snowstorm closes schools, grounds flights in U.S. heartland
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The storm hit California on Tuesday and was expected to continue through the end of the week. In Central California, the weather iced over roadways, the weather service reported. More than 100,000 homes and businesses were without power, largely in Central California, according to the tracking site Poweroutage.us. Among the hardest-hit cities was Minneapolis, where some 20 inches (50 cm) of snow and 45-mph (72-kph) winds were expected to create whiteouts. The storm wreaked havoc on morning air travel as hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled across the nation.

☆ California assesses damage after days of deadly storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Authorities in California were set to assess damage on Monday after a wave of storms killed at least 19 people, swept away scores of homes and forced thousands to evacuate. Small rainstorms lingered early on Monday from San Francisco through central California and a few inches of snow fell on the foothills of the Sierras, the National Weather Service reported. "It's coming to an end as we speak," said meteorologist William Churchill on Monday morning at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. The Russian River, swollen with floodwater following a chain of winter storms, flows past the town of Guerneville, California, U.S. January 15, 2023. Then most of the state will have sunny days and at least a 10-day spell of dry, cool weather.

☆ End to storms is near but California braces for two more atmospheric rivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A road sign is seen next to a country highway on agricultural land amid flooding from the Salinas River, in Salinas, California, U.S., January 13, 2023. The latest storm, the season's eighth, is expected to begin dumping heavy rain on California from early on Saturday, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said. The ninth and final atmospheric river of the series is due to make landfall on Monday and last a couple of days. Among the waterways of concern, the Salinas River in northern California flooded roads and farmland on Friday, when 24,000 people were urged to evacuate. In southern California, officials will release water on Saturday from Lake Cachuma, which provides drinking water near Santa Barbara, as the chronically low lake has filled to capacity.

☆ California is deluged by record rain with more storms coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kate Fishman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The parade of storms is forecast to continue, bringing even more heavy rain next week, the weather service said. Large stretches of central California received over half their normal annual rainfall since Dec. 26. [1/12] View of flooding from the rainstorm-swollen Sacramento and American Rivers, near downtown Sacramento, California, U.S. January 11, 2023. The storms have killed at least 17 people since the start of the year, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ California braces for powerful atmospheric river storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view shows the damage after rainstorms caused a levee to break, flooding Sacramento County roads near Wilton, California, U.S., January 1, 2023. Another atmospheric river storm is threatening California with flooding, landslides, and power outages on Wednesday as millions of residents recover from several destructive storms, one of which caused a levee breach this weekend. Flood watches are in effect across Central and Northern California, where the ground has become more saturated and vulnerable to flooding and rapid runoff. San Mateo County, located south of San Francisco, declared a local state of emergency and activated its emergency operations center. In south Sacramento County, responders are attempting to repair part of a 34 mile levee system along the Cosumnes River, which protects land made up mostly of vineyards and cattle ranches, before the storm is set to arrive on Wednesday.

Poloncarz updated the death toll from the blizzard on Wednesday, reporting 37 deaths in Erie County, with one other storm-related fatality in neighboring Niagara County. The goal was to get at least one lane of traffic open on each street by Wednesday night, Poloncarz said. The mercury climbed above freezing on Wednesday, and forecasts called for the thaw to continue with spring-like temperatures and showers likely by week's end. "We're actually expecting a rapid melt over the next two days, because we're going to hit 50 degrees (Fahrenheit)," Poloncarz said. Showers and thunderstorms are expected in the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley, the weather service said.

"We're recovering from the worst storm I've ever seen, certainly in terms of death from mother nature's wrath," he said. Progress was slow due to the sheer volume and depth of the snow, which Poloncarz said "is not plowable." [1/7] A "let’s go Buffalo" sign is seen behind an abandoned car on the road following a winter storm in Buffalo, New York, U.S., December 27, 2022. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it an "epic, once-in-a-lifetime" weather disaster, the worst blizzard to hit the Buffalo area in 45 years. Buffalo residents with plows attached to their Jeeps and pickup trucks helped clear side streets.

[1/5] Abandoned cars are seen after being towed to a parking lot following a winter storm in Buffalo, New York, U.S., December 28, 2022. Almost all electricity was restored by Wednesday morning and temperatures were warming as Buffalo continued to dig out. The goal was to have at least one lane of traffic open on each street by Wednesday night, Poloncarz said. Melting snow presents a risk of flooding and about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of rain is expected in Western New York on Friday and Saturday. Reporting by Lindsay DeDario in Buffalo and Rich McKay in Atlanta.

[1/5] An aerial view of buildings during a blizzard in Buffalo, New York, U.S. December 26, 2022, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. "It's still snowing" in Western New York, said NWS meteorologist Bob Oravec, predicting two more inches. "This is probably the last of the snow," added Oravec, who is with the NWS Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. Buffalo, New York state's second largest city, was ground zero for the blizzard that took shape on Friday. Poloncarz, speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, urged residents to stay home and the curious to stay away.

As the storm took shape over the Great Lakes on Thursday, a weather phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone was likely to develop from a "rapidly deepening low-pressure" system, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The cyclone could spawn snowfalls of a half inch (1.25 cm) per hour and howling winds from the Upper Midwest to the interior Northeast, producing near-zero visibility, the weather service said. "It's dangerous and threatening," President Joe Biden said at the White House, urging Americans with travel plans to not delay and to set off on Thursday. Hundreds of Texans died in February 2021 after the state's power grid failed amid wintry storms, leaving millions without electricity. Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Center in Maryland, said freezing or below-freezing cold would bisect central Florida, with temperatures about 25 degrees below normal.

☆ Massive winter storm threatens holiday travel for millions of Americans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In its wake, the cyclone could spawn snowfalls of a half inch an hour and winds of more than 50 mph (80 kph) in the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast, the weather service said. "This will lead to dangerous, to at times impossible, land and air travel leading up to the holiday weekend," the agency said on its website. Temperatures in parts of the Southern Plains and Southeast could stay below freezing -- 30-plus degrees less than normal -- for multiple days, the weather service predicted. The weather service also warned of freezing rain in parts of Oregon and Washington in the Northwest, where the storm originated, late Thursday. That would be the biggest daily drop in output since the freeze of February 2021 when a winter storm cut gas supplies from Texas and forced the Texas electric grid operator to impose rolling power outages.

A blast of Arctic air will also plunge much of the country into bitter and, in some cases, dangerous cold, forecasters say. In some parts of this area, the wind chill could reach as low as minus 70 degrees, according to the Weather Service. Brief bursts of moderate to heavy snow lasting an hour or two are likely to occur immediately behind the Arctic front. Strong southerly winds, combined with the new moon-tide cycle, could also bring coastal flooding from northern New Jersey to northeast Massachusetts, the Weather Service said. Meteorologists warned local residents that this is not a normal lake effect event with a narrow band of heavy snow.

☆ Blizzard, cold temperatures threaten to disrupt U.S. travel before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It does not look like a good day to be traveling across the Midwest on Friday," said Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Center. The biggest risk exists in the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, as well as parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Southern states could have rainfall and thunderstorms through Thursday, after which temperatures could drop significantly. The NWS also warned of "bone-chilling" cold in parts of Washington state through the Northern Plain states, including Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. Parts of Montana could see the thermometer register below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 C) on Tuesday, according to the NWS.

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