When Oklahoma thinks October, most picture pumpkin patches and football—not a landscape frozen under more than an inch of ice. But October 2020 rewrote the state’s weather rule book. That historic ice storm hammered Oklahoma City, plunged over 300,000 residents into darkness, toppled trees, and cost millions in repairs—weeks before Halloween. Why did it happen, … Read more
Seven Inch sized Hail-stone To Break Texas Record June 2, 2024 a supercell thunderstorm developed and intensified near Happy, Texas in northern Swisher County with strong mid-level rotation rapidly developing. The cyclonic rotation strengthened and lowered as the storm began its track east-southeast towards the Vigo Park community. The extreme lift with the storm’s updraft … Read more
On this, the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s final landfall east of New Orleans, I wanted to share some graphics and the very rare, dire warning issued the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana that likely saved many, many lives. Radar Loop at Landfall Satellite Loop at Landfall Location of the NWS Brief … Read more
As the peak of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season nears, it was 20 years ago, on the morning of August 28, 2005, that the National Weather Service in Slidell, which has responsibility for New Orleans, Louisiana, issued a dire bulletin in advance of Hurricane Katrina as she headed towards the Gulf Coast. At the time of … Read more
August 2025 will go down as one of the more memorable months in recent North Texas weather history. In the early morning hours of August 4, an intense microburst at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport produced a staggering wind gust of 89 mph — the highest ever recorded at the site. The force was strong enough … Read more
Hurricane Erin Updates Hurricane Erin Fatality Total: 12{3 Remain Missing} ➼9 in São Vicente, Cape Verde {+2 Missing}➼2 off U.S. East Coast {+1 Missing}•1 near Fire Island National Seashore•1 near Hampton Beach, New Hampshire 7 Dead from Tropical Storm Erin in Cape Verde At least seven people have died on the island of São Vicente, … Read more
If you are searching for diverse weather or extreme temperatures and precipitation, the U.S. is certainly one of the places to be. Have you ever wondered what U.S. city is the coldest or the warmest? What city experiences the most rainfall or the most thunderstorms? I thought that it would be interesting to come up with … Read more
2025 Hurricane Season Predicted to be Above-Average by NOAA and CSU
The Perseid meteor shower — widely considered the best of the year — will put on its peak performance the nights of August 12 and 13, with up to 50 meteors per hour visible under clear, dark skies. No telescope? No problem. You don’t need special gear to enjoy this lunar show. Just find a … Read more
The World Meteorological Organization has certified a new world record for the longest lightning strike on record, a single bolt that measured 515 miles in length. The flash occurred on October 22, 2017, within a massive mesoscale convective system (MCS) that extended across the Central Plains of the United States. While the majority of the … Read more
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has officially upgraded the recent earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia to a staggering Magnitude 8.8, tying it as the fifth-strongest earthquake ever recorded globally. This colossal megathrust quake has generated a significant tsunami threat across the Pacific, prompting evacuations in Hawaii and warnings along the entire U.S. West … Read more
No, It’s Not AI or the Apocalypse — That “Firenado” in Utah Was Very Real This week, a jaw-dropping video out of southeastern Utah had social media buzzing. It showed what looked like a swirling vortex of flame rising from the landscape—a twisting column of fire churning against the sky like something out of a … Read more
As a meteorologist, my heart sinks when I see the devastation caused by events like the recent catastrophic flooding in Texas, which has tragically claimed over 50 lives, with many still missing, including 30 or more girls from a summer camp along the Guadalupe River. In the wake of such a disaster, it’s natural for … Read more
Pigeon River Gorge, NC/TN – For the second time in less than a year, the vital I-40 West corridor near the North Carolina-Tennessee border has succumbed to the relentless power of nature. A substantial rockslide and severe flooding in the picturesque yet precarious Pigeon River Gorge have triggered the indefinite closure of I-40 West at … Read more
Summer’s Here, But Not for All Ski Slopes! Your Guide to Cool Mountain Escapes This Weekend As the North American ski season winds down, only a few unique spots remain open for those eager to hit the slopes. But even if skiing isn’t on your radar, some iconic natural areas are experiencing unseasonable winter conditions, … Read more
