Does a Warm Winter Mean the Summer Will be Hotter than Normal?

Introduction The title is a question that is frequently asked of meteorologists, especially in the wake of an abnormally warm or cool season; it is a topic of interest among atmospheric scientists and the general public alike.  In this article, we will attempt to answer this question using climatology, casting aside gut feelings and old … Read more

Days Until Winter 2023 Countdown

2023 Winter Solstice Thursday, December 21 at 10:57 am EST How many days until winter? Winter 2023 Begins In The winter solstice, or December solstice, will be Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, marking the first day of winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter generally begins on December 21 or 22. This is the winter solstice, the day … Read more

What to Do When Your Dog Is Afraid of Thunderstorms

Like humans, our pets can have phobias, such a stress-inducing fear of loud noises, fireworks, and thunderstorms.  As a pet-owner, you have an awareness of your dog’s mood and her behavior likely alerts you to an approaching thunderstorm, even before you hear the first clap of thunder.  She may cry or whimper, tremble, or scurry … Read more

Best Credit Card for Weather Delays at the Airport

Weather disruptions are a fact of life when it comes to travel. Flights can be delayed or cancelled for a variety of reasons, including bad weather. If you’re a traveler who frequently gets stuck due to weather, the Venture X card can be a valuable asset.   Get Comfortable During Weather Disruptions at the Airport … Read more

100 years later, daylight saving time (DST) is still a thing

'Daylight Saving' postcard (1918)

Daylight saving time (DST) When will DST end (return to standard time)? Countdown to Spring A Few Interesting Facts and Myths About Daylight Saving Time 1. Terminology: Daylight saving time, not “savings”. 2. Bottling daylight most of the year. In the United States, we spend about 65% of the year (~238 days) in daylight saving … Read more

When does DST return to standard time in 2023?

DST ends and clocks return to standard time (“fall back”) at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 5, 2022. States that do not observe the time change: Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii. How did DST get started? We have compiled an brief, but very interesting, history of daylight saving time When does DST … Read more

2023 Tropical Storm and Hurricane Names

2021 Storm Names for the North Atlantic and Caribbean 2021 Names for Tropical Cyclones in the East Pacific When Does Hurricane Season Begin? In the North Atlantic and Caribbean, hurricane season basins begins on June 1. In the East Pacific, hurricane season begins on May 15. What is the Difference Between a Hurricane and Typhoon? … Read more

Smoke from West Coast Wildfires seen by NOAA Satellites

A blocking weather pattern has encompassed much of the nation throughout the summer. A persistent area of high pressure and large-scale, high-amplitude ridging over the western half of the country has resulted in hot temperatures and extremely low atmospheric moisture content. These are the conditions necessary for the development of wildfires. Last week, NOAA’s Geostationary … Read more

Cool things that Doppler weather radar can detect!

The National Weather Service’s Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) network across the United States consists of 155 Doppler radar sites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2013, the entire WSR-88D network was upgraded to dual-polarization capabilities, meaning that the Doppler radar can emit pulses in both the horizontal and vertical plane. … Read more

February 2018 was the Wettest on Record at DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth)

Radar-estimated rainfall totals for Dallas Fort Worth on February 28, 2018 showing swath of 2 to 5 inches of rain

…Daily rainfall record shattered at DFW on the 28th… …Also the most rainfall ever recorded on ANY day in February… …February 2018 is now the wettest on record for DFW… A heavy rain event on the last day of the month pushed monthly rainfall totals to record levels at DFW Airport in the Dallas/Fort Worth … Read more

A look into the brilliant displays of atmospheric optics

The atmosphere can display phenomenal optical features through the bending of light. You may have looked up at the sky on a day with high-level clouds, e.g. cirrus clouds, which are composed of ice crystals. These hexagonal ice crystals act as prisms, and when a photon (a particle of light) passes through the ice crystal, … Read more

Rowlett continues fundraising for Christmas Tornado Relief

The City of Rowlett, Texas, continues their efforts to raise money for those affected by the EF-4 tornado that impacted the area on December 26th, 2015. Rowlett Strong, the non-profit organization involved, has earned a Gold Participant status from the GuideStar non-profit organization. GuideStar is one of the world’s largest source of non-profit information.  Rowlett … Read more

Remembering the November 17th, 2013, Tornado Outbreak

On Sunday, November 17th, 2013, an outbreak of deadly tornadoes occurred across the upper midwest region of the United States. 73 tornadoes were confirmed across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. Two of the seventy-three tornadoes were violent, of which both earned damage ratings on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of EF-4 (166-200mph winds). Both … Read more

