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Business Wire
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
DTN Launches First Hurricane Forecasting Tool That Captures Full Range of Threats
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DTN, a global leader in data, analytics, and technology solutions serving agriculture, energy, and weather-sensitive industries, today announced the launch of the Hurricane Threat Index. It is the first forecasting tool to expand risk assessment and communication beyond traditional wind speed to include wind damage, storm surge, extreme rainfall, flooding and tornadic activity. The multi-factor index enables companies and communities within the radius of impact to make more confident preparedness and response decisions up to seven days before landfall. The DTN Hurricane Threat Index is the first forecasting tool to capture the full range of hurricane threats, including wind damage, storm surge, extreme rainfall, flooding, and tornadic activity Share "Hurricanes are multi-hazard events but have only been assessed on a single-hazard scale until today," said Renny Vandewege, General Manager of Weather and Climate Intelligence at DTN. 'The Hurricane Threat Index gives our customers a more complete picture of the weather threats relevant to their operations and location so that they can confidently take appropriate measures before impact.' Last year Hurricane Helene punctuated the complexity of tropical storm risks. It made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region with significant wind damage, but the most catastrophic impacts occurred in western North Carolina after Helene weakened to a tropical storm. In this scenario the DTN Hurricane Threat Index would have highlighted both regions with an equivalent severity rating of seven; recognizing that while the causes of disruption differed, the impact severity was comparable. 'At DTN, we constantly invest in cutting-edge technology, AI-driven analytics, and customer-centric solutions that empower businesses to make confident operational decisions,' Vandewege noted. 'The Hurricane Threat Index is another advancement in how we help our customers plan, prepare and reduce the risks that threaten their operations, assets and safety.' The DTN Hurricane Threat Index is available to all DTN customers who depend on accurate and reliable tropical storm forecasts beginning with the 2025 hurricane season. DTN is a global leader in data, analytics and technology providing trusted operational intelligence to businesses with complex supply chains. Our proprietary insights help organizations in agriculture, energy, and weather-sensitive industries optimize decision-making, improve efficiency, and drive profitability. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Utrecht, Netherlands, DTN operates globally with more than 1,200 employees dedicated to empowering businesses with unparalleled data-driven solutions.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scientists sound the alarm on dramatic shift in winter weather — here's how it could impact you
Iowa is getting significantly less snow in the 2024-2025 season, signaling a snow drought. According to DTN, Sioux City's January snowfall is 42% below average. This is the same for many cities across the state. Des Moines' snowfall for January and December was 70% below average. January has been tough on many of these Iowa cities, with most experiencing 80% below-average snowfall. Mason City had no snowfall for the first 30 days of the year. These snowfalls are in stark contrast to the 2023-2024 season, when snowfall for one month reached 24 to 27 inches. Justin Glisan, a climatologist for the Iowa Department of Agriculture, noted that snowpacks are essential for moisture when the snow thaws. Without the snow, the soil can also have "deeper frost depths." According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, snow is extremely beneficial for farming. It acts like a warm blanket, keeping the ground warmer than the air temperature, acting as a natural fertilizer by picking up nitrogen and sulfur as it falls, and keeping the ground moist. If the layer of snow isn't there, the cold dries up the ground just like it does with skin. When it melts, 20% to 25% of it is absorbed into the ground. It's unclear how this snow drought will affect the upcoming growing season. Glisan said, "I wouldn't draw any conclusions from a dry winter and upcoming growing season conditions." However, DTN noted that even if February brought the typical amount of snow, Iowa would still be 28% to 55% below average for the entire season. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, "Snowpack is a valuable metric for monitoring the impact" of polluting gases "because it is affected by changes in temperature." Western U.S. data shows that "the volume of snowpack is declining, caused by warming temperatures." Iowa isn't the only place to see declining snowpacks. A Dartmouth College study found that snowpacks in the Northern Hemisphere have also declined over the last 40 years. Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Less snow also hurts snow-dependent industries in the area, such as skiing. The Gazette said that "Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque says it's having a 'good year' despite the lack of snow, but other businesses struggle during this unusual winter." Cortney Baker, a store manager in Cedar Rapids, told the Gazette that the unseasonably dry and warm winter has meant the store has not sold as many winter coats or hats or sold or rented as much winter-based recreational equipment. "We've had [about a week] in the last two to three seasons of being able to actually rent them out. Because of that we decided that it's just not worth holding on to that inventory," Baker told The Gazette. "It's unfortunate, but we've decided to kind of sell off our rental fleet at the moment, just because the weather's been so unpredictable." Since snow droughts are related to rising temperatures caused by polluting gases, many initiatives exist to mitigate this. Many countries agreed on targets of lowering their polluting gases through the Paris Agreement. You can also use your voice by speaking with your representatives to ensure they continue to work towards meeting these targets. If you live in a snow-drought area, you can help by doing things that waste less water. You can collect snow for your garden or use native plants that don't need as much water for your yard. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Asia Times
05-02-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Trump challenges to Fed independence recall '70s Nixon-Burns fiasco
Like the '20s of the 21st century, the '70s of the 20th century had an inflation problem. The problem persisted throughout the decade; indeed, it worsened. That was in significant part because early in the decade the Federal Reserve Board chair let himself be pushed around by the US president. Today's Fed chair is determined not to let that happen again. Avoiding it will require all the political skill and courage he can muster. Through much of 1971, Fed chair Arthur Burns was telling President Richard Nixon that lowering interest rates in an inflationary economy was a mistake. Nixon persisted for an understandable though perhaps mistaken political reason. For in addition to inflation the US in the '70s had an uncomfortably high 6% unemployment rate. Nixon was pushing Burns to loosen monetary policy because, anticipating 1972, he judged unemployment a greater danger to his reelection than inflation. When Nixon finally threatened legislation to trim the Fed's independence, Burns folded. Today the Fed's independence is back in the crosshairs. President Donald Trump lost patience with Fed Chair Jerome Powell not long after appointing him in 2018. He blasted him again the other day. Arthur Burns, the Federal Reserve Board chair under President Richard Nixon, gave into pressure from Nixon to cut interest rates and inflation worsened. Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, is determined to cut in response to favorable data, not presidential demands. Image: DTN During a virtual session of the recent Davos forum, the president said he would demand lower interest rates. In a campaign appearance last year, he said the president should have a say on interest rates. Earlier last year some of his advisors prepared plans to put the Fed more under the executive branch's control. As I noted in a post about those plans last May, every president wants low interest rates. Fearing financial-market pushback, however, most seethe in silence when the Fed doesn't give them what they want. Others, Nixon most famously, try to pressure the Fed. Trump is in Nixon's camp. The problem with this is that there are times when high interest rates are the painful medicine the economy needs. Without them, inflation can spin out of control, as it did in the '70s. Prolonged inflation can wreak havoc on an economy. While high interest rates don't win public favor, neither does inflation, which probably cost the Democrats the last election. But the ill effects of inflation might be felt on some other politician's watch, the politician hopes. To the politician, high interest rates and the economic slowdown they bring risk losing the next election. And that's why Congress took interest-rate decisions out of the hands of politicians and created a relatively independent Federal Reserve Board. It's easier to make the unpopular decision to raise rates if you have a 14-year term as a Fed governor or are president of a regional Federal Reserve bank. Independence doesn't guarantee mistakes won't be made. It just increases the odds that if they're made, they'll be errors of economic judgment and not attempts to curry favor with voters. The Fed's independence isn't absolute. Congress could pass legislation undoing it. The president appoints the governors and the Senate approves them. The Fed chair testifies regularly before Congressional committees and answers questions. But having long terms and being removable only for cause, the governors do have a considerable measure of independence. Like any Fed chair, current chair Powell wants to keep it that way. During his six years as chair, Powell has proved politically astute in dealing with Congress. Doing the same with this president will prove more challenging. At their January meeting, the seven governors and five Federal Reserve Bank presidents who sit on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee didn't give the president what he said he'd demand. Having lowered their benchmark interest rate a full percentage point since last September, the FOMC voted this time to keep rates unchanged. At his post-meeting press conference, Powell said the Fed wants to see more progress in reducing inflation toward the Fed's 2% goal before cutting again. To questions about the president's comment that he would demand lower rates, Powell gave uncombative answers. 