Andrea Thompson is senior desk editor for life science at Scientific American, covering the environment, energy and earth sciences. She has been covering these issues for nearly two decades. Prior to joining Scientific American, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered earth science and the environment. She has moderated panels, including as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Media Zone, and appeared in radio and television interviews on major networks. She holds a graduate degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a B.S. and an M.S. in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Follow Thompson on Bluesky @andreatweather.bsky.social
NASA’s Artemis II nears the moon, oil trumps endangered species, snowpack plummets
An update on NASA’s historic moon mission, alarm over the low snowpack in the western U.S. and a move that could endanger wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico
April 1 is supposed to be peak snow. But this year’s western snowpack is utterly dismal
A record warm winter meant that snow levels across the western U.S. were already low, but an incredible March heat wave has made things even worse
Disappearing Arctic sea ice breaks frightening record
The Arctic sea ice maximum this year effectively tied for the lowest ever on record, with major implications for polar ecosystems and global warming
‘Science under attack’: Top climate scientist Kate Marvel explains why she resigned from NASA
Climate scientist Kate Marvel talked to Scientific American about her decision to leave NASA amid federal government turmoil and funding challenges
There is no historical precedent for how badly out of balance the climate is now, U.N. warns
The past 11 years were the 11 hottest on record amid an increasing onslaught of climate-driven disasters, the World Meteorological Organization said in a new report
Spring heat, a blow to RFK, Jr.’s vaccine policy, lead in kids’ clothes
An unseasonal heat dome over parts of the U.S., a federal court ruling that blocks the CDC’s recent change to its recommended childhood vaccine schedule, new research on unsafe levels of lead in fast fashion
Everything about this week’s record-shattering western heat wave is extreme
An astoundingly strong heat wave is not just setting records across the western U.S.—it’s pulverizing them
What’s with all the wild weather this week?
From blizzard conditions in the Midwest to a heat wave in the western U.S. to flooding in Hawaii, March has brought wild weather to the country
No U.S. states had a record cold winter. Nine had a record hot one
Though it may surprise East Coasters, the story of this winter was not record cold but record heat
How a bomb cyclone is bringing blizzard conditions to the Northeast
Blizzards can bring a ton of snow, but here’s what else they feature
Trump guts climate policy, polar vortex disrupts winter, and Olympic ‘Penisgate’ rumors fly
We take a look at President Trump’s decision to reject a landmark climate finding, the cause of an unusual winter in the U.S. and the physics behind a bizarre ski jumping scandal
What repealing the ‘endangerment finding’ means for public health
The EPA has scrapped a rule stating that climate change harms human health. Here’s what that could mean
The quirky geology behind Olympic curling stones
The rocks used in the Olympic sport of curling come from one island in Scotland and one quarry in Wales. What makes them so special?
Why has this winter been so cold?
While it’s been a frigid winter in the eastern U.S., the western region of the country has seen record warmth
Frigid air creates mesmerizing ‘cloud streets’ around Florida
As temperatures plunged across the eastern U.S., a breathtaking cloud pattern took shape off the coasts of Florida
Weekend winter storm that battered eastern U.S. was supercharged by climate change
A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and that’s why last weekend’s winter storm dumped more snow, sleet and freezing rain than similar weather systems might have in the past
Why freezing rain can be so much more dangerous than snow
Freezing rain can cause ice to accumulate on tree branches and power lines and thus poses a greater risk than snow
Snow? Ice? How to make sense of winter storm forecasts
A major winter storm will bring frigid cold and to tens of millions this weekend, but why is it so hard to pin down who will get snow, ice or rain?
EPA’s pollution rule change worries experts, cancer survival hits milestone, and astronauts evacuate the ISS
Why the EPA’s air pollution rule change could make the air dirtier, how cancer survival hit a record-high, and what we know about the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station
America’s Air Is About to Get Dirtier—And More Dangerous
The Clean Air Act has saved millions of lives, but the EPA will stop calculating those benefits for at least some proposed regulations
2025 Wasn’t the Hottest Year on Record. Earth Is Still Barreling to the Climate Brink
Global warming surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius for the past three years, meaning Earth is currently on track to breach the Paris climate agreement by the end of the decade
January Feels More Like Summer in Some U.S. States. Here’s Why
An area of high pressure is bringing record-high heat to some parts of the U.S., with an added boost from climate change
Scientists Just Moved the South Pole. Here’s Why
Antarctica’s New Year’s celebration is unlike any other: every January 1 scientists physically move the South Pole. This is why
6 Otherworldly Deep-Sea Images from 2025
From the first sighting of a colossal squid in the wild to a seriously goofy octopus, 2025 delivered some astounding photos from the ocean’s depths