Latest news with #WeatherPredictionCenter
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Newsweek
Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Reaches Gulf Coast
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Smoke from wildfires currently burning in Canada reached the Gulf Coast in the Southern United States this week. The smoke doesn't look like it will clear the U.S. "anytime soon," National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Joe Wegman told Newsweek, although the heaviest smoke has stayed north of the coast, so it's unlikely that air quality alerts will be issued that far south. Why It Matters This is the first time excessive Canadian wildfire smoke had descended into the U.S. since 2023 when wildfires worsened air quality to dangerous levels for millions in the Northeast. In smaller amounts, smoke can cause hazy skies and create beautiful sunsets and sunrises. However, in higher amounts, the smoke can be dangerous, even prompting alerts urging people to stay inside until it clears. What To Know Since last week, air quality in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota has been impacted by the heavy smoke. Although most air quality alerts remain in the Upper Midwest, the smoke has moved toward the South. As of Monday, some of the smoke had moved off the Eastern Seaboard, but a high-pressure system has circulated it back into the U.S. and across the Southern states, Wegman said. The heaviest smoke affecting the region remains north near Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama, but smoke will have a noticeable impact on sunsets in the Gulf Coast states this week. Some states that might notice smoke include South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama over the next two days. Poor air quality isn't as much of a threat for Southern states because of the distance the smoke has traveled. Wegman still urged caution for anyone with breathing troubles or those who are particularly sensitive to air pollution. Satellite imagery captured the smoke descending into the U.S. over the weekend, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) posted a timelapse of the video on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. "Wildfire smoke has overtaken skies above the Eastern United States," the post said. "This time lapse shows the drifting smoke over the last three days." Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center at sunset on August 16, 2024, in New York City. Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center at sunset on August 16, 2024, in New York City. Gary Hershorn/Getty What People Are Saying National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Joe Wegman told Newsweek: "It certainly will influence the sunsets because it doesn't take all that much in order to do that. It's cool because it makes the sunsets have vibrant colors, and that's kind of neat to see." An air quality alert issued in Northwest Wisconsin said: "Sensitive groups: Consider rescheduling or moving all activities inside. Go inside if you have symptoms. People with asthma: Follow your asthma action plan and keep quick-relief medicine handy. People with heart disease: Symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue may indicate a serious problem. If you have any of these, contact your health care provider. Everyone else: Keep outdoor activities shorter and less intense. Go inside if you have symptoms." What Happens Next? The smoke is unlikely to evacuate the U.S. soon, Wegman said. Hazy skies are expected to persist throughout the duration of its presence.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Utah sees some cooler temperatures and flash flood potential to kick off the work week
SALT LAKE CITY () – Happy Monday, Utah! We've officially stepped into June, but the weather across Utah is acting like it's smack in the middle of July. Over the weekend, temperatures surged into the mid-90s along parts of the Wasatch Front. In fact, Salt Lake City hit 96 degrees, beating its daily record high of 94 degrees on Sunday afternoon. But the heat isn't the only headline. Storms have started to bubble up across western and southern Utah, and there's more unsettled weather in the cards as we kick off the new week Bottom Line?! Active weather to start the work week, flash flooding 'Probable' in Southern Utah. So, what's going on upstairs in the atmosphere? A low-pressure system to the southwest, pulling in a bit of semi-tropical moisture, is currently crossing into northern Baja California. Meanwhile, a trough is sweeping through the Pacific Northwest, and yet another low is beginning to close off near northern California. In short, the upper-level pattern is complex and dynamic, and it's setting the stage for an active stretch of weather across the state. As deeper moisture pushes into southern Utah today, the focus turns to heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding. A band of rain will likely move into southern Utah during the morning hours. By this afternoon, ingredients look favorable for thunderstorm development across eastern and southern Utah. Storms that form will likely be slow movers, making them capable of dumping heavy rain in a short amount of time. The setup looks especially concerning in areas like Zion National Park, Snow Canyon, and parts of the Grand Staircase, including Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon. Flash flooding will be a major concern this afternoon in these areas, and the outlook is 'probable,' meaning some slot canyons will experience flash flooding. If your Monday plans include hiking in slot canyons or traveling through dry washes or slickrock terrain, it's a good idea to have a backup plan. Tuesday will offer a bit of a break from widespread thunderstorms. Storm coverage should be more hit-or-miss, especially across southern Utah. That said, moisture will still be lingering, particularly near the Utah-Arizona border, so any storms that do form could still bring heavy downpours. Then comes Wednesday, when another cut-off low-pressure system begins moving into the Desert Southwest. With it, moisture levels climb again, and another round of slow-moving storms is on the table. The Weather Prediction Center already has parts of southern Utah under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall, not just for Monday, but for Wednesday, too. It's another heads-up to folks planning outdoor adventures in flood-prone areas midweek. We'll keep you posted on the latest updates in our 4Warn Weather, both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Steady rains return Friday with storms, warmer pattern approaches!