NOAA’s New Polar Orbiting Satellite to Launch November 18th

A new polar orbiting satellite, the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1), is scheduled to launch Wednesday, November 15th, at 1:47am PDT from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Update [11/16 at 11:39am CST]: The morning launch was scrubbed due to strong upper level winds. The new launch time is scheduled for Saturday, November 18th, … Read more

GOES-16 scheduled to be fully operational on December 20th

Last year on November 19th, 2016, GOES-16 (formerly GOES-R) was launched on the Atlas V541 rocket from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Nearly a year after its launch into geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 22,240 miles above the Earth’s surface, the satellite constellation will begin its drift to the GOES-East … Read more

Widespread frost and freeze expected across North Texas Friday Night

frost and freezing temperatures likely over much of North Texas this upcoming Friday night (10/27/17).

Dallas/Fort Worth/North Texas Forecast Summary [Wednesday 10/25] ➤ As I discussed in my previous DFW forecast posted on Monday, the coldest air so far this season will overspread North Texas on Friday. ➤ Temperatures will be in the upper 80s to near 90º tomorrow (Thursday, October 26) thanks to downslope/compressional warming with southwest winds. ➤ … Read more

Dallas Texas Coldest airmass so far this season this Friday

Forecast temperature anomaly for Saturday morning October 28, 2017

Forecast Discussion for DFW/North Texas [Posted on Monday 10/23/17] …Coolest air so far this season arrives Friday… ➤ Following highs in the low-mid 80s today, a weak cold front tonight will bring temperatures back down to seasonal levels tomorrow and Wednesday. ➤ A bit warmer on Thursday, ahead of the next cold front, with temperatures … Read more

Ophelia becomes a rare major hurricane south of the Azores

On the morning of October 14th, 2017, at 11:00am AST, Hurricane Ophelia was upgraded to a rare major hurricane south of the Azores Islands in the far northeastern Atlantic. Ophelia is a Category-3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 115mph. Three days earlier, on October 11th, Ophelia became the 10th consecutive … Read more

Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017

A total solar eclipse will occur across parts of the United States on August 21st, 2017. The path of totality will cross over the following states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The total eclipse over the U.S. will begin at 10:15am PDT in Oregon, and … Read more

Use Solar Panels to Power your Home and Cut Energy Costs

Going solar lets you slash heating bills, reduce your home’s carbon footprint, and embrace a green lifestyle. Installing solar panels can give you energy independence. However, you can still “go solar” and reduce heating bills without investing a fortune in expensive solar panels. Every unit of electricity you save is a unit you effectively generate. … Read more

Hurricane Survival: Supplies and a Plan of Action

Hurricane Readiness

Hurricane season starts on June 1st and runs through November 30.  This time frame was created based on long-term statistics, but hurricanes can certainly occur outside of this range.  In January 2016, for example, Hurricane Alex became the strongest Atlantic hurricane to occur during the northern hemispheric winter. So, irrespective of the date, take some … Read more

Did You Know There Are Three Types of Supercells?

Determining the type of supercells that may occur within a given severe weather environment is important for a multitude of reasons. A supercell is a thunderstorm that rotates. There are three types of supercells: low-precipitation (LP), classic, and high-precipitation (HP). The configuration of the wind shear profiles within a severe weather environment is critical in diagnosing … Read more

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

Long Track Supercells in the Western Plains on May 16th, 2017

Long-track supercells formed across the western Great Plains on Tuesday, May 16th, 2017. Accompanied with these supercells were multiple tornadoes, damaging winds, and giant hail upwards of 4.00″ in diameter. Widespread flash flooding also occurred across the Oklahoma Panhandle and southwestern Kansas.  The morning data analysis, including the 1200z / 7:00am CDT observed weather balloon … Read more

The Influence of Wind Shear on Thunderstorms

Strong vertical wind shear is important for the development of severe convective storms including the type of thunderstorm, its orientation, and its life span. Wind shear can influence storms in several ways, including speed shear and directional shear. Speed shear is a change in the wind speed with respect to height, while directional shear is the … Read more

ThunderShirt for Storm Anxiety in Dogs – Review

Do you have a dog that is terrified of loud noises such as thunder or fireworks? It can be devastating to watch as your dog shakes uncontrollably, pants, and paces every time a storm approaches or during Independence Day celebrations. Not too much is known as to why some dogs have a phobia of loud … Read more