In Spanish, La Niña means “Little Girl”. Don’t let the cute name fool you. La Niña is one cold little lady. In weather, it means a cold lousy winter followed by a harsh spring filled with floods and droughts. The good news is that she is finally going away.
read moreEvelyn Browning Garriss doesn't just blog about the weather forecast; she provides insight on WHY extreme weather is happening--and a heads up on weather to watch out for. A historical climatologist, Evelyn blogs about weather history, interesting facts about the weather, and upcoming climate events that affect your life--from farming to your grocery bill. Every week, we look forward to another great weather column from Evelyn. We encourage our weather watchers to post their comments and questions--and tell us what they think!
La Niña's Goodbye Gift: Springtime Floods and Droughts
March 21, 2011
Earthquakes and Weather
March 15, 2011
This week I’ve been asked a number of questions about earthquakes and weather. Is there “earthquake weather”? Is there any connection between earthquakes and weather? Will the impact of the giant event in Japan affect or alter weather?
read moreStorm in the Salad Bowl
March 7, 2011
Mother Nature has had a lot of people stewing. This year, the stormy 2011 winter weather has been hard on everyone, but it has been devastating to farmers who grow and people who eat vegetables. Freezing temperatures have killed crops throughout Florida, Arizona, South Texas, and deep into Mexico, affecting prices in grocery markets. There go the tomatoes!
read moreMyth-Busting: Blizzards, Bergs, and Other Urban Legends
March 2, 2011
Have you heard the latest urban legends? A “Biblical blizzard” buried the hearty citizens of North Dakota in 25 feet of snow. And giant (and colorful) icebergs are mowing down ships on Lake Michigan. It’s almost a shame to challenge such awe-inspiring weather stories, but myth-bust we must.
read moreSpace Weather: Big Solar Storms And Itty-Bitty Earth
February 22, 2011
If a scientist tells you sunny days are ahead – duck and cover! He may be talking about space weather and the giant solar flares that fry satellites and national electrical grids! Just in case you haven’t had enough stormy weather here on Earth, astronomers are warning us to expect some major solar storms over the next few years.
read moreWhen, Oh When, Will La Niña End?
February 7, 2011
La Niña is still strong and still here. Expect more cold stormy blizzards. Ugh! When will winter finally give us a break?
read moreLa Niñas, Arctic Oscillations, and Blizzards, Oh My!
February 2, 2011
Welcome to Weather Math 101.
Today’s equation:
1 Strong La Niña + 1 Insane Arctic Oscillation
= 1 giant blizzard for 100 million people
Groundhog Day arrived and instead of a photogenic rodent, we got a 2,100-mile-long blizzard. One third of the nation is being slammed by a huge storm that stretches from New Mexico to Maine.
read moreEl Niño and the Groundhog – Science and Folklore
January 24, 2011
Groundhog Day is coming! Will the groundhog see his shadow? If we were in the middle of an El Niño, he might just see it. Behind the rodent folklore is an odd bit of science trivia.
read moreLa Niña and Your Grocery Bill
January 18, 2011
This winter's weather is being shaped by two enormous weather patterns—La Niña and the Arctic Oscillation (AO). The La Niña is raising the prices of your food. The Arctic Oscillation is raising your heating bill.
read moreBlame the Arctic Oscillation!
January 10, 2011
The Arctic Oscillation has many aliases. In California, it is the Yukon Express, the cold northern storm that pushed the Pineapple Express floods down to San Diego. In the East, it is the jaunty sounding Alberta Clipper that sailed to Florida and froze the crops. Whatever its nickname, the Arctic Oscillation is cold, stormy and downright miserable.
read morePineapple Express
January 4, 2011
An explosive grenade is nicknamed a pineapple. A recent storm that clobbered California is nicknamed the Pineapple Express and it has been just as explosive.
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