Chicago | Reuters –– The clear Midwestern skies that El Nino cycles typically bring could be a boon to the U.S. heartland this spring, after recent record rain levels soaked the region, swamping farmland and disrupting grain export shipments on swollen rivers. Farm fields across the Midwest are saturated, according to the U.S. Department of […] Read more

U.S. grain shippers await El Nino dryness after unseasonable flood

U.S. winter weather to see El Nino’s influence
Tampa | Reuters — Much of the U.S. South can expect a cooler and wetter winter, while warmer-than-usual temperatures are likely across many northern and western states, as a strong El Nino weather pattern shaped a government weather outlook issued Thursday. More rain and snow are likely across the nation’s southern regions, extending from central […] Read more

U.S. sees El Nino as near-certain to last through summer
New York | Reuters — The El Nino climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern U.S. as well as South America, and scorching heat in Asia that could devastate crops of thirsty food staples like rice. […] Read more

Beginning our look at severe summer weather
Knowing an alert from a watch or a warning will help keep you informed, and safe
Reading Time: 3 minutes Usually around this time of the year I start my annual look at severe summer weather, but before we dive into that topic, the global March temperatures are in and the planet has beat another record. March 2015, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was the warmest March since records began […] Read more

No relief in sight for U.S. West’s drought in spring outlook
Chicago | Reuters — Drought pressures will increase in California and western areas of the U.S. this spring even as the dry season begins, the government’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. “Periods of record warmth in the West and not enough precipitation during the rainy season cut short drought relief in California this winter and […] Read more
U.S. scientists call 2014 Earth’s hottest year on record
Cape Canaveral | Reuters — Last year was Earth’s warmest on record, bolstering the argument that people are altering the planet’s climate by relentlessly burning fuels that belch greenhouse gases into the air, two major U.S. government agencies said Friday. Separate studies by the U.S. space agency NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […] Read more