'I'm not going to have any response or comment whatsoever on what the president said. It's not appropriate for me to do so,' Powell said. 'The public should be confident that we will continue to do our work as we always have, focusing on using our tools to achieve our goals' – stable prices and maximum employment. He said the Fed would continue to make its decisions by studying and analyzing economic data. 'Don't look for us to do anything else.' Whether keeping his head down will work for Powell remains to be seen. It's a good start, though. President Trump has shown he's sensitive to how financial markets react. He might want to keep in mind that if a future Fed rate cut is perceived as caving to his demands, the financial market reaction will be very negative. The markets want an independent Fed. Former longtime Wall Street Journal Asia correspondent and editor Urban Lehner is editor emeritus of DTN/The Progressive Farmer. This article, originally published on February 4 by the latter news organization and now republished by Asia Times with permission, is © Copyright 2025 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved. Follow Urban Lehner on Twitter: @urbanize
BBC News
28-01-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
UK weather likely to remain stormy and unsettled for rest of winter
Storm Éowyn was one of the most exceptional storms of the decade according to the Met Office with 100mph (160km/h) winds recorded in fifth named storm of the season brought widespread disruption and damage, and sadly two winds and heavy rain continued into the start of the week as Storm Herminia rolled as we head into February and the last month of winter, what is the long-range forecast?Well we are probably going to have to be ready for further stormy weather at the Met Office started naming storms in 2015 the most active season was in 2023/24 with 12, when we reached the letter L - for Lilian - in the alphabet of named year before that, there were only so much natural variability in our weather, the number of named storms we experience each year is influenced by other meteorological patterns around the world and so it is difficult to directly compare storminess to previous years. 'Storm clustering' Winter is defined in meteorology as December, January and until now we have had a real mix of unsettled weather with five named storms but we also had a significant cold snap in early -18.9C recorded in Altnaharra, Highland on 11 January it was the coldest night in the UK for 15 snow and ice caused disruption across the long-range weather forecasts are hinting at the opposite for the rest of active jet stream - the fast moving air high in the atmosphere - appears to be the dominant driver for weather conditions and this is likely to bring frequent low pressure systems across north-west its three-month forecast, the Met Office suggests that the chances of impacts from wet and windy weather is increased compared to normal, particularly throughout also says "the increased risk of storms gives rise to a greater risk of 'storm clustering', with consecutive events affecting the UK in quick succession".DTN, the forecast provider for BBC Weather, also suggests that "risks of disruptive wind events are likely to be higher, especially during February". Warmer than average The other result of a more active jet stream is that winds and the source of our air is likely to be from the are therefore likely to be above average overall when taken across the whole is not to say there won't be some colder interludes. There could "no sustained or widespread cold spells are expected", according to to that cold spell in January, the monthly mean temperature has been slightly below normal for this time of December was warmer than average, mostly because overnight temperatures throughout the month were around 5C higher than Met Office long-range forecast also suggests February will be around two and half times more likely to be milder than average, when compared to normal. Will March come 'in like a lion'? You may be familiar with the weather proverb that March "comes in like a lion, out like a lamb".This comes from the idea that the month typically starts stormy and ends on a quieter note. The phrase may be valid this stormier, wetter and milder than average weather we are expecting in February is likely to persist into March, which meteorologists consider to be the start of there are signs that the areas of low pressure - wet and windy weather - may be more confined to northern areas of the the south, pressure may be higher which indicates more settled and therefore drier and calmer weather set-up would once again bring milder westerly winds from the Atlantic and so a reduced chance of colder can keep up to date with our latest long-range forecast here.
