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Outside magazine has an excellent article describing the causes of the forest fires which are currently covering wide swaths of the western United States. The biggest culprit is the continuing drought which has affected parts of the region this year. The wet winter may have also been a factor, since it allowed the regrowth of…
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If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you know that we are in a La Niña watch for this winter. Signs of La Niña are already present in the eastern Pacific Ocean, but it generally takes a few months for an official declaration since they don’t want to jump the gun based on short-term variability. …
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A large dome of high pressure covering the eastern US will keep most of the Southeast high and dry this week, great for harvest but worrisome for crops that need more moisture to fill out before they mature. The exceptions to the dry conditions are the eastern end of NC, which will feel some rain…
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
Volcanologists and climatologists are watching the impending eruption of Mount Agung in Bali closely to see how soon it might erupt and how strong the eruption might be. Agung last erupted in 1963 and caused several years of below-normal weather following the strong eruption. The most recent large tropical volcanic explosion was Mount Pinatubo in the…
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The USDA’s Southwest Regional Climate Hub has a new online curriculum on agriculture and climate change available for K-12 educators and students. I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, but even though it was written for the Southwest, I’m sure it contains information that would be valuable to the Southeast as well.…
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While fall started on September 1 for meteorologists and climatologists, today is the first day of astronomical fall. Most of the Southeast will be feeling summer-like temperatures for a few more days before cooler air moves into the region in about a week. You can read more about why climatologists and astronomers have different definitions…
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The Washington Post published a story this week describing the loss of unripe citrus fruit from trees due to Hurricane Irma’s high winds (they suggest as much as 70% loss) and how it would affect orange juice sales in the future. The story noted that the production of oranges in Florida has decreased in recent…