January 29-30 Heavy Rain Event Totals were as high as 4-7″ from North Central into Northeast Texas. The 24-hour tally at Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) Airport was among the highest on record for January. January 2025 Deluge Sets Records: DFW Airport tallied 4.13″ for the entire event, which spanned 31 hours Dallas experienced a remarkably … Read more
Tornadoes are a powerful and destructive force of nature, capable of causing significant damage and loss of life. The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country, with an average of over 1,200 tornadoes occurring annually. This comprehensive guide will provide information on historical tornado data, predictions for the 2025 tornado season, and real-time … Read more
The water level in Lake Texoma is currently high due to recent heavy rains in the region. As of May 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM CDT, the pool elevation was 632.47 feet, which is 16.75 feet above normal and 15.47 feet into the flood pool. The conservation pool elevation is 617.00 feet, and the top … Read more
Pie Day or March 14, 2025, had the most number of Oklahoma mesonet sites in a 30+ year history to measure severe wind gusts (58+mph) in a single day with 63 sites. This broke the record a few weeks earlier on 3/4/25 that landed at #4 all time with 37 sites. March 2025 broke records … Read more
April 27th, 2024, will be the thirteen year anniversary of the April 27th, 2011, Super Outbreak of tornadoes that occurred across Dixie Alley in the southeastern United States. Between April 26th and April 28th, 2011, there were 363 total tornadoes. On April 27th alone, there were 219 tornadoes. This outbreak surpassed the 1974 Tornado Outbreak … Read more
As a meteorologist, I’m passionate about our planet and its future. While I can’t control the weather, I can make informed choices that contribute to a more sustainable world. One such choice is selecting a credit card that aligns with my values. Storm the System: Your Spending Power for a Better Climate Let’s face it, … Read more
The Unsung Heroes of U.S. Weather Data: Regional Climate Centers Explained You’ve probably heard of NOAA or the National Weather Service, especially when big storms roll through. But behind the scenes, there’s a lesser-known but incredibly important network of six Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) quietly supporting everything from agriculture and emergency response to daily forecasts … Read more
Pensacola Florida’s top rainfall events peaked in 2014 but in 2025 we have a new #2. Pensacola had an eventful snowfall event in 2025
2025 Summer Solstice Friday, June 20, 2025 at 9:41 p.m. CST. [ujicountdown id=”Summer Solstice” expire=”2025/06/20 14:57 utc” hide=”” url=”” subscr=”summer solstice”] 2025 Tornado Season Outlook Strawberry Moon to follow earliest summer solstice in 228 years The June solstice occurs at 4:50 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 20, 2024, the earliest solstice in 228 … Read more
Annual Dry Thunderstorm Days Density map showing the average number of annual dry thunderstorm days in the Day 1 Fire Weather outlook from the Storm Prediction Center (NWSSPC). The areas that stick out are southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada which experience on average more than 20/year.
For anyone interested in this data recently compiled on a map showing the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) tornado outlooks archived. He noted a few findings:
For the sake of conversation, I wanted to share some thoughts about forecast variance (i.e., the tendency for forecasts to vary from one meteorologist to another), forecast advancements, and forecast techniques. It goes without saying that atmospheric prediction is *extremely* difficult and time consuming. During an active pattern, a forecast for a 36-hour period can … Read more
Update 4am CST April 3, 2025: A tornado outbreak on Wednesday, April 2, impacted the Mississippi River Valley, with tornadoes that damaged or destroyed dozens of homes, from Missouri through Arkansas and Tennessee. Check out these images below of the massive tornadoes spotted: Nearly 300 Tornado Warnings issued yesterday and 500 Severe Storm Warnings. Shoutout … Read more
First Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for this area in 10 years for March! These severe storms are likely to be somewhat isolated, but they could occur even at lower elevations and have a high probability of generating large hail (>1 inch diameter) and strong wind gusts (~65+ mph). Given local terrain and topography influences, there … Read more
EF1 Tornado Touches Down at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Without Warning