Key Facts Of The Day 11/4

Hurricanes

• More than 37 million people are at risk of dangerous severe storms across the south-central U.S.
  • One storm will develop from the strong temperature contrast with surging warmth over the Plains and plunging cold air farther west.
    • A clash of the two seasons can lead to a robust severe storm system in the South and create the biggest tornado threat the U.S. has seen in nearly 5 months.
    • A Level 3 out of 5 enhanced risk for severe weather encompasses the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, and stretches from southeast of Austin into southeast Oklahoma, including Waco and McAlester.
  • Another strong jet stream will shift eastward as tropical moisture flows northward over the central U.S.
  • The storms could trigger power outages, cause property damage and pose some risk to lives in extreme cases.
• California’s first significant storm of the season brought rain to the southern half of the state Wednesday, but winter-like conditions persisted in the Sierra Nevada.

Wildfires

• As of October 27, there are currently 25 large active wildfires that have burned 256,629 across ID, IN, KY, MT, OK, OR, and WA. As of October 27, 59,441 wildfires have burned 7,210,454 acres across the country.
• In Oregon, 2 fires have burned 128,183 acres as of October 27.
  • The Cedar Creek Fire has burned 127,283 acres and is 60%
  • contained as of October 27.
• In Washington, 10 fires have burned 40,857 acres as of October 27.

Extreme Heat

• On Friday, highly unusual November warmth continued building across the eastern part of the country with weekend and Monday high temperatures being 20 to 30 degrees above average for millions.
  • Highs in the 60s, 70s, and 80s will make it feel more like mid-September than the first week of November.
  • While nearly two dozen record highs are possible Friday through the weekend, Monday could see as many as 40 record highs from the Southeast to New England.
  • These warm temperatures on Friday are expected to fuel a possible severe weather outbreak across parts of the central and southern Plains stretching to the Gulf Coast.
• Extreme drought and a sustained summer heatwave might cost the Texas cotton industry $2 billion.
  • Farmers had to plow fields without irrigation because plants were burning up. Statewide, almost 70% of cotton crops were similarly abandoned.
• Crops are being devastated by the ongoing drought in the U.S.
  • In California, rice farmers sowed the lowest number of seeds since the 1950s and only 250,000 acres of rice will be harvested this year.
  • The winter wheat harvest fell 25% this year as drought hit midwestern states like Kansas.
  • The USDA forecasted that California would only grow 10.5m tons of tomatoes, down 10% from its estimates at the beginning of the year, as drought causes them to dry up on the vine.

New Reports and Data

• A November 2022 study found that a warming Arctic will drive more polar bears ashore.
• A November 2022 report found that 91% of regulated coal plants are contaminating groundwater in 43 states.