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Meteorological winter (December through January) is less than a month away and that means snow is coming for much of the United States. Indeed, a late October snowstorm has already impacted much of the eastern United States. As the planet has warmed over the past 40 years, where, when and how much snow has fallen [...]

Changes in climate are fundamentally about changes in the amount of energy in the air and water circulating around us. While most discussions of climate trends focus on the air temperature taken at the Earth’s surface, this is only one measure of the amount of energy in the air, let alone the climate system as [...]

In Brief: Compared to 50 years ago, traditionally snowfall dominated watersheds in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest are experiencing lower low-flow season flows. The mountains in the Pacific Northwest run parallel to the Pacific Ocean and receive abundant wintertime precipitation. Precipitation varies by elevation, with higher elevation areas receiving more snowfall and lower elevation [...]

Don’t Overwater Your Lawn.

This is the time of year when lawn activities peak – watering, fertilizing and mowing.  All of these activities can have environmental impacts.  For example, did you know that over 50 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend and contribute as much as five percent of the country’s air pollution? Viewer Tip: You can have [...]

¿Sabía usted que una cuadra promedio genera más de cinco veces más escorrentía de agua lluvia que un área similar de bosque?  Esto ocurre porque los tejados y el pavimento no permiten que el suelo absorba el agua lluvia como ocurre en bosques, pantanos y otras áreas verdes.  En la ciudad, la escorrentía de agua [...]

June 19-25 is Lightning Safety Awareness Week. According to the National Weather Service, lightning flashes about 25 million times each year in the United States. Many myths or “urban legends” exist about lightning. Here are a few common myths revealed: Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Fact: Lightning does strike the same place [...]

June 4-12, 2011 is National Fishing and Boating Week – the perfect chance enjoy nice weather and connect with nature. The benefits of spending time outside are well known.  Adults and children who spend time outdoors benefit from better mental focus and attention. “Green” exercise in a natural setting can reduce anxiety, anger and depression. [...]

En Resumen: El fortalecimiento de los vientos costeros en el litoral peruano ha provocado un aumento en la productividad de las ricas zonas de pesca en la región. Aunque la Tierra ha experimentado calentamiento durante el último siglo, no todos los lugares se han calentado de manera tan intensa, y algunas zonas han visto enfriamiento.  [...]

Mientras algunas plantas prefieren la sombra, otras toleran condiciones mucho más cálidas.  Si ve una planta marchitarse, puede ser que esta planta no esté preparada para la cantidad de sol que recibe. Consejos: Algunas plantas encorvan sus hojas durante el día para mantener su superficie fuera de los rayos del sol.  Esto es normal si [...]

Do you know what surfactants are? Well, they have nothing to do with surfing…but they may end up in oceans, rivers and lakes.  “Surface-active agents,” or surfactants for short, are a main ingredient in many soaps, detergents and cleaners because they are tough on dirt.  They work in water to separate dirt from surfaces like [...]

Just as some plants do better in shady spots, some handle scorching weather better than others. Wilting could mean a plant is handling the heat okay – or that it needs help. Viewer Tip: Plant leaves may droop mid-day, which keeps more of their surface out of direct sunlight and helps keep them cool. This [...]

Even if you only have a small patio or window box to work with, you can still add some green to your outdoor space this spring. For gardeners that don’t have the room or the patience to manage large gardens, container gardens are a great alternative. Considering the wide variety of native plants available, you [...]

All this wet weather has a growing number of local residents saying, “Rain, rain, DON’T go away.” That’s because they use rain barrels to stock up on free water. You can collect as much as 50 gallons of water from just one hard afternoon’s shower to save for watering your yard later. Plus it helps [...]

Fuel, heat, and oxygen form what is known as the “fire triangle.” With these elements in place, all that is required for a fire to start is an ignition source, such as lightning or a match. A fire’s intensity is determined by a variety of factors including the amount of available fuel (trees, grasses, leaves [...]

Earth’s climatic energy is moving all about us in different forms. Rain falling on us and rushing through rivers back into the ocean is one form. Big ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream, are another form of climatic energy. Energy coming in directly from the sun (shortwave radiation) warms the Earth’s surface and to a [...]

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which provides information about traffic congestion in 439 urban areas in the United States. Based on 2009 data, TTI estimates that congestion costs 4.8 billion hours of extra time and 115 billion dollars worth of delay and fuel expenses each year. In the Phoenix [...]

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which provides information about traffic congestion in 439 urban areas in the United States. Based on 2009 data, TTI estimates that congestion costs 4.8 billion hours of extra time and 115 billion dollars worth of delay and fuel expenses each year. In the San [...]

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which provides information about traffic congestion in 439 urban areas in the United States. Based on 2009 data, TTI estimates that congestion costs 4.8 billion hours of extra time and 115 billion dollars worth of delay and fuel expenses each year. In the San [...]

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which provides information about traffic congestion in 439 urban areas in the United States. Based on 2009 data, TTI estimates that congestion costs 4.8 billion hours of extra time and 115 billion dollars worth of delay and fuel expenses each year. In the Sacramento [...]