Topic: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Vernal equinox heralds end of the winter that wasn't

This winter was the warmest on record so far in the 21st century. Here are some other remarkable facts about the winter that wasn't.
Tornado checklist: What to do – and what myths to ignore

Here are six items severe-weather experts advise putting on your tornado-emergency checklist – along with four tornado-response myths to ignore.
Five ways House Republicans are striking fear in environmentalists

House Republicans are attempting to shape US environmental policy by attaching to their 2011 spending plans so-called "riders" that would target regulations ranging from greenhouse gases to mining.
In Pictures: Japan's 9.0 earthquake
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 02/23

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Four to eight hurricanes in 2012 NOAA forecast

The US will see nine to 15 tropical storms and four to eight of those will become hurricanes, says NOAA in its 2012 Atlantic hurricane forecast. It's a 'near normal' year. Only one to three will likely become major, Category 3, hurricanes.
Cover Story
CSI Tornado: Decoding – and chasing – supercells with the experts

CSI Tornado: Chasing supercells, interviewing a homeowner sucked off his front porch in an Oklahoma tornado outbreak, and examining the path of a destructive funnel, an expert expedition shows how science is close to decoding the way a tornado works.
Editor's Blog
Riding the whirlwind

The Monitor's intrepid science writer rode with the storm-chasers who help federal forecasters warn those in twisters' paths.
Forecast is for 'normal' hurricane season, a bit wimpier than last year

The Atlantic hurricane season may be quieter this year than last, predict AccuWeather.com forecasters. A 'near normal' 2012 would see at least a dozen tropical storms and two major hurricanes.
Japanese tsunami debris to hit West Coast this year, sooner than expected

A new estimate suggests that debris from the Japanese tsunami will hit US coasts this year, not next year as previously thought. Who will lead the cleanup is still being worked out.
The Reformed Broker
Does good weather boost consumer spending?

In the warmest March on record, retail sales beat expectations. But shouldn't the boost have been bigger?
As Midwest storm bears down, forecasters use more urgent voice in tornado warnings

The National Weather Service is testing phrases like 'catastrophic' and 'unsurvivable' to describe looming storm systems in a bid to engage Americans’ survival instincts. Saturday's tornado-bearing storm was called 'high-end' and 'life-threatening.'
US Coast Guard sinks Japanese "ghost ship" (+videos)

The Japanese 'ghost ship' – derelict vessel had been set adrift by last year's tsunami – was sunk to avoid potential navigation hazards. The ghost ship took about four hours to sink after a US Coast Guard cutter fired on it.
Texas tornadoes: How much warning time was possible? (+video)

Texas tornadoes that hit the Dallas area Tuesday resulted in no fatalities, in part due to timely warnings. But a new model could improve tornado warning times dramatically.
Global warming began in oceans 135 years ago, suggests study

A study of temperature recordings from the 1870s suggests that the oceans began warming more than 100 years ago, much earlier than previously believed.
Vernal equinox heralds end of the winter that wasn't

This winter was the warmest on record so far in the 21st century. Here are some other remarkable facts about the winter that wasn't.
Sea level studies: US coasts even more vulnerable than previously thought

South Florida, southern Louisiana, and the Carolinas top the list of states with the most land to lose if sea level rises 1 meter, according to a pair of new studies.
Warm spring, more tornadoes? Meteorologists raise red flags.

An unusually balmy spring plus cold fronts are a formula for stronger thunderstorms and tornadoes, as hard-hit communities strive to be more resilient.
Hey, what happened to winter? What its wimpiness portends for spring.

Despite a few powerful snowstorms, the winter of 2011-12, with record-breaking temperatures and less precipitation than normal, has been the fourth warmest on record in the US. What gives?
Sun continues to spew

The sun continues its active streak this week, spitting out yet another solar flare from the same region that produced two powerful eruptions this week.
Solar storm could become severe 'bell ringer' in next 24 hours (+video)

Solar storm forecasters say the particles disgorged in a massive solar flare could strike Earth in a particular way, which would make a currently moderate solar storm more severe.
Biggest solar storm in years now bombarding Earth (+video)

The two huge solar flares that erupted on the sun on Tuesday have produced a wave of charged particles that are now glancing off our planet's magnetic field.
Solar flare: Biggest in six years hits the Earth (+video)

Solar flare: The Sun is in an 11-year cycle of solar flare activity, with a peak next year. Solar flares can disrupt power grids, satellites, oil pipelines and high-accuracy GPS systems
Solar flare races towards Earth, expected to cause disruptions to Earth's magnetic field

The largest solar flare in years is hurdling towards Earth at 4 million mph and is expected to hit early Thursday morning.
Will the solar storm disrupt power grids? (+video)

The sun has hurled a cloud of charged particles in our direction, potentially disrupting satellites and inducing current in our power grids.
Two powerful 'X-class' flares erupt on sun (+video)

The sun unleashed two extremely powerful flares Tuesday. NASA tentatively says that particles from the solar storms are probably heading in Earth's direction, but will likely deliver a glancing blow at most.
Somber searches resume as tornado outbreak leaves heartland reeling

An 'enormous outbreak' of at least 91 tornadoes tore into the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Friday, the second major tornado system to rake across the heartland in the span of three days.
Debris from tsunami to reach West Coast, join Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch will soon include debris from the Japanese tsunami, while one million to 2 million tons of lumber, construction material, refrigerators, TVs, fishing boats and other fragments from Japanese coastal towns make their way across the Pacific.
Fracking study sends alert about leakage of potent greenhouse gas

A new study finds that fracking is releasing methane, a greenhouse gas, from a Colorado field at a higher rate than estimates suggested. Researchers must determine if the field is an anomaly or part of a bigger problem.
Study: Himalayan glaciers melting more slowly than thought, but seas are still rising

A study of satellite data has found that thermal expansion and ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica account for most of the planet's rising sea levels, with melting glaciers from the Himalayas contributing less than previously thought.