Key Facts Of The Day 3/1

Storms and Flooding

• A large winter storm will spread across the Midwest and Northeast during 1st days of March.
  • The storm will likely bring heavy snow to Chicago and Milwaukee, moderate snow to Detroit and Boston, and enough snow for roads to become slippery in the New York City metro area.
  • Thursday has the potential to produce the most widespread storms capable of dangerous impacts that include damaging straight-line winds, tornadoes, and large hail.
  • As of Wednesday morning, more than 170,000 homes and businesses across the U.S. were without power due to severe weather.
• The Storm Prediction Center warned that a few “strong” tornadoes might be possible in parts of the South, where severe thunderstorms are expected Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
• Flooding is possible from the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley, with the greatest risk in Arkansas.
• On Tuesday, there were over 470 flight cancellations in the U.S. and more than 900 delays due to severe weather.
• Recent storms in California eased some drought in Yosemite but disrupted wildlife habitats.

Wildfire

• As of February 24, there are currently 2  large active wildfires that have burned 1,496 acres across the country.
• As of February 24, 3,485 wildfires have burned 28,701 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• On Tuesday, dozen of locations across the South had their warmest winter days on record, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Columbia, Mississippi.; West Palm Beach, Florida.; and Macon, Georgia.
• Local conifer forests are endangered by drought stress and extreme heat, which may make plants used in traditional ceremonies of Pueblo people scarce or locally extinct.
• Last week, the Texas High Plains were hit by dust storms which were made worse by the ongoing drought in the region.
• As the effects of heat-trapping pollution continue to raise sea levels, wetlands dotting the U.S. coastlines could disappear.
• The Brookings Institute found that U.S. airports are threatened by a changing climate, including extreme heat, rising sea levels, and other weather-related events.

New Reports and Data

• A February 2023 study found that the new legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, including the Inflation Reduction Act, aligns with a large majority of American voters’ beliefs about the need to address climate change.
• A February 2023 study found that the climate crisis drives a rise in human-wildlife conflicts.
• A February 2023 study found that when global temperatures increase by 4 degrees Celsius, harmful plant emissions and dust will also increase by as much as 14%.