Topic: Rocky Mountains

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.

Darling Companion: movie review

A rambling shaggy-dog story, 'Darling Companion' lives up to its canine credentials.

Mining boom in Michigan: economic boost or environmental nuisance?

Demand for metals on the world market is prompting a mining boom in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula, where jobs are scarce. But possible environmental damage to forests, lakes, and rivers alarms some locals.

Snowstorm US: blizzard heads north, but Southwest still digging out

Snowstorm watchers say the snowstorm that hit the southwestern US will lose some steam as it leaves the region, but travel is still difficult in Kansas and the Texas Panhandle.

Yellowstone grizzly bears: New cause célèbre for effects of global warming?

For the first time, a US appellate court has ruled that the federal government must continue to protect an animal – in this case, Yellowstone grizzly bears – in part because of consequences of global warming.

Santa Ana winds: How the West was hit by hurricane-speed winds

Santa Ana winds combined with a storm system to produce 100 m.p.h. winds in California and other Western states. The science behind the Santa Ana winds and this storm.

An aspen moment, and prayer that heals the world

A Christian Science perspective.

Halloween Nor'easter: How unusual was it?

Folks in the Northeast remember the Blizzard of '78 and the April Fool's Day Blizzard, which hit in '97. They'll be talking about the limb-snapping, electricity-killing Halloween Nor'easter for a long time, too.

Obama in Denver: Colorado takes shape as key state for 2012

Obama pitched his jobs bill Tuesday to a largely Hispanic audience at a Denver high school. Colorado residents should expect to see lots more of the president in coming months.

Heat wave: What's behind this summer's record heat?

Heat wave conditions are likely to continue into August. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is forecasting a continuation of the heat wave – hotter-than-normal temperatures across the Desert Southwest and points east across the Deep South.

Raging wildfires: Climate changes to blame for record season?

Many scientists suggest that climate changes could be causing certain kinds of wildfires for which the West's forests are not well adapted. This year could help researchers better understand and fight the trend.

'Man vs. Wild' Season 6: Jake Gyllenhaal joins Bear Grylls

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal will join survivalist and connoisseur of on-the-go delicacies, Bear Grylls, to kick off a fresh batch of new episodes for the Discovery Channel series ‘Man vs. Wild.'

The new water wars? Study shows broad decline in Rockies snowpack.

Many studies have documented the West's declining snowpack. But a new one, published Friday in the journal Science, covers the length of the Rockies over an 800-year period.

Despite gas prices, more than 30 million Americans traveling for Memorial Day

The average price of gas was $3.85 a gallon for the week that ended Monday. The number of automotive travelers during Memorial Day weekend is expected to be about the same as a year ago.

Oil futures fall: good news for drivers

Oil futures drop below $98 a barrel. Gasoline futures decline even more. Oil futures now down 15 percent this month.

True cost of budget deal will be paid in blood – of gray wolves

One of the most unfortunate riders of the recent budget deal is the decision to strip the gray wolf of the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Science has been subordinated to political instrumentalism, setting a dangerous precedent for the future.

Budget bill cuts federal wolf protection. Environmentalists howling.

After being hunted to near-extinction, wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains have recovered due to federal management under the Endangered Species Act. But wolves will be "delisted" under a rider to the recent budget bill, and environmentalists are howling.

Do pre-winter snowstorms signal a harsh winter?

Tuesday marks the first day of winter, but many people in the United States and Europe have already seen a preview. Can we expect a snowy winter?

Gold prices hit record highs, fuel mom and pop prospectors in US West

Gold prices hit $1,275.20 per ounce Tuesday. A poor economy and record prices have renewed interest in prospecting in Western states where public lands are rich with deposits and small-scale operators are all but free from government regulation.

National parks in the West still bring surprises

Maryland earthquake shakes up nation's capital

Maryland earthquake, measuring 3.6 magnitude, was centered just outside Washington, D.C. just after 5 AM ET Friday.

Melting ice reveals ancient atlatl dart

Used by a Native American hunter some 10,000 years ago, the atlatl dart was discovered in a melting patch of ice high in the Rocky Mountains.

Scientists study time of day for US summer rains

Scientists have studied the time of day when summer rains are likely to hit all regions of the US.

New study could explain why volcanoes form far from the edges of tectonic plates

According to the old model of how volcanoes grow, the volcanoes of the Mediterranean shouldn't exist. A new model could explain how they got there.