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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Massive Saharan dust cloud moving toward US. Will it have any impact on WA?
A large plume of dust from the Saharan Desert is expected to drift across a good chunk of parts of the southeastern U.S. by the end of the week, forecasters say. According to AccuWeather, the Saharan dust will continue to move across the Atlantic and cross the Caribbean and into the U.S. on Thursday, starting with parts of Florida and South Carolina. It will continue to drift across the southeast region of the country on Friday. The plume is about 2,000 miles wide from east to west and 750 miles long from north to south, AccuWeather states. The plume — the apparently largest to reach the U.S. so far this year — is expected to continue on over the Gulf Coast in the following days. But will the dust cloud reach Washington state, or impact the air quality in the Pacific Northwest region? Most of the dust will likely remain thousands of feet high in the atmosphere, meaning it should have minimal impact on air quality at the ground level, even in states it's expected to cross over. That means that Washington state and the Pacific Northwest region shouldn't experience any impact from the storm. Still, if you're in the southeastern region of the U.S., AccuWeather warns that, 'People who are sensitive to dust or vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality should monitor air quality conditions and forecasts.' Air quality forecasts can be found at the National Weather Service website or at Other impacts from the dust cloud could include hazy conditions in some parts of the country, more colorful sunrises and sunsets and a slight cooling effect in some areas. While the current Saharan plume is unusually large, dust from the Sahara Desert blows out toward the U.S. often. According to NASA, winds pick up an estimated 100 million tons of dust from the Sahara Desert every year — a sizable amount blows out over the North Atlantic Ocean. Dust plays a major role in Earth's climate and biological systems. The airborne particles absorb and reflect sunlight, which impacts the amount of solar energy that reaches the surface. The particles also can promote or reduce cloud and storm formation. The dust, which is rich in iron and other minerals, can act as a natural fertilizer for ocean ecosystems and lands downwind. The Sahara Desert is Earth's largest source of airborne dust. In winter and spring storms, Saharan dust often fertilizes the soils of the Amazon rainforest.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfire smoke covers Eastern US, causing red sunsets
Smoke from wildfires in Canada covered most of the eastern and central United States on Monday morning and will linger through Tuesday, AccuWeather meteorologists say. Fortunately for people worried about the air quality impacting their health, most of the smoke has remained high in the atmosphere over the United States and only caused red sunrises and sunsets over the weekend. However, for areas closer to the fires in northern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, air quality remains poor to unhealthy on Monday morning. "Shower and thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest this afternoon and evening will help cleanse the air and help improve air quality," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alexander Duffus said. Rainfall can bring the smell of wildfire smoke down to the ground, so people who are outside during the showers and storms could catch a whiff of smoke. Residents concerned about the smoke's health effects can check their local air quality on The largest wildfire burning in Canada is the Shoe Fire in central Saskatchewan, which remains out of control and one of the many sources of smoke over the lower 48 states, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. As of Monday morning, the Shoe Fire has burned 1490 square miles, which is equivalent to the size of Rhode Island.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Summerlike heat beckons for Minnesota, Dakotas for Mother's Day weekend
The same atmospheric traffic jam causing rain to repeat over the northeastern and southern United States will also promote a dry pattern with building warmth over other areas of the nation in the coming days, including much of the North Central states, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The combination of the storm in the Southeast and an approaching storm from the Pacific will squeeze the atmosphere over portions of the West, northern and central Plains and the Upper Midwest through this weekend. The result will be a significant upward trend in temperatures from the middle of the week through Mother's Day. In Bismarck, North Dakota, highs at midweek will be near 70 but will trend up to the 80s on Thursday and Friday and finally to the mid-90s by Mother's Day afternoon. The record high of 90 set in 1987 will be challenged on Saturday, as well as the record of 96 set in 1906 on Sunday. This would be about 30 degrees above the historical average for the date. The earliest 90-degree temperature or higher in Bismarck was on April 13, 2003. The warmest Bismarck has been so far this year was 83 on April 19. Similarly, temperatures will trend upward farther to the east in Minneapolis with a high near 90 in store for Mother's Day. The warmest Minneapolis has been so far this year was 83, but that was not until May 6. The building heat will make it feel like midsummer, minus high humidity levels. The sudden heat could pose challenges for some individuals, and caution is advised when doing strenuous outdoor activities. People may be tempted to go swimming in ponds and lakes to cool off amid the summerlike heat. However, this can be dangerous as many waters are still dangerously cold this time of the year and could easily lead to cold water shock, muscle cramps and a risk of drowning. Even though 90-degree temperatures are not anticipated for Chicago through Mother's Day, temperatures both days of the weekend will peak in the 70s, which is generally accepted as being comfortable to most residents. Farther south, such as around Omaha, Nebraska, Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri, temperatures will trend upward over the central Plains as well, with widespread highs in the 80s this weekend. However, the temperature departure from the historical average will be more on the order of 10-20 degrees, rather than 20-30 degrees from up north. The warm and sinking air in the region will tend to evaporate most cloud cover, so that a string of mainly sunny days is in store, north of the storm's influence in the Southern states. As the storm from the Pacific begins to exert more influence throughout the weekend, the combination of surging temperatures, a breeze and dry brush leftover from the winter can create ideal conditions for wildfires to easily start and quickly spread. People are urged to use extreme caution with open flames and outdoor power equipment during the hot and dry weather. Avoid parking on dry brush, as the exhaust systems from running vehicles can be hot enough to start a fire. For those who may mind the heat or may grow weary of it, there is the potential for the conditions to linger for several days next week, especially from the Dakotas east to the upper Mississippi Valley.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Frequent rain, thunderstorms to depart by Mother's Day in Northeast
