Yesterday a tropical cyclone named Heidi ran through Australia
Texans who have been living and working in drought conditions for months now are unlikely to see relief any time soon. In fact, according to research by State Climatologist John Nielson-Gammon, the drought could continue for up to nine years.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dought Monitor, approximately 95 percent of the state is listed as either “severe” or “exceptional” drought. The past 10 months have been the driest period on record ever in Texas; the state is currently 10-20 inches below its average annual rainfall. September, which is usually the state’s wettest month, through the rest of the year does not look promising for those hoping for a fall reprieve from the heat and dryness. This week, weather forecasters are reporting the return of La Niña. The climate phenomenon is known for causing drier-than-usual conditions across the southern part of the United States, which will affect Texas as well as Oklahoma and New Mexico, which are also experiencing drought-like conditions.
Some of the biggest threats for Texas residents continue to be the agricultural impacts of the drought, diminished water supplies and the serious potential for wildfires. Over the summer, the National Weather service that only 8 percent of the state’s corn crop was in good condition and that most of the cotton crops in the state had been abandoned – resulting losses that could exceed $2 billion. The statewide agricultural losses overall could exceed $8 billion total for 2011. One report stated that some towns are importing drinking water because the drought has caused the water level in aquifers to drop so dramatically. Due to water restrictions, some farmers have had to eliminate their herds completely; others have evacuated herds to farms as far north as Wisconsin.
To stay updated on Texas’ weather woes, or to see the custom forecast for your own area, visit WeatherBlink.com and download the toolbar today!
According to information gathered from WeatherBlink, the flood disaster along the Mississippi River is threatening even more residents as water levels continue to rise, breaking flood records in 17 locations in 8 states.
Dyersber, Tenn. is among the cities facing severe damage from the flooding. Mayor John Holden said the flooding might be the worse the city has seen since 1927.
The death count is up to nearly 300 due to a series of tornadoes that swept through Alabama and surrounding states. The aftermath and destruction left behind suggests that proper protocol wasn
Seasonal allergies (hay fever) may attack your child for the first time this spring if he/she is between the ages of 2-5. These seven signs below can help you decide if your child (or you) have an allergy or cold.
1. Family history. Parents, siblings or grandparents have also suffered from allergies, asthma or eczema.
2. Lingering congestion. He/she has a runny nose that doesn’t clear up after a week or two.
3. Watery, itchy eyes accompany his congestion.
4. No fever. He/she is not running a temperature or complaining about body aches.
5. Rash. It can appear anywhere on his/her body.
6. Ear infection. Allergies can lead to inflammation in the ear.
7. He gets worse on days when the pollen count is high. Check weatherblink.com for your area’s pollen count.
Source: The Weather Channel
Major League Baseball kicks off their regular season with a slate of ~11 games this week. This past week there were at least a trace of snow in 13 MLB cities, including New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Denver. Washington, DC kicked off their season opening today with 80% chance of rain and temperatures in the 40s. Even if snow isn’t in the picture, April baseball can still be cold. Daytime highs in the 50s are the norm for the month in Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis.
Download WeatherBlink toolbar to see what the weather will be like near you. Bundle up and bring hot chocolate if you are in the North!
Last Tuesday a nearby dwarf star was discovered. Observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope and two other telescopes have shown that this pair is the coolest pair of brown dwarfs ever found. The “brown dwarf” star dubbed CFBDSIR 1458+10B resides ~75 light years away from Earth as one of a pair of tiny stars. It may be one of the coolest stars yet discovered,with temperatures around 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
“At such temperatures we expect the brown dwarf to have properties that are different from previously known brown dwarfs and much closer to those of giant exoplanets
Late Sunday evening stormchasers caught this tornado forming in Oklahoma’s Osage County. The twister touched down briefly near Grainola, OK, near the Kansas state line. Click on the image for the live video from TWC.
On February 3, 2011, Mayor Richard Daley’s administration awarded 32 $250,000 contracts. The contracts were for storm cleanup, snow removal and rescue. The storm dumped over 20 inches of snow on the city.
Many vehicles pulled over to park since they could not make it home. These vehicles remained on the streets covered with snow for days as city plows worked to clear streets. Despite meteorologists dispute over snowfall records, this storm has been confirmed the city’s third worst.
Click here for more information on the Chicago storm or download the WeatherBlink toolbar for this news on your computer.
This Sunday is Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Texas. This past Wednesday was the coldest day in Dallas since February 1989. The high topped out at only 20 degrees, and that wasn’t until 10:40 Wednesday night.
Both the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers took their practices inside at local schools and facilities starting Wednesday. These two teams are used to playing in colder weather but is Texas ready for this weather? The blizzard that whacked Oklahoma City and Chicago this week also left traces of ice and snow in Dallas. And since the temperatures have not warmed up roads have been a mess all week. The cold has put extra demand on the state, forcing Oncar, one of the state’s largest utilities, to perform rolling blackouts. The blackouts aren’t expected to impact the Cowboys Stadium, but area hotels holding fans and teams are seeing “brief but expected” blackouts.
But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t think this week’s weather will keep the host committee from returning to Dallas after this year. “This is football country. It runs deep,” Jones said. “All that should help us if we have ambitions of hosting future Super Bowls.” Dallas is expected to warm up by game day with temperatures in the 50s! Click here to find out more on the Dallas forecast here.
