Saturday, August 31, 2013

National and International Weather Extremes for August 31,2013 from weatherunderground.com

oday's Contiguous U.S. Extremes
City Station ID Temp.
Hugo, OK KHHW 107 °F
Hugo, OK KHHW 107 °F
Frederick, OK KFDR 106 °F
Altus AFB, OK KLTS 106 °F
Wichita Falls, TX KSPS 105 °F
Lawton, OK KLAW 105 °F
Vernon, TX KF05 105 °F
Dallas Redbird, TX KRBD 105 °F
Hobart, OK KHBR 105 °F
Sherman-Denison, TX KGYI 105 °F
City Station ID Heat Index
Owensboro, KY KOWB 111 °F
Millington, TN KNQA 111 °F
Ellington Field, TX KEFD 109 °F
Jonesboro, AR KJBR 109 °F
Thermal, CA KTRM 109 °F
Stillwater, OK KSWO 108 °F
Bartlesville, OK KBVO 108 °F
Tulsa, OK KTUL 108 °F
Paducah, KY KPAH 108 °F
Champaign, IL KCMI 108 °F
  • Verified at 05:58 pm ET on August 31, 2013.
  • These reports are observations, and are not record events.






Today's World Extremes
City Station ID Temp.
In Salah, Algeria 60630 115 °F
Kuwait, Kuwait OKBK 114 °F
Basrah, Iraq ORMM 114 °F
Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia OEPA 114 °F
Abadan, Iran OIAA 113 °F
In Salah, Algeria DAUI 113 °F
Baghdad, Iraq KQTZ 113 °F
Semawa, Iraq 40674 112 °F
Fao, Iraq 40691 112 °F
Omidieh, Iran OIAG 112 °F
  • Verified at 05:58 pm ET on August 31, 2013.
  • These reports are observations, and are not record events.




Today's Contiguous U.S. Extremes
City Station ID Temp.
Stanley, ID KSNT 32 °F
Stanley, ID KSNT 32 °F
West Yellowstone, MT KWYS 35 °F
Yellowstone, WY KP60 36 °F
Pinedale, WY KPNA 37 °F
Lakeview AWS, OR KLKV 37 °F
Deer Park, WA KDEW 39 °F
Truckee-Tahoe, CA KTRK 39 °F
Kalispell, MT KGPI 39 °F
Jackson, WY KJAC 39 °F
City Station ID Wind Chill
Bettles, AK PABT 12 °F
Red Dog Mine, AK PADG 19 °F
Deering, AK PADE 20 °F
Indian Mountain, AK PAIM 20 °F
Barter Island, AK PABA 20 °F
Kiana, AK PAIK 20 °F
Kivalina, AK PAVL 20 °F
Kuparuk, AK PAKU 20 °F
Deadhorse, AK PASC 22 °F
Nuiqsut, AK PAQT 22 °F
  • Verified at 05:58 pm ET on August 31, 2013.
  • These reports are observations, and are not record events.




Today's World Extremes
City Station ID Temp.
Amundsen-Scott, Antarctica NZSP -77 °F
Amundsen-Scott, Antarctica NZSP -77 °F
Univ. Wi Id 8925, Antarctica 89257 -46 °F
Hodeidah, Yemen OYHD -34 °F
Gill, Antarctica 89376 -32 °F
Syowa, Antarctica 89532 -30 °F
Novolazarevskaja, Antarctica 89512 -26 °F
Univ. Wi Id 8917, Antarctica 89272 -25 °F
Casey 66.28S 110.52E, Antarctica 89611 -22 °F
D-47 (Univ. Wi Id 8916), Antarctica 89834 -20 °F
  • Verified at 05:58 pm ET on August 31, 2013.
  • These reports are observations, and are not record events.






