Author: Nina Clarke

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The latest Drought Monitor update released March 19 shows conditions across Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. have improved compared to peak winter severity — but significant rainfall deficits remain, particularly around Baltimore. Data completed March 17 highlights a region that is stabilizing, yet still carrying the weight of long-term dryness. Moderate…

TEXAS — A powerful upper-level ridge — often referred to as a “heat dome” — has expanded across Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico, Arizona and parts of California, and meteorologists say the intensity and timing of this event in mid-March is what makes it extraordinary. While ridges of high pressure are not uncommon, this setup…

TEXAS — Long-range ensemble guidance is signaling a potentially active pattern developing for the first week of April across the central and eastern United States, with the jet stream strengthening over the Plains and Midwest — a classic setup for severe thunderstorms and possible tornado outbreaks. After a relatively quiet stretch in the near term,…

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — Just as spring attempts to gain traction across the Midwest and East Coast, new model guidance is signaling a powerful late-season cold shot between March 25 and March 29 that could drive winter conditions deep into the eastern half of the United States. Forecast data shows a dramatic plunge of Arctic air…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The latest federal Drought Monitor report shows improving but still concerning conditions across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, as much of the region remains locked in Moderate Drought (D1) despite meaningful rainfall earlier this month. While this marks an improvement from the Severe Drought (D2) conditions that gripped much of the…

OHIO VALLEY — The Storm Prediction Center has introduced a Level 1 of 5 (Marginal Risk) for severe weather across portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia as a cold front pushes through the region. While the threat remains low-end, forecasters say just enough moisture may be in place ahead of the front…

UNITED STATES — A newly released seasonal precipitation outlook from the International Research Institute (IRI) is raising concerns for parts of Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast heading into late spring and summer 2026. The IRI multi-model probability forecast, based on recalibrated output from NOAA’s North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME), highlights areas where below-normal…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With meteorological winter now officially in the books, the numbers tell a striking story across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and the greater Mid-Atlantic: the 2025–26 winter season was the coldest since 2002–03, marking a dramatic return to sustained cold not seen in over two decades. For the first time since 2009–2010, all three…

UNITED STATES — After a powerful storm system swept across parts of the country earlier this week, the atmosphere is shifting into a quieter and more stable late-March pattern. Forecast models show a largely zonal jet stream, meaning weather systems will move quickly west to east, with no dominant storm threatening the Lower 48 in…

ALASKA, UNITED STATES — Satellite imagery on Wednesday revealed a stunning sight over the Gulf of Alaska: a compact cyclone with a defined eye-like center and spiral bands that looked more like a tropical storm than a typical Arctic system. The storm made landfall near Katalla in the Chugach Census Area, and meteorologists are calling…