National Weather Forecast
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Two system are impacting the lower 48 as we head through the second-to-last day of 2022. Out west, an atmospheric river will bring heavy rain and snow to the region. Meanwhile, a second working eastward will bring rain chances from New England to the lower Mississippi Valley.
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Very heavy rainfall (potentially 5”+) will be possible through the end of the year out across parts of Oregon and California, with several feet of snow possible in the Sierra. Heavy rain of at least 3” will also impact portions of the mid/lower Mississippi Valley.
System Early Next Week?
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We are tracking the potential for another large winter storm next week in the Monday through Wednesday timeframe. There continues to be a lot of spread in the overall track between the models:
- The American model shows a more northern track, which would bring snow and ice chances across central and northern Minnesota, with rain across southern Minnesota before a little change over would be possible toward the end of the storm.
- The European model shows a more southern track, bringing the snow and ice chances across southern Minnesota with little to no precipitation north.
- What is confident is that a large system will impact the upper Midwest somewhere. Models also seem to somewhat agree on timing – with precipitation starting to impact the state Monday midday/afternoon, ending Tuesday night into early Wednesday. The area where this storm impacts – and what that means for precipitation type and how much snow/ice a location may see – is still in question. We will continue to monitor this as we head through the next several days.
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Southwest Workers Say They Suffered Frostbite During 16-Hour Shifts
More from Gizmodo: “As angry as passengers have been during this past week of delayed and canceled flights, lost luggage, and being stranded far away from friends and family during Christmas, that was apparently nothing compared to what Southwest Airline ground crew workers experienced, according to a union letter claiming some workers developed frostbite during 16-hour shifts where they were exposed to sub-zero temperatures for extended periods. The Transport Workers Union of America Local 555 claims to represent 17,000 Southwest Airlines ground crew workers. On Wednesday, TWU Local 555 President Randy Barnes said in a release that a good chunk of their members were working 16- to 18-hour shifts this holiday season. Some were getting sick, and he said some experienced frostbite during the incredibly cold temperatures seen this past week.”
The Climate Struggle Literally Hit Home in 2022
More from WIRED: “A YEAR AGO, I lambasted politicians for missing a huge opportunity for climate action. Recovering from pandemic lockdowns, the United States could have juiced the green economy to reduce emissions and prepare the country for the ravages of climate change. Yet even though the Democrats controlled the whole federal government … crickets. The winter of early 2022 passed, and then the spring. But July brought a legislative miracle, as President Joe Biden announced a surprise deal on the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s biggest-ever investment in climate mitigation. If 2021 was a huge missed opportunity, 2022 was a huge turnaround. “I feel a lot more heartened about climate change now than I ever have,” says Jonathan Foley, executive director of the nonprofit Project Drawdown, which advocates for climate action. “We’re a lot less screwed than we would have been. And I’ll take that as kind of encouragement—a little more wind in the sails. Like, Hey, wait a minute, things are really starting to pivot.””
How did the US nuclear industry fare in 2022?
More from Canary Media: “The U.S. nuclear power market continued to sputter in 2022 as it faced regulatory, technical and financial setbacks — despite solid support from the federal government. This mirrors the global nuclear scene; plant closings and construction delays have resulted in nuclear falling to just 9.8 percent of global power generation in 2021, its lowest level since the 1980s, according to the World Nuclear Industry 2022 annual report. The United States generates more nuclear power than any other country in the world, with about 95 gigawatts of capacity, followed by China, but construction of new plants has been plagued by cost and schedule overruns, as well as an inability to keep up with the plunging costs of natural gas and renewable energy sources.”
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– D.J. Kayser
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