weather forecaster

20 Stories

NOAA: Spring This Year Is Set to Hit the 'Sweet Spot'

Forecast says it shouldn't be a drought- or flood-heavy season, though with some weather asterisks

(Newser) - The United States can expect a nice spring break from the too rainy or too dry extremes of the past, federal meteorologists predicted Thursday. After some rough seasons of drought, flooding, and fires, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's spring outlook calls for a less hectic season that should...

His Job Was Forecasting Avalanches. He Died in One

Nick Burks, 37, triggered snowslide on Oregon's Gunsight Mountain while skiing with a friend

(Newser) - An avalanche forecaster died in a snowslide he triggered while skiing in eastern Oregon last week, officials said. Nick Burks, 37, and a friend—both experienced and carrying avalanche airbags and beacons—were backcountry skiing the chute on Gunsight Mountain on Wednesday, near Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort. Burks' friend skied...

Crazy New Storm Is Coming for California

Forecasters warn of winter storm that could also cause hail, high winds—even tornadoes

(Newser) - The latest in a series of wet winter storms gained strength in California early Monday, with forecasters warning of possible flooding, hail, strong winds, and even brief tornadoes as the system moves south over the next few days. Gusts topped 30mph in Oakland and San Jose as a mild cold...

These Experts Warn of a 'House of Cards' on the Slopes

The AP explains how a weak bottom layer creates life-threatening conditions

(Newser) - Avalanche safety specialists say their job has become more difficult in recent years as climate change brings extreme weather, and surging numbers of skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers visit backcountry areas since the COVID-19 pandemic. More people means more chances to trigger fatal avalanches, despite technological advances in safety equipment, explains...

Her D-Day Forecast 'Saved God Knows How Many Lives'

Ireland's Maureen Sweeney warned of impending storm, so 1944 Normandy invasion was postponed

(Newser) - We're used to commemorating June 6, 1944, as D-Day, the day when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in France, helping to shift the path of World War II and defeat the Nazis. That fateful day actually came close to happening on June 5, but thanks to Maureen...

A Bad Hurricane Season Just Got Worse

Forecasters change predictions for storm activity ahead

(Newser) - Already smashing records, this year's hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season is about to get even nastier, forecasters predict. In the coming months, the AP reports, they expect to run out of traditional hurricane names and see about twice as much storm activity as a normal year. The National Oceanic and...

Pitt Appears on Krasinski's Show, for a Few Seconds
Brad Pitt Gives
Shortest Weather
Report Ever
video
Apr 21, 2020 2:02 AM CDT

Brad Pitt Gives Shortest Weather Report Ever

Actor appears on John Krasinski's 'Some Good News' for a very brief cameo

(Newser) - John Krasinski's fourth episode of "Some Good News," the show he's been hosting from home since the US went on coronavirus lockdown, featured a blink-and-you'll-miss-it weather report from none other than Brad Pitt. Watch it here or in our gallery. As E! reports, Pitt is...

13 Years Ago, a Dire Forecast Proved to Be All Too Accurate

Robert Ricks of the NWS was spot-on in his predictions ahead of Katrina

(Newser) - It's one of the most famous weather forecasts of the modern era, and it came out exactly 13 years ago to the day. That would be Aug. 28, 2005, one day before Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Ricks issued a forecast so dire that...

Forecasters Say It'll Be a Warmer Winter for Most Americans

It'll be drier in the South and wetter in the northern part of the lower 48, center says

(Newser) - People in small parts of the Northwest, northern Plains, and parts of Alaska are going to have a colder winter than usual this year, while most other Americans can expect a milder-than-average winter, according to the NOAA's latest forecast. Mike Halpert of the Climate Prediction Center says there will...

It May Be Time to Cut Weather Forecasters Some Slack

Because they're actually getting better at their jobs

(Newser) - Make fun of the weatherman if you want, but modern forecasts have quietly, by degrees, become much better. The AP reports meteorologists are now as good with their five-day forecasts as they were with their three-day forecasts in 2005. Both government and private weather forecasting firms are nearing the point...

