Now that fall is in full swing, forecasters, businesses, and the public alike are turning their attention to the upcoming winter and what conditions may be in store for the United States. On October 17, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released their official winter outlook. Although slower to develop than expected, forecasters still believe La Nina...
Representatives from NOAA, NASA, and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel recently announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year. The solar cycle is a natural cycle that the Sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. Roughly every 11 years, the...
As part of our United States Best Places report, we analyzed high temperature forecast accuracy for one to three days in advance. A forecast was deemed accurate if it was within three degrees of the observed high temperature. The most accurate high temperature forecasts were found in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and southern Arizona. Other...
When it comes to extreme weather, hurricanes and tornadoes seem to get the most attention. Hail tends to fly under the radar, literally and metaphorically. Yet hailstorms total cars, destroy roofs, and devastate crops, costing the U.S. $46 billion in 2023 alone. That $46 billion represents 60-80% of losses from hail, tornadoes, wind, and lightning...
The Radar Operations Center (ROC) with the National Weather Service (NWS) recently completed a $150 million, nine-year project called SLEP. SLEP stands for Service Life Extension Program, which aims to extend the lifespan of the 159 weather radars that make up the nation’s Next Generation Weather Radar network (NEXRAD). 122 NEXRAD radars are owned by...
We have just released a new report: Best Places to Live or Work In the United States If You Need to Know What the Weather Will Be Like Tomorrow 2024! The most accurate combination of forecasts and persistence was in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, with an average accuracy percentage of over 75%. The southwest U.S.,...
A recent study led by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR), used Kelvin waves to forecast active hurricane periods. The research showed that twice as many hurricanes form two days after the passing of large-scale atmospheric waves than in the days before. Knowing this information, forecasters and emergency managers...
In nearly unanimous agreement, experts thought this year’s hurricane season would be one for the record books. Hurricane activity started with a bang with Category 5 Hurricane Beryl in late June and early July. Hurricanes Debby and Ernesto developed in early and mid August, but the tropics have since been unusually quiet over the last...
Our Best Places to Live reports are unique in that they use a combination of forecast accuracy from various weather providers and an assumption that the current weather will continue over the next several days to determine where the weather is most and least predictable in the short term. This information can benefit your business...
The international annual review of the world’s climate is based on contributions from nearly 600 scientists in 60 countries, led by scientists from NOAA’s NCEI and published by the Bulletin of the AMS. They recently released their 34th annual State of Climate report for 2023, and it reveals many broken records. The most notable findings...
