National Weather Forecast

Active weather continues across the United States on Friday. One system in the eastern United States brings the threat of snow across the Great Lakes and storms in the Southeast. A system out west will bring heavy rain and snow.

The heaviest snow through the first half of the weekend will be in the western mountains, where several feet are expected to accumulate. However, half a foot to a foot of snow will be possible in parts of the Upper Midwest. The western United States will also be where the heaviest rain falls, with at least 3-7” possible in parts of California.

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How flowers show climate change impacts as Spring 2023 arrives ‘earlier than we’ve ever seen’ in some places

More from USA Today: “Daffodils, violets and other flowers are arriving early in many gardens and fields this spring, unfurling lovely colors and shedding light on how plants are adapting to climate change. Observers are reporting very early leaf outs of the common lilac in Pennsylvania, the brilliant yellow blossoms of forsythia in Maine and American witch hazel in New York, said Theresa Crimmins, director of the USA National Phenology Network at the University of Arizona. Ecologist Matt Austin examined more than 140 years of pressed flowers and plants in the Missouri Botanical Garden collection to track how violets changed over time. He found the flowers — widely known as one of the first harbingers of spring — are responding to both increased rainfall and warmer temperatures.

This geothermal startup showed its wells can be used like a giant underground battery

More from MIT Technology Review: “In late January, a geothermal power startup began conducting an experiment deep below the desert floor of northern Nevada. It pumped water thousands of feet underground and then held it there, watching for what would happen. Geothermal power plants work by circulating water through hot rock deep beneath the surface. In most modern plants, it resurfaces at a well head, where it’s hot enough to convert refrigerants or other fluids into vapor that cranks a turbine, generating electricity. But Houston-based Fervo Energy is testing out a new spin on the standard approach—and on that day, its engineers and executives were simply interested in generating data. The readings from gauges planted throughout the company’s twin wells showed that pressure quickly began to build, as water that had nowhere else to go actually flexed the rock itself. When they finally released the valve, the output of water surged and it continued pumping out at higher-than-normal levels for hours.

Sunshine, Heat and Bitcoin Will Reshape Electricity in Texas

More from Bloomberg: “No electricity grid in the US has added more renewable power over the past decade than the Texas grid has. Back in 2012, both California and the Midwest generated more power from wind, solar and other renewables than the Lone Star State. But in 2022, Texas was the winner. The future of the state’s grid is a study in supply, demand and uncertainty. One thing that is certain: Most of Texas’ renewable generation today is from wind. Last year, wind projects in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot, the grid that covers most of the state) generated more than 107,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity; solar generated 24,000, less than a quarter of what wind produced. But solar is growing rapidly, and generating most during the hottest months, when the grid is under the greatest strain to meet high demand.

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– D.J. Kayser