Tonight keeps the skies mostly cloudy with a few pop-up showers before midnight. Those showers will dissipate in coverage after midnight, similar to what we saw last night. Temperatures will also drop to similar levels with lows once again in the mid 50s. Any town that sees a good break in the clouds for a couple of hours will be susceptible to fog formation once again, which could be dense in patchy spots. Friday keeps scattered showers and storm chances high, as an area of low pressure follows along our stationary front. These setups occasionally can produce heavy rainfall with bouts of showers and storms moving over the same grounds. The Weather Prediction Center has placed our region in a level two slight risk for flooding with this setup expected. The timing of the low pressure system moving through impacts our risk for storms – an earlier arrival provides less of a risk for storms, but an afternoon arrival provides the risk for a few strong storms. The Storm Prediction Center has placed our region in a level one marginal risk for severe weather with this low pressure approaching – at this point, the low looks to arrive fairly late in our region which will shift the greatest severe weather risk farther east into Virginia but provide an isolated strong storm or two in our region during the afternoon. Scattered showers and storms will be expected though, and in more concentration than on Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Saturday sees a secondary cold front arrive from the north, providing more scattered showers for the region, especially early. Though we will have a soggy start to the weekend, this front will bring in nicer weather for the second half of the weekend and we will begin to see signs of this late Saturday as a drying pattern begins. High temperatures will be in the mid 60s. A tick removal kit should be a staple in your house this spring Sunday looks fantastic for any outdoor activities! We'll see plenty of sunshine with high pressure in control, along with drier air. It will be the perfect wrap to the weekend with highs in the upper 60s. Monday continues the drier and gradual warmer trend with plenty of sunshine expected and high temperatures climbing up into the mid 70s. Tuesday is also dry with a lot of sunshine expected and highs near 80 – an eastern U.S. high pressure system will allow the dry weather to continue and the heat to build. Wednesday provides one more day of dry weather before the chances for rain increase as we head into Thursday. We will see high temperatures jump up into the low to mid 80s, as a real summer-like feel kicks in! Enjoy the warmth – and the warmer pattern ahead. An isolated risk for a storm is possible late in the day as our next system approaches. Severe Weather Awareness Week 2025 Thursday brings the unsettled weather back into the picture with a Great Lakes low pressure system. Scattered showers and storms are possible with high temperatures in the upper 70s. Looking ahead in your extended forecast, we are shaping up to be much warmer. Though the pattern becomes a bit more unsettled once again Friday and Saturday, temperatures will remain in the 70s – and that warmth does not appear to be going away anytime soon. We will dry out by Sunday with plenty of sunshine and highs near 80. TONIGHTFew showers early. Patchy fog. Lows in the mid likely. Couple of storms. Another dreary day. Highs in the mid likely, especially early. Late day drying. Highs in the mid sunny. Highs in the upper sunny. Highs in the mid sunny. Highs near sunny. Highs in the low showers and storms. Highs in the upper likely. Highs in the mid showers. Highs in the upper sunny. Highs near 80. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- New York Times
Western U.S. Is About to See Its First Major Heat of the Year
Parts of the Western United States could see record-breaking temperatures in the coming days, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center warned, with heat advisories in place from Southern California to Yosemite and stretching west into Las Vegas. The scorching weather is expected to be focused over inland California, Nevada, Utah and portions of Oregon and Idaho, with the worst of the heat centered over California on Friday before shifting east to Nevada and Utah on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, temperatures could reach up to 106 Fahrenheit in Las Vegas, 100 in the Yosemite Valley, 100 in Boise and 93 in Salt Lake City — all close to or above the highest ever recorded in those locations on the date. 'We're looking at extreme heat across much of the West,' said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. 'There are 15 sites out West that will get close to or could break a record.' Mr. Hurley said the warm-up would be short-lived, with temperatures dropping in California on Sunday and to the east on Monday. (He stopped short of calling it a heat wave, which is usually defined as a period of abnormally hot weather that lasts more than two days.) It's 'a bit early' in the year for these areas to see such high temperatures, Mr. Hurley said. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas issued an extreme heat warning for Friday and Saturday and advised people to avoid outdoor activities. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
