The last hurricane name is in use and we have one month left in the season

For the past few years we have used the Greek alphabet to name storms after the main list of names was exhausted. But after being used multiple times over the past few years, some of the Greek letters were worth retiring – AND it got confusing on many levels.

After Wanda meandering north for the next few days before turning southeast, we see Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn and so on.

La Niña creates an environment in the Atlantic that favors more tropical weather developments.

“Last year we had three named storms in November, two of which were major hurricanes (Eta and Iota). This was in large part due to La Niña,” Chinchar said.

As the season draws to a close, we could see more if the ingredients are there.

“From a climatological perspective, November storms are most likely to develop in the western and northern Caribbean and central Atlantic near the 30 ° N latitude and 50 ° W longitude benchmarks,” Chinchar said.

We are currently observing Wanda and a depression several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands.

In the next few days, this low pressure system will penetrate a region that is far less favorable for development, so the likelihood of major storms occurring is low.

“Remember, the Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November 30th, so we still have plenty of time for storms to develop,” Chinchar said.

The 2021 season was particularly active with 21 named storms, including seven that turned into hurricanes. Four of these hurricanes became major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).

More relief for the drought-ridden west

“The rain and snow are not expected to be as heavy this week as they were last week,” said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. “But it will help ease the drought, especially in the northern parts of California.”

The heaviest rain should fall right along the coast. Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, north of the Bay Area, should see four to six inches of rain all week.

With high snowfall numbers for the Cascades and the Sierra. By the end of the week, the snowfall numbers for the Rockies should also increase.

Meanwhile, cool air will settle in much of the country as the cold Canadian air pushes south.

“Over 6 million people are under frost alarm in the Midwest and Northeast, with over 110 million people expected to experience freezing temperatures this week,” Hennen said.

Temperatures in the plains are forecast to be 25 to 30 degrees below normal on Monday as the cold air spreads to the east. The cold will stay for much of the week. On Thursday night, the states as far south as Louisiana will fall below freezing.

The temperature in Dallas, Texas will only hit 55 on Wednesday and Thursday before plunging into 30s on Thursday night. Temperatures will return to normal in most areas by the end of the week.

Yosemite’s “fire fall” is fireworks

The recent rains in California have illuminated Yosemite’s famous “Fire Fall” and brought unexpected pleasure to park goers.

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park has recently run dry due to the lack of rain.

The “fire fall” usually occurs on clear evenings in late February, when the setting sun is shining through the falls at just the right angle.

Aurora’s rare red lights up the sky

The rare red borealis, which lit the night sky in brilliant reds, could be seen in places like New Zealand and England.

While the aurora borealis usually dances yellow and green ribbons across the sky, the red sky occurs at much higher altitudes.

The green glow of oxygen atoms occurs about 150 km above the earth’s surface, while the red auroras occur up to 500 km above the earth’s surface.

COP 26

This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Glasgow, Scotland.

COP26 (Conference of the Parties) brings almost all countries in the world together for a climate summit.

You may remember COP 21, where the Paris Climate Agreement was born.

All countries agreed to work together to limit global warming to below 2 degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees.

They also decided to come back and update their plan every five years.

This year’s summit has been postponed for a year because of the pandemic, but the meeting could be the most important yet as leaders meet as the world continues to warm at an alarming pace.