Storm Surge: The Science behind This Year’s Unusual Hurricane Season
Meteorologist J. Marshall Shepherd explains Hurricane Laura in the Gulf of Mexico and the ingredients for tropical cyclones
Weather382 articles archived since 1845
Recipe for a Busy Hurricane Season: Warmer Water, Cleaner Air
The peak of the season just started, but already there have been as many storms as in an entire average season
Extreme Heat Exposure Could Really Ramp Up in U.S. Cities
Unchecked climate change, urban development and population rise could all contribute to more people being exposed to punishing heat
Will 2020 Be the Hottest Year on Record?
It will certainly place in the top five—a marker of how much the world has warmed
Shelters Stay Empty as Isaias Barrels Up the East Coast
Concerns over COVID-19 have officials urging evacuees to stay with friends and family or at hotels
How COVID-19 Decreases Weather Forecast Accuracy
Meteorologists take advantage of weather data collected by commercial jetliners at different altitudes and locations. Fewer flights mean less data.
Accurate Weather Forecasts 28 Days Out
Meteorologists are using supercomputers and the latest data about climate phenomena to predict temperature and precipitation four weeks in the future
Drop in Global Travel May Have Hurt Weather Forecasts
Commercial planes and ships usually gather valuable data to feed into weather models
Summer Weather Won’t Save Us from Coronavirus
Though hotter, humid weather can dampen transmission, it is not enough to significantly curtail the pandemic
Science on the Hill: Calculating Climate
For the fourth Science on the Hill event, Future Climate: What We Know, What We Don’t, experts talked with Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti about what goes into modeling our climate—and how such models are used in addition to long-term climate prediction...
Tougher Building Codes Would Avert Major Losses, FEMA Study Shows
In California and Florida alone, such codes have prevented $1 billion a year in structural damage
Summer Presents Dangerous Choice: Swelter in Quarantine or Risk Contagion
Extreme heat is deadly to many of the same populations that are most vulnerable to COVID-19
How COVID-19 Could Ruin Weather Forecasts and Climate Records
As climate- and ecological-monitoring projects go dark, data that stretch back for decades will soon contain coronavirus-associated gaps
Meteorologists Rain on Cloud-Seeding Parade
Originally published in July 1957
A Climate Fluctuation That Could Improve Forecasts Remains a Mystery
The unknown influence of climate change has thrown a wrench into efforts to understand the Madden-Julian Oscillation
The Ocean’s Swirling Currents Are Migrating Poleward
The shift, which may be linked to climate change, can affect sea levels and the distribution of heat and nutrients
Twin Dangers of Scorching Days and Sweltering Nights Are on the Rise
The combination of day and night extreme heat will only get more frequent—and hotter—in the future
Ocean Currents Are Speeding Up, Driven by Faster Winds
Climate change may in part be spurring the acceleration, which could change how heat and nutrients are pushed around the oceans
Facts about Groundhogs Other Than Their Poor Meteorology
Groundhogs are less accurate at weather forecasting than are coin flips, but they are nonetheless pretty interesting critters.
What Happens to White Christmases as the World Warms?
Although more winter precipitation will fall as rain because of climate change, don't say goodbye to snow just yet
