All articles tagged with #climate forecast
Arizona has confirmed its first case of New World screwworm in a dog, marking the third U.S. state affected by the parasitic fly. Simultaneously, NOAA and other agencies warn that a record-breaking El Niño will likely bring warmer, wetter conditions to much of the U.S. this winter, with significant regional variations in precipitation and temperature.
A developing 'super El Niño' has reached record strength, with Pacific Ocean temperatures exceeding 3.4°C above average. This unprecedented warming is projected to drive above-average snowfall in California and Nevada for the 2026–2027 season, particularly in the Central Sierra. While the event promises heavy precipitation, forecasters caution that extreme warmth may not translate to historic snow totals everywhere, as seen in the 2015–2016 event.
Top weather agencies warn of several years of record-breaking heat, with an 80% chance of surpassing previous temperature records in the next five years, leading to more extreme weather events, higher risks of wildfires, and faster Arctic ice melt, as global temperatures continue to rise due to human-caused climate change.
June 2023 has seen the highest temperatures in decades for this time of year, with a spike in temperatures worldwide due to human emissions of heat-trapping gases and the return of the natural climate pattern known as El Niño. These factors are setting the stage for more severe hot spells, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes. The current El Niño has emerged amid planetary conditions that could compound its warming effects, making it trickier for NOAA to forecast the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The weather's natural variability is always causing swings, both warm and cool, between years and in specific regions, but human-driven warming remains the long-term trend.