'Wall of water' could swamp parts of south-central US as flood threat grows
Flood watches were posted Sunday over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Major cities that could be most affected by weather included Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Memphis. A thick blanket of moisture flowing north from the Gulf of America was bringing weather havoc and the threat of tornadoes to a broad stretch of the South on Sunday and was forecast to continue dumping heavy rains through Memorial Day. The ominous weather comes as a record-breaking number of Americans were predicted to travel over the holiday weekend. Rain has already disrupted some drivers hoping to travel 500 miles − the start of Sunday's Indianapolis 500 was delayed about 40 minutes because of light rain. A massive and mostly stationary front extending from the Southeast to the Southern Plains and Central Rockies was expected to remain in place through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. "Numerous" flash flooding events are possible and many streams could flood, affecting larger rivers, for parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, the weather service said. "The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes," forecaster Paul Ziegenfelder wrote in a public discussion on the Weather Prediction Center website. Ziegenfelder warned of an increased risk of storms over the Southern Plains with wind gusts of 75 mph or greater and hail 2 inches or greater. Heaviest rain could target Missouri, Oklahoma Downpours, severe thunderstorms and flooding have battered the South Central states in recent days. In Missouri, Springfield received 2.68 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday. "Rain will be the most widespread ... tonight through Monday afternoon," the weather service in Springfield said in a social media post Sunday. "Flooding will remain a concern into early this week (along) elevated rivers and streams." The "bulls-eye" for the heaviest rain thus far has been focused from southern Missouri into eastern Oklahoma, where up to 4.5 inches of rain has fallen in some areas, AccuWeather said. When the rain starts to wind down Monday night into Tuesday, some areas could have received close to a foot of rain. As the ground becomes saturated, runoff will increase exponentially, fueling sudden rises on small streams and surges along rivers, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "A wall of water may blast through narrow valleys, which are popular destinations for campers and summer homes in the Ozark Mountains," Sosnowksi said. "Small babbling brooks can become raging torrents of water in a matter of a few minutes." Stormy weather could roll south to Gulf Coast Parts of Arkansas and northern Texas have not experienced heavy rain thus far but could see pockets of heavy rain through Monday, AccuWeather said. Beyond Memorial Day, AccuWeather says a couple more rounds of rain could sweep across the hardest-hit areas later this week. The main focal point for frequent downpours, however, will likely slip to the south toward the Gulf Coast. Where are flood watches posted? Flood watches were posted Sunday over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Major cities that could be most affected by weather Sunday included Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Memphis. The weather service office in Memphis warned that parts of the area on Sunday could see 60-mph wind gusts and hail the size of quarters. The forecast was enough for officials to postpone for one week the annual Lemon Drop Festival in Court Park. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra was hoping to go forward with its outdoor concert Sunday night. Showers and thunderstorms were forecast for Monday into Tuesday, threatening a host of outdoor Memorial Day events in the city. 'Scattered sprinkles,' otherwise clear Indy 500 forecast Last year's Indianapolis 500 weather included grandstand-clearing thunderstorms and a more than four-hour rain delay that bumped the end of the race perilously close to sundown. This year? 'Scattered sprinkles after noon' are the biggest meteorological threat facing the 109 th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' The weather service's Indianapolis office was predicting mostly cloudy skies with the possibility of light rain over the Speedway, and those light rains delayed the start by about 40 minutes. The daytime high temperature is expected to reach 68 degrees, and winds are expected to remain mild. If the rain ends, conditions should be near-ideal for the iconic race. − Eric Larsen, Indianapolis Star 3-day weekend trips can be short but sweet AAA predicted 45.1 million Americans will travel domestically for the holiday weekend – an increase of 1.4 million from last year. Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because so many people have an extra day off work and students have Monday off from school "Memorial Day weekend getaways don't have to be extravagant and costly,' said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. "While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends." AAA also predicts a surge of 2% in air passengers for the holiday weekend. Read more here.
