National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

El Nino looms large over U.S. Winter Outlook

NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook, released today, shows how El Nino will likely influence the upcoming winter months (December 2026 ...
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Sarah Kapnick named NOAA chief scientist

The Biden-Harris Administration named Sarah Kapnick, Ph.D., as NOAA’s chief scientist today. Kapnick will serve as the senior scientist for the agency, advancing policy and program direction for ...
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What’s the difference between climate and weather?

Worldwide, scientists observe weather conditions at thousands of stations every day of the year. Some observations are made hourly, others just once a day. Over time, these observations allow us to ...
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U.S. struck with historic number of billion-dollar disasters in 2023

The most costly events in 2023 were the Southern/Midwestern drought and heat wave event at $14.5 billion, and the Southern/Eastern severe weather event in early March, at $6.0 billion. Adding the 2023 ...
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Hurricane Erin: When distant storms pose a danger to America’s coastal communities

Although the eye of Hurricane Erin was never closer than about 200 miles from the U.S. East Coast and its center never made landfall, Erin’s effects were still seen along the shoreline and felt by ...
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NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite now operational, providing critical new data to forecasters

Satellite covering GOES-East orbit NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite, the latest and final satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series, officially began operations as GOES East today. This milestone comes after its June ...
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Private, public effort contains 1 million gallons of oil at longest U.S. spill

Eighteen years ago, Taylor Energy’s MC20 oil production platform collapsed in an underwater mudslide caused by Hurricane Ivan, spilling oil into the Gulf of Mexico from the well site. This week marks ...
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The planet just had its warmest October on record

October 4, 2023: An aerial view of the drought-hit harbor of Cacau Pirêra, where houses that normally float on the water are lying on the river bed in Iranduba, Amazonas, Brazil. October 2023 was the ...
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Kathryn Sullivan confirmed as NOAA administrator

- Select citation style - APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition MLA (Modern Language Association) 8th edition Plain Text ...
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4 tips to keep you safe during a snow squall

It’s that time of year to watch out for one of the most dangerous and underplayed winter hazards while on the road: Snow squalls. A snow squall is a brief period of intense snowfall and wind that ...
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Hoist a flag for cold waves and other weather conditions

The original weather signal flags included a red circle, crescent, and star for warmer, cooler, and steady temperatures, respectively. A blue circle, crescent, and star indicated general rain or snow, ...