First Alert Weather Insider

A new report from Climate Central has looked into trends in annual snowfall between 1970 and 2023. Of the more than 2,000 stations analyzed, 64% are seeing less snowfall now as compared to the early 70s. Many of these stations are more southern as warmer temperatures push snow to the north. The Northeast has also

There are countless things that make the Coachella Valley so special. One of those things is our abundance of dates. The Coachella Valley has the perfect climate for growing these tasty little fruits. Date Palms need a hot and dry climate, making our desert perfect for growing date palms. But, we also have the right

There are a number of different astronomical calendars. They are lunar calendars, lunisolar calendars, and solar calendars. Lunar Calendars are based solely on the cycles of the moon. Since one lunar month is 29.5 days, a lunar year is about 354 days. Credit: Chris Casas A lunisolar calendar is still based on the moon but

Mudslides are a hazard caused by heavy rains. There are layers of soil under our feet. The further down a layer of soil is, the more compressed and stable it becomes. When the topsoil becomes saturated with rain, it becomes heavier. This, combined with the flowing water, can lead to that top layer of soil

Atmospheric rivers play a critical role in transporting water throughout the atmosphere by advecting (moving) moisture from the tropics to higher latitudes. When fully developed, they can deliver widespread rain and snow to areas all along the west coast. If an atmospheric river originates in Hawaii, like shown below, it is called a ‘Pineapple Express’.

There are a number of different ways by which fog can form. Regardless of the way it’s formed, the science behind fog is the same. Fog occurs when the air at the surface is either completely or nearly completely saturated with water. Essentially, fog is a cloud that forms down at the surface. Fog is

According to a new report from Climate Central, extreme cold events across the nations are becoming both warmer and shorter. On average, the coldest temperature of the year has risen by 7°F across more than 240 locations since 1970. Some places, like Cleveland, OH, have seen an increase of more than 11°F. Other places, such

The color of the sky is determined by the angle of the sun in the sky (how much atmosphere the light needs to pass through) and how the light is scattered by air molecules in the atmosphere. Since blue light has the most energy of any wavelength of color, it is scattered first which is

Lake effect snow is caused by a fairly simple process, but one which can pack a punch nonetheless. The process begins when cold, dry air moves over a relatively warmer body of water. The warmer, moister air from the lake rises and fills the cold airmass. This causes clouds to form over the lake. The

As of just before 5 PM (Pacific Time), many parts of the northern plains and intermountain west are already seeing sub-zero temperatures. Parts of Montana are more than 20 degrees below zero! The Dakotas are not far behind with temperatures more than 10 degrees below zero. Keep in mind that these temperatures are BEFORE we

Fronts are a meteorologist’s bread and butter. Essentially, a front is the boundary between two air masses. Remember that winds flow counterclockwise around low pressure. As a low pressure system forms, cold, dry air is brought in from the north, and warm, moist air moves in from the south. Ahead of a warm front, there

A large winter storm is impacting just about every state east of the Rocky Mountains. The map below highlights active watches, warnings and advisories for the nation. The bright red in the plains represents a blizzard warning, the yellow hugging the Gulf Coast represents a tornado watch, and the tan color from Texas to Massachusetts

Shortly before midnight our time (about 4:00pm in Japan), an extremely powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula in the Ishikawa Prefecture. This, combined with the dozens of aftershocks, prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue Tsunami Warnings across the country. This was the first time a Major Tsunami Warning