Does April Snow Still Bring May Flowers? – National Weather Outlook For April 17, 2021

National Weather Forecast

On Saturday, an area of low pressure with a slow moving frontal boundary in the southern United States will continue to bring heavy rain to areas of the Gulf Coast and Southeast. A departing system in New England will still bring some rain and snow to the region. Some rain and snow will also be possible in the Four Corners region.

An additional 1-4”+ of rain could fall through the weekend across portions of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana into northern Florida. Meanwhile, the higher elevations of New England could see up to 15” of snow from the system impacting the region Friday into Saturday.

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Drought Threatens Spring Wheat in the Plains

More from Modern Farmer: “Things are dry and dusty in the Upper Midwest, the Northern Plains states and the Prairie provinces of Canada. This region, spanning states such as North Dakota and provinces such as Manitoba, is the most important one for spring wheat, the higher-gluten variety that’s used for pasta or mixed with other wheat for all-purpose flour. And that crop is at significant risk, because conditions in the region are pretty dire this year. A combination of factors have combined to bring us to this point. This past winter was notably dry for much of the central and western parts of North America; in North Dakota, which leads the country in spring wheat production, it was the driest in 126 years, according to Successful Farming. In western Manitoba, reports Reuters, this winter was the driest in over a century.”

Google Earth’s new Timelapse feature shows chilling effect of climate change

More from CNN Business: “Google Earth users can now see the striking effect of climate change over the past four decades. Google’s latest feature, Timelapse, is an eye opening, technical feat that provides visual evidence of how the Earth has changed due to climate change and human behavior. The tool takes the platform’s static imagery and turns it into a dynamic 4D experience, allowing users to click through timelapses that highlight melting ice caps, receding glaciers, massive urban growth and wildfires’ impact on agriculture.”

California enlists surveillance satellites to sniff out greenhouse gas ‘super-emitters’

More from the Los Angeles Times: “Years after former Gov. Jerry Brown pledged California would launch its “own damn satellite” to track planet-warming pollutants, the state plans to put not one, but two satellites in orbit to help it hunt for hard-to-find “super-emitters” of methane and carbon dioxide. In an announcement Thursday, a partnership of government and research organizations working under a newly formed nonprofit called Carbon Mapper said it is on track to launch the satellites in 2023 using $100 million in funding from philanthropic groups. The two satellites will be used to locate, quantify and make visible plumes of methane and carbon pollution, which remain major obstacles in the fight against climate change.”

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– D.J. Kayser