U.S. Cities With the Most Extreme Weather Conditions

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

The Best Meteor Shower of the Year Peaks August 12–13

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

World Record: 515-Mile Lightning Strike Confirmed Over Central U.S.

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

Pacific Awakens: M8.8 Russia Quake, 6th Strongest Ever, Triggers Pacific Tsunami Warnings

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

Weather Strikes Again: I-40 West Shuts Down at NC/TN Border, Disrupting Cross-Country Journeys and Mountain Getaways

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

Dallas Rainfall Records so far this year 2025

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

700+ Tornadoes so far for the 2025 Tornado Season

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

Texoma Lake Level Surges Amidst Regional Flooding

Lake Texoma flooding levels

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

Oklahoma Weather Extremes

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

Record-Breaking Hail: The Largest and Most Destructive Hailstorms

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

Weather Your Wallet: Climate-Conscious Spending

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

Behind the Forecast: The Regional Climate Centers You Should Know About

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

How Many Days Until Summer 2025?

number of days until summer 2016

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

A few thoughts on forecast techniques & forecast variance

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

Significant Threat for Violent Tornadoes and Major Flooding

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

Rare Severe Weather Alert for Pacific Northwest

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

Mid-March 2025 Tornado Outbreak: Over 100 Tornadoes Confirmed

OVER 100 PRELIMINARY TORNADO REPORTS for the tornado outbreak that started Friday night of March 14 from Arkansas to Missouri to Illinois and Indiana. Damage surveys continue across this tornado outbreak zone. The final tally will likely qualify as a super outbreak according to our definition of over 100 tornadoes in a 24 hour period, … Read more

Fire Danger Upgraded in North Texas

Fire Danger for Thursday, March 20 To Saturday Dry and windy conditions will continue into the weekend. Sunday afternoon, a front will bring the chance for rain mainly east of I-35. A few storms may be strong to severe. Be on the lookout for our daily forecast the next couple days for any updates regarding … Read more