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USA Today
a day ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Here's why Alaska just issued its first heat advisory
Here's why Alaska just issued its first heat advisory Show Caption Hide Caption Cargo ship carrying electric vehicles catches fire, crew abandons ship Crew members of the Morning Midas, which was transporting thousands of vehicles, were forced to abandon ship after a fire broke out onboard. Parts of Alaska are under heat warnings and advisories for the first time in recorded history, following the transition from a previous advisory system, according to officials. The National Weather Service previously issued information about high temperatures using special weather statements. However, starting June 1, the weather service permitted heat advisories to be issued in Alaska, Adam Douty, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, told USA TODAY. The National Weather Service might have implemented the new system "just to better convey the impacts" of the heat, Douty said. Hawaii and the other 48 states in the contiguous United States already use heat advisories, making Alaska the last state to switch to the warning system. Parts of Alaska placed under heat advisory Areas across the state are seeing highs in the upper 80s, according to Douty. However, further up north, temperatures dip, with areas of Alaska seeing temperatures in the 60s. The heat advisory in Alaska will be in place from 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 15 to Tuesday, June 17 at 7 p.m. local time, according to the National Weather Service. Areas in the Central and Eastern Interior, including Tanana, Fairbanks, Fort Yukon and Eagle, should expect temperatures from 85 to 89 degrees. "It'll definitely be warm, especially for Alaska's standards," said Douty. There are also flood advisories in northern parts of the state, as ice and snow in the area could melt rapidly with the heat, according to Douty. Red flag warning in Alaska Some areas in Alaska are also under red flag warnings until 11 p.m. local time on Monday, June 16. "A Red Flag Warning means that conditions are occurring or will occur which could lead to the development of large and dangerous fires," according to the National Weather Service. Areas under red flag warnings are: Dalton Highway Summits Yukon Flats White Mountains High Terrain South of the Yukon River Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pineapple Express to soak western US with rain, snow
Days of rain are forecast to hit portions of the Northwest and California, bringing the risk of flooding and landslides. While the rain may subside a little more quickly in some locations, snow is expected to take its place and bring a new set of challenges, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. "A major weather event, known as an atmospheric river, is forecast to unfold Friday and continue into the middle of next week, sending waves of moisture to the West Coast," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty. An atmospheric river is a phenomenon that occurs when moisture consolidates and travels a long distance only to be deposited someplace else. This can happen anywhere in the globe but is often noticed along the West Coast of the United States. The funneling of tropical moisture, specifically from the central Pacific, near Hawaii, into the U.S. is known as the Pineapple Express. Over the next week, the Pineapple Express is expected to unload on the Pacific Northwest and the northern half of California, bringing the risk of flooding rain and snow. The winter months are typically the wettest time of the year for California and the Northwest, so the region is no stranger to rain and snow in late January and February. However, it's been abnormally dry since the start of 2025. San Francisco has reported only 0.13 of an inch of rain since Jan. 1, when the historical average for the month is around 3.9 inches. Redding, California, has reported 0.63 of an inch, a minuscule 10% of the norm for January. The recent dry conditions could further the risk of flooding as heavy rain moves into the region. Through Monday, the atmospheric river is expected to point right to the Northern California coast, bringing with it the biggest rainstorm so far this year. With so much rain in just a few days, there will be a heightened risk of flooding. In the more mountainous terrain, landslides will also be a concern. Both flooding and landslides could lead to travel delays or even road closures. Air travel is also expected to be impacted given the multiday event of gusty winds and rain. Widespread rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches are expected for San Francisco and the Bay Area northward to northwestern Oregon, with over half a foot of rain in portions of Northern California. