Winter Likely 5-10% Colder for East Coast

Strongest warm-water phenomenon in a decade drenches coasts

(NEWSER) - The strongest El Niño in more than a decade is the culprit behind the wretched weather bombarding much of the country this winter, from the snowstorms that buried the mid-Atlantic states in December to the rains that drenched California last month. “Ocean temperatures are somewhere upwards of two degrees above average,” a meteorologist tells NPR . “So we have had what we would characterize as a strong El Niño.” More»

Cold wave inflicts significant damage on citrus crop

(NEWSER) - Florida citrus growers stayed up last night spraying their crop with water, and taking other measures to prevent freezing, as arctic air threatened to inflict significant damage on the orange crop. Losses to the citrus crop may hit 10% as the state sees its worst freeze since 1989. "There'll be reduced juice yield on some of this frozen fruit, no doubt," a rep for the state's main citrus growers group told Reuters . "I would say there was considerable fruit, twig and leaf damage." More»

(NEWSER) - An El Niño has developed in the Pacific, a boon to Americans living near the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast who can expect fewer hurricanes as a result, the Palm Beach Post reports. The NOAA reported the conditions in June, and they could keep up through winter. “If it persists, we're in for a pretty quiet season,” says a Miami forecaster. But a newly identified phenomenon could spoil the optimism. More»

(NEWSER) - The star forecasters at Colorado State University are revising their predictions for the 2009 hurricane season down due to cooler ocean temperatures, Reuters reports. Between June and December, the Atlantic will see 12 tropical storms, six of which may develop into hurricanes. Two of those hurricanes could blow harder than 110 mph, making them Category 3 storms. The team originally forecast three major storms. More»