Weather category, Page 33
Atmospheric river? The meaning behind unusual meteorological terms
When tuning into the weather report, don’t be surprised if the on-air personality mentions the term “atmospheric river.” It’s definitely a real weather term, albeit one less heard, but it’s nothing like Pittsburgh’s other three such bodies of water. “It is mostly a term used on the West Coast for...
Northeast winter storm shuts schools, knocks out power
CONCORD, N.H. — The start of a winter storm with heavy, wet snow caused a plane to slide off a taxiway and led to hundreds of school closings, canceled flights and thousands of power outages in parts of the Northeast on Tuesday. The storm’s path included parts of New England,...
New England, upstate New York bracing for winter stormVideo
Parts of the Northeast were bracing for a powerful winter storm that could dump heavy, wet snow and unleash strong winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people. The National Weather Service says the storm is expected to begin late Monday and last into Wednesday. The storm could...
Study confirms global floods, droughts worsening with warming
The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has “sharply” increased over the past 20 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Water. These aren’t merely tough weather events, they are leading to extremes such as crop failure, infrastructure damage, even humanitarian crises and conflict. The big...
What does Pittsburgh’s mild winter mean for spring bugs?
On the calendar, it might technically be winter. In real life, Penn State assistant research professor Michael Skvarla just pulled a black-legged tick off his daughter about a week ago. That’s typically a spring and summer problem. But the Pittsburgh region is on pace for one of its mildest winters...
Western Pa. could see 1-2 inches of snow
Looks like snow’s not done with us just yet. Monday’s weather forecast in Western Pennsylvania is calling for considerable cloudiness and a chance of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. Highs Monday are expected in the upper 30s, with a 50% chance of precipitation — and that...
As atmospheric river exits, another awaits to hit CaliforniaVideo
WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Wet, miserable weather continued across huge swaths of California on Sunday as an atmospheric river that caused major flooding flowed eastward, and as a new system threatens the region with another onslaught of rain, snow and gusting wind as soon as Monday night. The National Weather Service...
Volunteers in mountain towns dig out snow-stuck Californians
LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. — After a blizzard swept through Southern California mountains, 79-year-old Alan Zagorsky found himself shut inside his home with snow blocking the door and stairways leading out. He and his wife had enough food to get through the 10 days until volunteers finally arrived Wednesday to help...
Cyclone Freddy set to slam Mozambique in rare 2nd hit
MOMBASA, Kenya — Still recovering from the effects of the first battering, the southeastern African nation of Mozambique is bracing for a rare second hit by long-living Tropical Cyclone Freddy late on Friday night, a regional weather center said Tuesday. The United Nations’ monitoring station on the Indian Ocean island...
Fewer than 500 homes still without power from weekend storms
Power has been restored for nearly all of the nearly 30,000 customers affected by heavy storms that passed through the area over the weekend, toppling trees and damaging buildings. West Penn Power reported that as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, 450 homes in Westmoreland County were still waiting for the power...
Snow has been a no-show for some traditionally wintry cities
BOSTON — Growing up in New England, Leah Ofsevit’s most cherished childhood memories were blanketed in snow. She remembers running barefoot outside with her brother at the first sign of it, building snowmen and ice castles most winters, strapping on skis as a toddler. Ofsevit and her husband, Jeremy Garczynski,...
Thousands still without power Saturday evening in Westmoreland, Fayette counties after severe windstorm
Thousands of homes remained without power Saturday evening in Westmoreland and Fayette counties as a result of high winds that began moving through the region Friday. As of 6:30 p.m., West Penn Power reported more than 8,200 outages in Fayette County and about 5,800 outages in Westmoreland County, among a...
High wind warning in effect for 3 southwestern PA counties
High winds that hit Westmoreland, Fayette, and Indiana counties Friday evening are expected to continue until 1 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Slightly less powerful gusts were hitting neighboring counties, including those in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Westmoreland emergency services responded to numerous calls Friday night reporting downed...
Northeast, California dig out from snowstorms flanking U.S.
BOSTON — Heavy snow bookended the United States on Tuesday, with a late-season storm bringing a messy morning commute to the Northeast and leaving California residents to dig out, or in some cases simply wait for help, after yet another storm. Hundreds of schools across southern New England either closed...
Wind shreds Southern Plains; California to see more snowVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Parts of the Southern Plains counted the injured and surveyed the damage Monday after tornadoes and other powerful winds swept through, killing at least one person in Oklahoma, while some Michigan residents faced a fifth consecutive day without power following last week’s ice storm. In California, the...
Explainer: Windstorm was likely a derecho. What is that?
A long line of quick-moving thunderstorms that produced a swath of damaging wind gusts across northern Texas and Oklahoma late Sunday likely qualified the event as a derecho, although that’s not an official designation, said Nolan Meister, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “Last night we had a prolific...
Michigan power line work continues, California gets breatherVideo
Some Michigan residents faced a fourth straight day in the dark on Sunday as crews continued working to restore power to more than 175,000 homes and businesses in the Detroit metropolitan area following last week’s ice storm. Leah Thomas, whose home north of Detroit in the suburb of Beverly Hills...
Erratic temperatures pose pneumonia risk for livestock
For some farmers, fluctuations between cold and warm temperatures can pose issues for livestock. “Going from 70 degrees to 30 degrees or below freezing is very hard for an animal to try to adjust,” said Rick Ebert of Ebert Family Farms in Derry. “You have to make sure there is...
Warm weather woes: Mild winter impacts allergy symptoms, agriculture
The allergy appointments are already beginning to build for Dr. Christin Deal, and it’s only February. Is this the new normal in Western Pennsylvania? Deal, an allergy immunologist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said allergist appointments are about a month ahead of pace. “Usually, it’s more like mid- to...
Massive winter storm brings snow, strong winds, frigid coldVideo
PIERRE, S.D. — A brutal winter storm knocked out power in California, closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming and prompted more than 1,500 flight cancellations Wednesday — and the worst won’t be over for several days. Few places were untouched by the wild weather, some at the opposite extreme:...
Massive winter storm brings snow, strong winds, frigid cold
MINNEAPOLIS — Brutal winter weather bringing snow, dangerous gusts of wind and bitter cold settled over much of the northern U.S. on Wednesday, shutting down roadways, closing schools and businesses and prompting dire warnings for people to stay home. The massive storm with blizzard-like conditions to the north were part...
Upper Midwest braces for blizzard, nearly 2 feet of snowVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — A monster winter storm took aim Tuesday at the Upper Midwest, threatening to bring blizzard conditions, bitterly cold temperatures and 2 feet of snow in a three-day onslaught that could affect more than 40 million Americans. The storm was to begin around midday and continue through Thursday morning...
Sunshine, warm temps expected in Western Pa. this week
Western Pennsylvanians can break out the sun hats for the next couple of days. Today’s high is expected to reach 56 degrees by 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Moon, and tomorrow should be sunny with a high of 68 degrees by 2:30 p.m., missing the record...
New Zealand declares emergency as Cyclone Gabrielle easesVideo
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north, leaving widespread flooding and destruction. A firefighter was missing and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near the country’s largest...
Warm temperatures to bring high winds, potential thunderstorms to W.Pa.
The Western Pennsylvania region should see a dramatic warm up Thursday, with high temperatures reaching into the mid-60s, but the warm weather will also likely bring rain showers and potentially damaging winds. The National Weather Service said a wind advisory is in place starting 11 a.m. Thursday and running through...
