Key Facts Of The Day 1/14

Storms and Flooding

• For millions across the South, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast this weekend’s winter storm could bring snow, rain, and/or ice.

  • A strong area of low pressure coming out of British Columbia will dive down across the central United States on Friday, basically heading due south.

  • The storm will carry with it incredible cold from Canada and there will be enough moisture in place to dump lots of snow across multiple regions through the weekend.

  • Conditions rapidly deteriorated across parts of North Dakota and snow shifted into eastern South Dakota and southwest Minnesota on Friday morning.

  • Widespread snowfall totals greater than 4 inches are likely, with over 8 inches possible from southeast North Dakota to central Iowa.

  • In some places, including Des Moines, Iowa, snow will begin to fall Friday with a duration likely to be from 14 to 20 hours in most locations.

    • Driving conditions will quickly become extremely dangerous for these areas, as the roads fill with snow.

    • Visibility will also be greatly reduced within heavy snow bands with rates up to one inch per hour and during periods of gusty winds.

  • Winds in excess of 60 MPH are possible through the High Plains as the cold front races through. The winds will cause any fresh snow to be blown around, reducing visibility, especially on the roads.

  • As the storm system quickly travels south, Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee, and even Jackson, Mississippi, could all see snow this weekend.

  • As of Thursday morning, the forecast was pointing toward Nashville getting rain to start, then switching to snow Saturday night and into Sunday.

  • The north Georgia mountains have the best chances for seeing the biggest snowfall totals, while areas closer to Atlanta could see more rain with a little snow mixed in.

  • A major icing event could take shape across the Carolinas and Virginia, leaving millions without power and impossible travel conditions.

  • Wherever the freezing rain and sleet falls, there will be instant icing on the roads and bridges. Highways will become nearly impossible to navigate because of slick conditions.

  • As the system travels north, toward the mid-Atlantic, icing becomes less of an issue and rain and snow become the two major players.

    • In the New York City area, the precipitation is forecast to begin Sunday afternoon. Gusty winds will accompany the passing of the front, and there could be wind gusts of 35 MPH around New York City on Monday afternoon.

    • Windy conditions will reach Boston as well, potentially creating minor coastal flooding.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 2 large active wildfires that have burned 1,005 acres across AK, and LA. As of Friday, 457 wildfires have burned 7,080 acres across the country.

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom, includes a total of $37 billion in climate spending over the next six years.

  • This year’s budget adds $1.2 billion to last year’s budget of $1.5 billion to fight wildfires, much of it for forest thinning, prescribed burns and other projects to reduce fire risks.

• Many parents had to flee from the Marshall Fire and did not have time to think or grab anything but their children.

  • One Superior, Colorado family had to run for their lives with their three children and no time for car seats, baby items, or their pet cats.

    • With the force of the winds exacerbated by the wildfire, they could not even close the rear hatch door or the driver door of their car and had to drive with the doors open through ash, smoke, and debris.

• Wildfire risk for San Antonio, Texas and the surrounding areas this Saturday.

• Farmers and ranchers are continuing cleanup work from a Dec. 15 windstorm that led to a wildfire scorching nearly 163,000 acres in central Kansas.

Extreme Heat

• The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history.

  • Global temperatures in 2021 were among the highest ever observed, with 25 countries setting new annual records.

  • In 2021, global temperatures were 2.2 degrees above the pre industrial average.

  • July was the hottest month humanity has recorded.

  • The roughly 1.5 trillion tons of carbon dioxide emitted by humans  will not leave the atmosphere for at least several more centuries.

• The heat dome that seared the Pacific Northwest this past summer was the most anomalous extreme heat event ever observed on Earth.

  • It would have been virtually impossible in a world without climate change.

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom, includes a total of $37 billion in climate spending over the next six years.

  • $175 million from last year’s budget will be spent on  planting trees in hot urban neighborhoods and installing air conditioning in low-income homes.

  • An additional $300 million in funding from last year’s budget will go to the extreme heat plan after the public gives feedback.

    • A portion could go toward cooling schools in heat-vulnerable communities, protecting vulnerable populations through increased enforcement, building a climate-smart workforce through training partnerships and increasing public awareness of the risks from extreme heat.

  • It also adds $750 million to last year’s $5.2 billion for drought response, including $180 million for water suppliers to plug leaks, tear out grass and improve efficiency; $145 million in emergency assistance for communities at risk of going dry; $75 million to protect fish and wildlife; and $30 million for replenishing groundwater.

• Long-awaited cuts to Colorado River water are finally hitting Arizona farmers.

  • In Pinal County, farmers expect to fallow 30% to 40% of the acreage they would typically plant.

  • Recent snowpack has improved the near-term outlook, with the Colorado River and its tributaries now forecast to pour 99% of normal flow into Lake Powell by April, but that’s 99% of a new “normal” diminished by climate change.

• The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says it will hold back 350,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam to prevent the reservoir from losing its ability to generate hydropower as early as next month.

New Reports And Data

• A January 2022 survey found that 1 in 3 Americans are ‘alarmed’ by climate change.

• A January 2022 study  found that microplastic pollution linger in rivers for years before entering oceans.

• A January 2022 study found that BPA exposure of the placenta could affect fetal brain development.