Key Facts Of The Day 3/6

Storms and Flooding

• At least 13 deaths were reported from the storm that dumped heavy snow across the country’s northern tier and slammed parts of the South with powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes over the weekend.
  • On Sunday night, more than 173,500 homes and businesses in Kentucky, about  71,400 in Michigan, and about 30,000 in Tennessee were without power.
  • On Saturday, nearly 15 million people were under winter weather alerts along the West Coast and in New England, with another 25 million under wind alerts.
  • On Saturday, more than 300,000 people were under flood watches from Arkansas to Ohio.
  • More than a foot of snow fell in parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
  • According to authorities, driving conditions across the Northeast were hazardous as dozens of cars, trucks, and tractor-trailers slid off roads.
  • Search crews have rescued several Californians stranded in the state’s mountain communities; however, some residents in the mountains east of Los Angeles will likely remain trapped in their homes for at least another week.
  • Two teenage hikers were rescued after being stuck for days in the Southern California mountains.

Wildfire

• As of March  3, 8  large active wildfires have burned 6,357 acres across the country.
• As of March  3, 4,278 wildfires have burned 63,647 acres across the country.
• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 400 acres as of March 3.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 2,816 acres as of March 3.
• burned 28,701 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• It has been too warm to snow in some traditionally wintry U.S. cities and has affected winter activities.
  • Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont all had their warmest January on record, while Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania had their second warmest.
  • Due to the warmer conditions, cross-country ski trails have not opened in many locations.
  •  In Cherry Creek, New York, Cockaigne Resort announced it was closing due to the warm temperatures and rain.
  • A popular 216-mile sled dog race in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was canceled due to unfavorable weather for the first time in its 33-year history.
  • Ice fishing tournaments from Maine to Pennsylvania have been canceled because many lakes and ponds have not frozen over.
• Climate change played a part in the colder storms in California that brought rain and snow to places that typically do not see it.
  • As the Earth warms, the air circulation that keeps the jet stream and polar air in the polar regions starts to break down, and cold air travels further south than usually expected.

New Reports and Data

• A March 2023 study found that Boreal forest fires in northern Eurasia and North America — including parts of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia — spewed record-breaking carbon dioxide levels into the atmosphere in 2021.
• A March 2023 study found that coastal water pollution transfers to the atmosphere in sea spray aerosol, reaching people beyond beachgoers, surfers, and swimmers.
• A February 2023 study found that climate change raises the threat of back-to-back hurricanes.