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches is most likely in this area. In addition to heavy rain falling in the valleys, higher terrain is also expected to be impacted. "Unlike with many other winter storms in the past two years, temperatures will be too high for significant snowfall in the Sierra Nevada," Douty said. Snow levels in the Sierra will be lowest, around 7,000 feet, as the storm moves in Friday afternoon and evening, Douty noted, adding that snow levels will rise to almost 9,000 feet and stay there through the weekend. Snow at this high altitude is well above pass level. The mountains, currently covered in feet of snow, can expect several inches of rain, further raising concerns of the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ Another wave of moisture is expected early next week and may bring a push of colder air and the risk of snow in the higher terrain of Northern California. "Snow levels are then expected to fall early next week which will bring potential travel impacts across the passes," Douty warned. The Pacific Northwest will also be impacted by the atmospheric river, with waves of rain and snow forecast to hit the area. The bulk of the precipitation is forecast through Friday night. The highest rain amounts, on the order of 1-2 inches, is expected across coastal Washington and Oregon. In contrast to locations farther south in California, the mountains of the Cascades and northern Rockies in Idaho can expect rounds of snow. Snow levels will be lowering into Friday night with slow and slippery travel through Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90. By the start of the weekend, most of the moisture from the atmospheric river will be pushed into Northern California. While heavy rainfall is expected to end in most of Washington and Oregon by that time, showery and wintry conditions are expected to continue. This weekend, there will most likely be a dry zone to the immediate east of the Cascades. Still, some rain and wet snow can fall in eastern parts of Washington and Oregon on Saturday night and Sunday. "Enough cold air is expected to infiltrate the Northwest in time for the weekend for continued snow showers in the mountains. However, flakes may also reach the lowland areas," Douty said. Snowflakes are possible in the major cities of Portland and Seattle as temperatures fall on Saturday night. There is even the potential for Seattle to get some accumulating snow. Seattle has yet to have any accumulating snow this winter, but its last experienced measurable snow occurred on March 3, 2024, when 0.3 of an inch fell. 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
27-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Snow here, snow there, snow everywhere! US gets snow in all 50 states.
Last week's historic Gulf Coast snowstorm helped lock down a rarity in the U.S. as all 50 states have already seen accumulating snow this winter − and all 50 had some at the same time. The power of the storm also created another rarity: Some Southern cities have seen more snow than their Northern brethren. Florida and Louisiana are the two states where snow is most rare, and both were blasted with snow last week, Adam Douty, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told USA TODAY. "Snow is fairly rare in Alabama and Mississippi, but they see snow accumulate every two or three years," Douty said. "But for Louisiana, snow only comes about every five years. And in Florida it's more like once every 10 to 15 years." Hawaii has had snow, too, but that is not a surprise. The Big Island's Mauna Kea volcanic summit saw its first snow in late October, according to Snow is an annual occurrence at the summit that rises above 13,000 feet. The last winter when every state received snow was in February 2010 − when every state also had snow at the same time. Douty said he doesn't think climate change and global warming are having an impact on the frequency of the event. The weather is getting warmer overall, but extremes are also more common, he said. "There may not be any gains or losses in terms of seeing events like this, " Douty said. "And it happens so infrequently that will be hard to determine a pattern so soon." Not only did Florida get snow last week, the state was slammed with record snow. The Pensacola area broke the state's 130-year-old record for total snowfall. The National Weather Service reported at least 5 inches in Pensacola and 10 inches in Milton, both breaking the previous Florida record of 4 inches set in 1954. The National Weather Service called the snowstorm a once in a generation weather event. New Orleans had not seen measurable snowfall since 2009, but the airport recorded 8 inches. Lafayette, Louisiana, got 10 inches. Houston had the most significant winter storm since at least 1960 with some communities measuring 6 inches. Some major northern cities have not seen as much snow all season as New Orleans and parts of Florida saw in a day. New York City has had 5.5 inches total this season, Philadelphia 4.9 inches. Even Chicago and Minneapolis are slightly under 10 inches. Parts of Alaska have been snow deprived thus far this season; Anchorage checked in at less than 5 inches. This winter has seen "sustained cold" in the East, which we don't see very often, Douty said. "The rest of winter, for a lot of Central and Eastern United States, we are looking at average temperatures near to a little above normal," Douty said. "And unlike the sustained cold we have seen, the temperature should be more up and down in coming weeks." Long range forecasts can be tricky however. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Lada wrote in October that "big changes will unfold during the opening weeks of 2025 as a new weather pattern will promote milder air and less snow across the eastern half of the nation." Much of the region, however, saw sustained cold and, from Virginia to the Gulf Coast, lots of snow. New York City, Boston and Philadelphia have not had much snow so far but may still plenty. They were among cities Lada predicted to have more snow than last winter "in part due to more snow opportunities in February." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow here, snow there, snow everywhere! US gets snow in all 50 states.
