Blizzard Conditions Continue In The Upper Midwest – National Weather Outlook For February 23, 2023

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Weather

National Weather Forecast

The system bringing blizzard conditions to the Upper Midwest will continue to work eastward, with snow ending in the Northern Plains but ice and snow continuing from the Great Lakes to New England. A system out west will also produce rain and snow.

From Wednesday through Friday 8-15” of snow is likely to fall across the Upper Midwest to New England. Heavy snow through Friday is also likely out west, especially in the Sierra where up to at least 5 feet is possible.

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Why the climate crisis may be coming for your margarita next

More from CNN: “Something to consider as you search for happy hours to celebrate National Margarita Day: The delicious concoction’s main ingredient is threatened by changing weather and new strain on the agave plant’s vital pollinator – the bat. Agave-based liquor like tequila and mezcal was the fastest growing spirits category in 2022, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US. Analysts even say it might soon surpass vodka as the best-selling liquor in the country. But scientists from around the world have made it clear that climate change-fueled water shortages will continue to put enormous pressure on food production. Wine and spirits, unfortunately, are not spared from that forecast. A 2019 study found that the climate crisis, coupled with overgrazing from cattle ranching and other human activities, may disrupt the distribution and cultivation of agave, the main ingredient of tequila.”

Global internet connectivity at risk from climate disasters

More from E&E News: “The flow of digital information through fiber-optic cables lining the sea floor could be compromised by climate change. That’s according to new research published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews by scientists from the United Kingdom’s National Oceanography Centre and the University of Central Florida. They found that ocean and nearshore disturbances caused by extreme weather events have exposed “hot spots” along the transglobal cable network, increasing the risk of internet outages. Damage from such outages could be enormous for governments, the private sector and nonprofit organizations whose operations rely on the safe and secure flow of digital information.”

Why it’s so hard to build new electrical transmission lines in the U.S.

More from CNBC: “Building new transmission lines in the United States is like herding cats. Unless that process can be fundamentally improved, the nation will have a hard time meeting its climate goals. The transmission system in the U.S. is old, doesn’t go where an energy grid powered by clean energy sources needs to go, and isn’t being built fast enough to meet projected demand increases. Building new transmission lines in the U.S. takes so long — if they are built at all — that electrical transmission has become a roadblock for deploying clean energy. “Right now, over 1,000 gigawatts worth of potential clean energy projects are waiting for approval — about the current size of the entire U.S. grid — and the primary reason for the bottleneck is the lack of transmission,” Bill Gates wrote in a recent blog post about transmission lines. The stakes are high.”

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– D.J. Kayser