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."
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.
The White House defended the shootdowns of three unidentified objects in as many days even as it acknowledged that officials had no indication the objects were intended for surveillance in the same manner as the high-altitude Chinese balloon that traversed American airspace earlier this month.
Millions of Medicaid recipients could find relief in the form of food shopping funds as the Biden administration begins approving state requests to use the coverage for groceries.
It is still not known where the second, third, and fourth flying objects shot down by U.S. military fighter jets originated from, a White House spokesperson said Monday.
A judge has ordered the release of parts of a report produced by a special grand jury that investigated efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia.
Another unidentified object was shot down over the weekend, contractors arrested in Turkey after buildings crumbled in earthquake, and arrests in Baton Rouge shooting that injured 12. Here is everything you Need2Know for Monday, February 13, 2023.