Weather Reporter Given Sweater On Air to Cover Up

Liberte Chan complained about having to put on 'librarian' cardigan

(Newser) - Liberte Chan was excited about the outfit she chose for her Saturday weather report on KTLA. "Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress," she tweeted shortly before she went on air at the Los Angeles TV station, showing off her...

Rebel Weather Reporter Sneaks in 12 Star Wars Puns

It's not a trap—she really does it, all in under 40 seconds

(Newser) - She didn't detail the climate patterns on Tatooine, but Sian Welby did the next best thing. The UK Channel 5 forecaster (or, for the purposes of this story, Channel 5 "Stormscooper") gave a quick weather update this week, and the Force was strong with this one, per...

Farmers' Almanac: It's Gonna Be Another Cold One

Venerable publication got it right last year

(Newser) - If "firewood, sweaters, and hot cocoa " are your thing, the Farmers' Almanac has good news for you: Based on its secret predicting formula involving the likes of sunspots and lunar cycles, the publication says the winter to come will be as bitterly cold as the last, with especially...

Weather Service Issues Coded Plea to Congress

'Please pay us,' says sneaky weather forecast

(Newser) - And the most imaginative plea yet to Congress to end this shutdown business goes to the National Weather Service in Anchorage. An official forecast yesterday contained pretty routine stuff, unless you happened to look at the first letter of every line, notes Techdirt . The coded message: "Please pay us....

Bears Overrun Weather Report
 Bears Overrun Weather Report 
Apr 25, 2012 12:41 AM CDT

Bears Overrun Weather Report

Invaders interrupt broadcast at Pennsylvania TV station

(Newser) - In Scranton, Pennsylvania, earlier this week, the weather forecast was cloudy with plenty of bears. The city's WNEP-TV station does its weather broadcasts live from an outdoor area it calls "the backyard," and four black bears walked onto the set seconds before weatherman Kurt Aaron began a...

Weather Forecasts Come to Google Maps

Critics not impressed by 'weather layer'

(Newser) - Google Maps has got a treat for weather nerds: The service has added a "weather layer" showing weather conditions and cloud cover around the world, using data provided by the Weather Channel's weather.com and the US Naval Research Laboratory, reports PC World . "To add the weather...

Over-the-Top Weatherman Goes Viral

Jim Kosek's Baltimore forecast is closing in on 1 million views

(Newser) - Jim Kosek of AccuWeather.com doesn't like to give boring forecasts, so when he braced Baltimore for the first of its recent storms, he let it all hang out. The result has drawn nearly 900,000 views on YouTube. "This is Al Roker meets Sam Kinison," writes Eric...

Vancouver Hopes for White Olympics, Naturally or Not

Vancouver has already made 21 million gallons of snow, just in case

(Newser) - Continued warm weather in Vancouver, which will host the Winter Olympics in less than a month, has led to a massive snowmaking effort and a bit of anxiety. Cypress Mountain, one of four outdoor venues used in the Games, has been closed early to “protect the integrity of the...

Winter Likely 5-10% Colder for East Coast

Thank El Niño when those heating bills start rolling in

(Newser) - The Pacific warming effect of El Niño could mean an unusually cold winter for the US East Coast, with temperatures as much as 10% below normal. “Historically when you have that El Niño on the weak side, it tends to correlate to colder weather in eastern North...

Fox Anchor Apologizes to Chickens Everywhere

Ernie Anastos sorry for laying on-air egg

(Newser) - The Fox anchor who stirred up a fricassé when he almost suggested a co-worker go pluck a chicken has apologized for his on-air bleep, reports AP. "I misspoke," said veteran New York broadcaster Ernie Anastos. "I apologize for my remarks to anyone who may have been offended....

20 Stories