Key Facts Of The Day 3/28

Storms and Flooding

• Heavy rain and mountain snow are returning to California on Tuesday, continuing a relentless weather pattern across the West that has proved dangerous, deadly, and disruptive to millions of people in recent months.
  • The latest powerful Pacific storm will move inland early Tuesday and linger through Wednesday, delivering rain over the Central California coast.
  •  The higher elevations of the northern coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada are expected to be hit the hardest, with up to three feet of snow predicted.
  • The storm will then re-energize east of the Rockies and trigger severe weather across much of the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley from Thursday evening to Friday night.

• Over the weekend, severe storms and tornadoes were reported across the five states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
  • In the wake of the powerful tornado that killed dozens of people in the Mississippi delta, aid groups are on the ground assisting those in need.

• Residents of the demolished city of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, are still struggling to pick up the pieces from a violent EF4 tornado.
• The prevalence of mobile homes and manufactured housing made Rolling Fork particularly vulnerable to extreme weather.
• According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, 21 people were killed by the severe weather in Mississippi.

Wildfire

• As of March 17, 8  large active wildfires have burned 5,090 acres across the country.
• As of March 17, 5,972 wildfires have burned 77,759 acres across the country.
• In Florida, 4 fires have burned 4,032 acres as of March 17.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 150 acres as of March 17.
• On Monday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and state fire officials warned that the state would not be immune to wildfires in the coming months despite an unusually wet winter.

Extreme Heat

• Extreme drought persists as Western Kansas farmers try to grow spring crops.
• Climate change is making the allergy season last longer.
  • One side effect of milder winters and increased annual average temperatures is that plants not only begin producing pollen earlier but also produce it for a longer period.
  • Some parts of the U.S. have already seen allergies flare up as much as a month earlier than usual.
  • Longer pollen seasons and higher concentrations can cause more sensitivity to allergens.

New Reports and Data

• A March 2023 study found that Douglas-fir trees in the Klamath Mountains are in a ‘decline spiral,’ which can increase the potential for hotter, more extreme wildfires.
• A March 2023 study found that a plant-based film that cools when exposed to sunlight could someday keep buildings, cars, and other structures cool without requiring power.