Sharp Cold Front In The Central U.S. Brings Storms, Snow, Colder Weather – National Weather Outlook For November 3, 2022

National Weather Forecast

On Thursday, a system stretching from the Upper Midwest back to the Rockies will produce rain and snow chances. A few strong storms are expected in the Central Plains. Meanwhile, another area of low pressure will produce rain and higher-elevation snow in the Pacific Northwest.

As we head through the end of the week, up to a couple of feet of snow will be possible in portions of the western mountains. Heavy rain will fall in the Pacific Northwest (maybe over 3”), with 1-2”+ expected in the central United States.

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Xcel accelerates exit from coal

More from Grist: “Xcel Energy announced on Monday that it will close its last coal plant four years ahead of schedule and replace it with renewable energy — a move that will allow the Minneapolis-based utility to finish its transition away from coal by the end of this decade. Xcel’s 1,067-megawatt Tolk Generating Station near Lubbock, Texas — which produces enough energy to power more than half a million homes — is set to be decommissioned in 2028 and replaced with a “diverse mix” of alternative energy sources including wind and solar. The investor-owned utility is now aiming to stop burning coal completely by the end of 2030, when it plans to retire its last coal-fired power plant in Colorado.”

Waterlogged wheat, rotting oranges: five crops devastated by a year of extreme weather

More from The Guardian: “From Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, to flooding in eastern Kentucky and a record dry summer as the western US entered its 22nd year of a once-in-a-millennium megadrought, the US has already seen more than two dozen major climate disasters with losses exceeding $1bn (£864m). On top of this economic toll, extreme weather is also upending the food system in the US and much of the world. As the climate crisis causes temperatures to rise, precipitation patterns to shift and drought conditions to lengthen, many crops are struggling to grow – and produce the same yields – as they would under normal weather conditions. In some parts of the country, crops that require dry conditions are getting too much rain, while in others, they’re not getting enough.”

Despite rhetoric, GOP-led states start to embrace EVs

More from E&E News: “Republican-led states are pushing ahead with electric vehicle manufacturing and infrastructure, even as their GOP governors and congressional representatives often have resisted the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Federal funding is one reason. Economics is playing a big role, too. Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law included $7.5 billion for a coast-to-coast network of EV chargers and $7 billion to support the U.S. battery supply chain. One major beneficiary of the funding is the so-called battery belt — a swath of Republican-led states in the South and Midwest that has attracted the attention of EV industry manufacturers. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation lists Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina and Indiana as the country’s “new EV production” states in a recent research summary highlighting new investments in electric vehicles. Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee are home to the greatest number of announced battery plants, according to the trade association.”

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– D.J. Kayser