There's good news on the weather maps for Sunday in the northeastern United States with a bright Mother's Day forecast. However, AccuWeather meteorologists say there are some downpours and thunderstorms to dodge until then. A pesky storm has been largely responsible for rounds of rain and thunderstorms through the first part of this week. During the 48-hour period ending at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday, the storm brought close to 3 inches of rain to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Westhampton Beach, New York, picked up 2.51 inches of rain during the same period, while 3.24 inches drenched Oxford, Connecticut. The setup also spawned severe weather in the region, with a tornado spotted in parts of eastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon. That storm was finally pivoting out by way of New England and southeastern Canada on Wednesday. The storm will continue to bring widespread showers and spotty thunderstorms to New England into Wednesday evening. A pocket of more general drenching downpours will hover over southeastern New England for a time. Just as that old storm leaves the U.S., a new storm will develop over the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes region on Thursday. This will almost immediately result in a broadening area of showers and thunderstorms that will extend into the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic region. South of the storm track, heavy to locally severe thunderstorms will extend from parts of Virginia and West Virginia to Mississippi on Thursday. From Thursday to Friday, a general 0.25 to 0.75 of an inch of rain is likely to fall on the Northeast. However, a zone where 1-2 inches of rain can fall is most likely from parts of eastern Pennsylvania to central New England. This is on top of the wet conditions from recent days. In the rainiest spots, some small streams could spill out of their banks. At the very least, the downpours can lead to ponding on some highways and city streets and slick travel in general. "Fortunately, this second storm will keep moving along, when compared to its predecessor, " AccuWeather On-Air Meteorologist Melissa Constanzer said. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The steady movement will limit the amount of rain and should salvage at least half of the Mother's Day weekend. The slow, but steady movement will allow dry air to sweep from west to east across the Northeast states this weekend. Both days of the weekend will be dry from Pennsylvania, central New York and much of New Jersey to Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and much of Virginia. This includes Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York City. The two dry days in these areas will give plenty of flexibility for catching up on lawn maintenance, outdoor exercise, yard sales, college graduations and sports-related activities. It may also help keep Mom from getting wet on either day for the special weekend. The steady movement of the storm will bring a drying and clearing trend on Saturday afternoon for eastern New York and southern and western New England--so it may be dry with some sunshine in these areas by dinnertime. Burlington, Vermont; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston fall into this weather regime for Saturday. Rainy conditions are likely to linger all day in Maine, but throughout Mother's Day, all of the Northeast, including Portland, Maine, should be dry with at least some sunshine. Along with the return of sunshine, temperatures are forecast to trend upward. Several hours of sunshine versus clouds all day long can often result in a 10-20 degree difference in high temperatures. Despite the warming trend by day over the weekend, temperatures may still drop to chilly levels at night. It is possible that some of the normally cold spots of the interior Northeast could get close to frosty levels on Saturday night or Sunday night or possibly both nights. By early next week, clouds and spotty rain from a southern storm will begin to work into portions of Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. How far north and how quickly that moisture spreads will depend on the path that Southern storm takes. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Worst tornado season since 2011, two states top the list
The 2025 tornado season in the United States is shaping up to be the most active in over a decade, with more tornadoes reported by early May than in any year since 2011. Fueled by a series of major outbreaks in March and April, two states have emerged as the hardest-hit so far this year. Over 700 tornadoes in 2025, 205 above normal As of May 5, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has logged 724 preliminary tornado reports nationwide-205 more than the historical average of 519. That puts 2025 well ahead of every tornado season in the past decade at this point in the year, including last year. Two states stand out with unusually high tornado reports: Mississippi, which leads with 96 tornado reports through early May. Illinois follows with 82 reports, more than doubling its 2024 pace. Rounding out the top 5 are Missouri with 78, Texas with 74 and Alabama with 49. Compared to last year These numbers mark a major regional shift in tornado activity, especially compared to the year-to-date count from 2024, when the top state was Iowa with 59, followed by Nebraska and Kansas with 43, Ohio with 43 and Missouri and Texas with 35. Big jumps and big drops Some states have recorded sharp increases in tornadoes. Mississippi's count has jumped from 7 to 96 tornado reports. Illinois nearly tripled its tally compared to early 2024. Other states have had dramatic declines. Florida, which had 34 tornadoes by the end of April last year, has recorded just five so far in 2025. In Nebraska, ranked number two as a top state in 2024, its report count dropped from 47 to just four. A tornado spotted in Potosi, Missouri, on the afternoon of April 1, 2025. (Ashley Bleckler-Akers) Four major tornado outbreaks drove the surge As AccuWeather predicted, the bulk of the tornadic activity has been east of classic Tornado Alley so far in 2025, with the exception of Texas, though that typically changes throughout May. Much of 2025's activity has been driven by four major tornado outbreaks in March and April: • March 14-16: 182 reports • March 30-31: 56 reports • April 2-3: 112 reports • April 4-7: 56 reports Damage is seen inside of the Harmony Hills trailer park on March 15, 2025, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Many homes throughout Harmony Hills were damaged by the severe weather on Friday night that left one person dead in Butler County, Missouri. (Photo by) Counting tornadoes: What the numbers mean The figures reported here are preliminary tornado reports submitted to the SPC. These numbers reflect all reported tornado sightings but are subject to change. Multiple sightings may be merged into one tornado track, while damage surveys may uncover previously unknown twisters. Tornadoes that cross state lines are counted only in the state where their tracks began. Final numbers-based on official ground surveys conducted by NOAA-are typically released more than a year after the season ends. Still, the preliminary totals show that 2025 is not only active but significantly above the historical average-and on track to rival some of the most intense seasons in recent history.
