Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Poetry and Pictures - Weather

Paintings by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) are often like snapshots of real life. In this painting of Le Pont des Arts in Paris, France there appears to be two cloud types in the sky: mid-level altocumulus clouds and lower stratocumulus clouds with an elongate shape.
Corel

March

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But just what words?

We'd like to invite you to submit your own poem about this month's featured Weather image. Be as creative and expressive as you can! And check back next month to write another wonderful poem about a weather image.

Clouds
by Tyler, age 14, Pennsylvania

Clouds, you come in different forms of cumulus,
You cover the sky,
Hiding the sun,
Till your rain is done.

As you float by,
The people are waiting,
For you to fill the river,
Even just a sliver.

You are just sitting up there,
In a puffy white ball,
As you are making your shapes,
You cover the sky like drapes.

Clouds, as I wish,
For you to rain just a drop,
But you just keep moving,
As I watch you I realize you’re soothing.

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