Heaviest Downpours Rise across the U.S.

Record-breaking rain across Texas and Oklahoma this week caused widespread flooding, the likes of which the region has rarely, if ever, seen. For seven locations there, May 2015 has seen the most rain of any month ever recorded, with five days to go and the rain still coming. While rainfall in the region is consistent with the emerging El Niño, the unprecedented amounts suggest a possible climate change signal, where a warming atmosphere becomes more saturated with water vapor and capable of previously unimagined downpours...

Across most of the country, the heaviest downpours are happening more frequently, delivering a deluge in place of what would have been routine heavy rain. Climate Central’s new analysis of 65 years of rainfall records at thousands of stations nationwide found that 40 of the lower 48 states have seen an overall increase in heavy downpours since 1950. The biggest increases are in the Northeast and Midwest, which in the past decade, have seen 31 and 16 percent more heavy downpours compared to the 1950s.

More from Scientific American

Where in the U.S. will you find the most “pleasant” days in a year?

“Pleasant” here means the mean temperature was between (55° F and 75° F), the minimum temperature was above 45° F, the maximum temperature was below 85° F and there was no significant precipitation or snow depth.

More from Kellegous.

November 2013 Global Temperature Was Hottest On Record

November 2013 was the warmest November since modern temperature record keeping began in 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in its latest State of the Climate report, which summarizes climate-related news from around the world.

With a combined land and ocean surface temperature of 56.6 degrees Fahrenheit, November 2013 also was the 345th consecutive month – and the 37th November in a row – with a global temperature higher than the 20th century average, the NOAA report added.

Higher-than-average monthly temperatures were reported on nearly every continent around the world, including much of Europe and Asia, coastal Africa, Central America and central South America, as well as in the North Atlantic Ocean, southwest Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Russia experienced its warmest November since national weather records began in 1891, as some parts of the country like Siberia and the Arctic islands in the Kara Sea recorded temperatures more than 14 Fahrenheit degrees higher than the monthly average.

At the same time, cooler-than-average temperatures were reported in parts of North America – especially in the southeastern U.S. – as well as in northern Australia and southwest Greenland. No record cold monthly temperatures were reported.

More from The Weather Channel.

Public Information about Government Data Will Improve With New Obama Policy

From APDU:

The Obama Administration released an Executive Order and a Policy Directive that move the federal government forward in a significant direction -- officially requiring that, going forward, data generated by the government be made available in open, machine-readable formats (with appropriate protections). Most notably, it requires that agencies create and maintain an “enterprise data inventory, if it does not already exist, that accounts for datasets used in the agency's information systems" -- with the ultimate goal of including all agency datasets, and with indications whether the agency has determined that the individual datasets may be made publicly available and whether these are currently available to the public. Here's what you need to know:
• The Executive Order declares that information is a valuable resource and strategic asset for the nation.
• Newly generated government data will be required to be made available in open, machine-readable format by default -- enhancing their accessibility and usefulness, and ensuring privacy and security.
• These executive actions will allow entrepreneurs and companies to take advantage of this information -- fueling economic growth in communities across the Nation.

Watch a short video and find out more about the announcement HERE. Also, read more HERE.

In conjunction with those steps to unleash troves of useful data from the vaults of government, the interagency US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) launched a new online tool that promises to accelerate research relating to climate change and human health—the Metadata Access Tool for Climate and Health, or “MATCH.” MATCH is a tool, driven by open data, which could open the door for new scientific insights in the public health and climate science communities. It is a publicly accessible digital platform for searching and integrating metadata—standardized contextual information—extracted from more than 9,000 health, environment, and climate-science datasets held by six Federal agencies. Read more HERE.

Other weather sources

In addition to sources such as the National Weather Service, weather.com, and Weather Underground, here are a couple other links:

The Northeast Climate Center

The Utah Climate Center at the Utah State University.

Going to the Beach?

If you're going to the beach this summer, use these resources to help you plan ahead:
Beach Safety -- Learn about rip currents and other beach dangers to be aware of.
Sun Protection -- Use sunscreen, clothing, and sunglasses to protect your skin from the dangerous and aging effects of UV radiation.
Coastal Water Temperatures -- Find out how warm (or cold) the water will be in the area you'll be visiting.
Weather Forecast -- Check the forecast as it may affect your beach plans.

You received

Tornado Watches and Warnings

Serious storms have occurred--or are occurring--in several states across the U.S. Follow reports from the National Weather Service to track storms in your area.
Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a tornado:
How to Prepare for a Tornado -- Learn about preparing a disaster supply kit, creating a plan, and knowing the signs of an approaching tornado (dark, greenish sky; large hail; low-lying and rotating cloud; and a loud roar, like a freight train).
What to Do During a Tornado -- Depending on whether you are in a building, outdoors, or in a vehicle when a tornado strikes, find out what to do.
What to Do After a Tornado -- Get tips on what to do in a potentially unsafe area following a tornado and learn about federal assistance.

The History of Weather

I've found a selection of weather data (temp, precipitation, hummidity, wind) on a daily basis for most US locations, going back to 1945 from the Weather Underground.

Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity for 2009 (PDF; 878 KB)

The Tropical Meteorology Project, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University (Dr. William Gray) foresees average activity for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. "We have decreased our seasonal forecast from our initial early December prediction. We anticipate an average probability of United States major hurricane landfall."

Seventh Warmest January for Global Temperatures

The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for January 2009 was the seventh warmest since records began in 1880, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

2008 Temperature for U.S. Near Average

It's very cold in Albany, NY today, the kind of weather where the condensation freezes on any facial hair, then thaws when one gets indoors. And it'll be colder tomorrow and worse on Friday. It does not surprise me that temperatures in the U.S. were below average for December.

NOAA Winter Forecast

Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic: Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. For regions with more definitive trends, see here.

Weather Conversion Calculators

Extremely useful! Put in one number and the others show up as well.

The database is a:
Distance Conversion Calculator (Meters, Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Nautical Miles)
Speed Conversion Calculator (Meters per Second, Kilometer per Hour, Miles per Hour, Knots per Hour)
Weight Conversion Calculator (Grams, Kilograms, Ounces, Pounds, Troy Pounds)
and several more.

City Data

The Hill Library's weekly "Business Web Site of the Week" is City-Data.com.

"Enter a county, city, or zip code – or browse by state – to find pages and pages of information on U.S. places. Included are statistics on everything from age and income to ancestral heritage; from population change due to commuting to crime rates; from most common occupation to climate trends."

HOWEVER, it goes on to say, "The page just keeps scrolling, and the mind reels about where all this information comes from. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t make that clear. Because of this, please do attempt to verify any City Data you plan to use."