First Alert Weather Insider

Now that spring is in season, it’s time for many people to go through all the motions of spring cleaning. Part of that includes the exterior of your home. As fire season approaches, there are a number of things you can do to help lower the risk of fires at home and in nature. Some

The Climate Prediction Center, a branch of the National Weather Service, issues periodic updates on El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific. As a reminder, El Niño is just one phase of a larger cycle called ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation). We have been in El Nino conditions since the late spring/early summer of 2023,

Most weather patterns are quite transient and don’t stick around for very long. But sometimes a weather pattern can form which serves as a block and can stick around for a few days or more. There are three main types of blocking patterns. The first is called a blocking high and is most common in

A new report from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has found that the 2023-2024 meteorological winter was the warmest on record for the continental United States. As a reminder, meteorological winter runs from December through February. The average temperature for the season was 37.6°F – 5.4° above average. This was the warmest winter on

Spring is the time of year when the weather starts to warm back up from winter. But spring now is significantly warmer than it was 50 years ago. The map below shows the average spring warming across the nation from 1970 to now. Nearly every inch of the country, minus the northern plains and northern

A large winter storm will be impacting the west coast as we approach this weekend. There are multiple Winter Storm and Blizzard Warnings already in place throughout Northern California. The Blizzard Warnings are mainly along the Sierra Nevada mountains. Up to several feet of snow is expected for many areas. Just like a hurricane, there

The weather can affect people in many ways. For some, their joints start to hurt when some unsettled weather moves in. This is because of low pressure. As the atmospheric pressure falls over a given area, it can cause the muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues to expand. This puts excess pressure on our joints,

The AMOC, or Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, is a critical part of the global ocean circulation. It helps transport heat and minerals across the Atlantic. The circulation is driven by differences in salinity (salt content) in the water. However, as more ice melts across the planet, especially in the Arctic, fresh water is released. This

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’.