Floodwaters surround homes and vehicles in the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, Calif., on March 13, 2023. Record snowfall and rain have helped to loosen drought’s grip on parts of the western U.S. as national forecasters and climate experts warned Thursday, March 16, that some areas should expect more flooding as the snow begins to melt. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its 2023 Spring outlook and the ongoing trend of unseasonable weather could be continuing.
One of the major takeaways from the report is that drought conditions in the Western U.S. are set to improve. The region that has been inundated with wet weather for much of the winter will see some reprieve when it comes to drought.
"Climate change is driving both wet and dry extremes, as illustrated by NOAA's observations and data that inform this seasonal outlook," said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D, NOAA administrator. "Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and in support of the Biden Administration's priority to tackle the climate crisis, NOAA will invest significant resources to build a Climate-Ready Nation that gives communities tailored information about changing conditions so that residents and economies are protected."
In California, drought status is expected to improve even more as snowpacks that built up over the winter eventually melt. The conditions in the central Plains and in Florida are also expected to improve with Spring rainfalls.
Meanwhile, when it comes to heat and high temperatures, a swath of Southern and East Coast states will be above average. Alaska and Hawaii are also predicted to see above average temperatures between April and June.
NOAA said flooding could also significantly impact most states east of the Mississippi River.
"Approximately 44 percent of the U.S. is at risk for flooding this spring," said Ed Clark, the director of NOAA's National Water Center. "California's snowpack, coupled with spring rain, is heightening the potential for spring floods."
As the U.S. continues to face supply chain shortages, President Joe Biden is reassuring U.S. consumers that the supply chain is in "very strong shape" ahead of the all-important holiday season. As supply bottlenecks start to show signs of improvement, the industry may be faced with yet another challenge: the Omicron variant. Rob Caucci, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Fillogic joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets rebounded Monday morning after Friday's deep sell-off that saw the Dow suffer its worse day since 2020. It comes as investors continue to react to the impact of the omicron variant on the broader reopening. Eddie Ghabour, Co-Owner at the Key Advisors Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets bounced back this morning with travel leading the gains after plunging on Monday as the first case of Omicron was detected in the U.S. Jimmy Lee, CEO, Wealth Consulting Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The market saw investors react to comments by the World Health Organization's chief scientist, who suggested existing vaccines are likely to offer protection against the new variant. According to Thomas Hayes, chairman of Great Hill Capital, the next two weeks will be crucial as the markets watch for not only the effects of the Omicron variant, but also the Fed's decision on a taper.
It's Friday at long last. Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, including a possible superspreader event in NYC. Plus, previewing the November jobs report, a new Zoom feature no one asked for, and when it's no longer a good idea to eat Thanksgiving leftovers.
Following the Mississippi abortion case, the fate of Roe V. Wade is at stake. A decision is expected next summer, right around the time midterm candidates will be making their cases to voters. Laura Packard, executive director of Health Care Voter, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the ruling will impact upcoming elections.
Stock markets around the world continue to be impacted by fears of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. President Biden today reiterated his stance that the new strain is cause for concern, but not cause for panic. Wells Fargo Investment Institute Global Equity Strategist Scott Wren joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
