Under the Weather

*Since it is a holiday week, this post will be entirely forecast-based* It will be a pretty active week weather-wise across the country, with different regions expected to see rain, snow, and severe weather. First, though, let's talk about the rain and the severe weather. Many areas in the South have the possibility of seeing severe weather for the first half of the week. On Monday, the severe threat will mainly be in the Deep South, specifically in parts of Eastern Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. In these areas, there will be a threat of tornadoes, damaging hail, and damaging winds, with the highest threat for these being in Mississippi and Louisiana. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) convective outlook for Monday, November 20 (image by NOAA/NWS) On Tuesday, the same severe weather will shift eastward into Alabama and Georgia, where the same threats will exist at a lower risk. The areas that will most likely see the highest threat on this day are those in Southe...

A ridge of high pressure formed over the Gulf of Mexico, which brought record-high temperatures across most of the Southern U.S. for most of the week. Record highs were reached in states like Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and even as far north as Kentucky. This so-called "fall heatwave" will not last long though, which is certainly good news for those who love fall weather, but not so much for those who embrace the warm temperatures. This will be due to a cold front that will bring much cooler air down south, with some areas in the South forecasted to see temperatures as much as 10 degrees below average, which is quite a stark difference compared to what these areas experienced throughout much of the past week. The front will also bring some much-needed rain to the South, particularly the Deep South, where there is an ongoing extreme drought. Speaking of droughts, there are multiple ongoing wildfires in North Carolina and Tennessee that have been burning for much...

A strong and powerful cold front pushed through the U.S., ushering in bone-chilling temperatures for many last week. The front caused temperatures to plummet in at least some parts of the Lower 48 states, with some experiencing their first frost/freeze of the season, even in the South. Some areas even saw record-low temperatures. Also last week, deadly wildfires blazed in Southern California. One wildfire in particular, The Highland Fire, burned an area of just under 4 square miles and damaged or destroyed 13 homes and buildings. The fire, which was in part fueled by the seasonal Santa Ana winds, started burning on Monday and was 20% contained by Wednesday after evacuation orders were placed for thousands of residents living near the area. Firefighters work to put out a wildfire in Southern California (image by Ethan Swope via AP) As of Wednesday last week, some of the residents in the evacuation area were allowed to return home, however, roughly a couple thousand homes and buildings...