Today's Contiguous U.S. Extremes
City Station ID Wind Gust
Mt. Washington, NH KMWN 61 mph
Jacksonville, FL KJAX 53 mph
Wheaton NDB, MN KETH 52 mph
Cincinnati, OH KLUK 48 mph
Shemya, AK PASY 46 mph
Panama City Tyndall AFB, FL KPAM 45 mph
Tonopah, NV KTPH 44 mph
Barter Island, AK PABA 43 mph
Jacksonville NAS, FL KNIP 43 mph
Ellsworth AFB, SD KRCA 41 mph

  • Verified at 05:58 pm ET on August 31, 2013.
  • These reports are observations, and are not record events




Today's Contiguous U.S. Extremes
City Station ID Precip.
Panama City, FL KPAM 3.45 in
Freeport, IL KFEP 1.94 in
St. Petersburg Airport, FL KPIE 1.76 in
Gainesville, GA KGVL 1.60 in
Opa Locka, FL KOPF 1.51 in
Lexington, KY KLEX 1.47 in
Toledo Metcalf, OH KTDZ 1.09 in
Kendall, FL KTMB 0.98 in
Delaware, OH KDLZ 0.98 in
Chicago Midway, IL KMDW 0.96 in

Record High and Low Temperatures for August 29-31,2013 from weatherunderground.com

Showing 31 records from August 29, 2013 to August 31, 2013
DateLocationVariableTypeRecordPrev Record






08-29-2013Stewart Mtn, AZLow Minimum TempDaily Record60 °F61 °F (08-29-1973)
08-29-2013Cabin Creek, COHigh Maximum TempDaily Record72 °F72 °F (08-29-2012)
08-29-2013Grant, COHigh Maximum TempDaily Record79 °F79 °F (08-29-1970)
08-29-2013Antero Rsvr, COHigh Maximum TempDaily Record80 °F80 °F (08-29-1998)
08-29-2013Gunflint Lake 10 NW, MNHigh Maximum TempDaily Record91 °F90 °F (08-29-1991)
08-29-2013Buena Vista 2s, COHigh Maximum TempDaily Record91 °F88 °F (08-29-1949)
08-29-2013Tipton 5 SW, INHigh Maximum TempDaily Record92 °F92 °F (08-29-1991)
08-29-2013Cresco 1 NE, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record92 °F92 °F (08-29-1945)
08-29-2013Alma Dam 4, WIHigh Maximum TempDaily Record92 °F91 °F (08-29-1973)
08-29-2013Swea City 4w, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record92 °F91 °F (08-29-1961)
08-29-2013Grundy Ctr, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record93 °F93 °F (08-29-1948)
08-29-2013Gladstone Dam 18, ILHigh Maximum TempDaily Record95 °F95 °F (08-29-1995)
08-29-2013Denison, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record95 °F95 °F (08-29-1984)
08-29-2013St Augustine Lh, FLHigh Maximum TempDaily Record95 °F95 °F (08-29-1983)
08-29-2013Grinnell 3 SW, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record96 °F96 °F (08-29-1953)
08-29-2013Le Claire L&d 14, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record96 °F95 °F (08-29-1948)
08-29-2013Allerton, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record96 °F94 °F (08-29-2000)
08-29-2013Joliet, MTHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F97 °F (08-29-2012)
08-29-2013Harrisburg 12wnw, NEHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F97 °F (08-29-2012)
08-29-2013Rockwell City, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F97 °F (08-29-1984)
08-29-2013Columbus, INHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F97 °F (08-29-1953)
08-29-2013Webster City, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F96 °F (08-29-1953)
08-29-2013Streator 3 SE, ILHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F96 °F (08-29-1905)
08-29-2013Normal 4ne, ILHigh Maximum TempDaily Record97 °F95 °F (08-29-2003)
08-29-2013Saco 1 NNW, MTHigh Maximum TempDaily Record98 °F98 °F (08-29-2012)
08-29-2013Ankeny, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record98 °F98 °F (08-29-1984)
08-29-2013Washington, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record98 °F98 °F (08-29-1983)
08-29-2013Newton, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record98 °F98 °F (08-29-1948)
08-29-2013West Burlington, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record98 °F93 °F (08-29-1984)
08-29-2013Keokuk Lock Dam 19, IAHigh Maximum TempDaily Record100 °F100 °F (08-29-1990)
08-29-2013John Martin Dam, COHigh Maximum TempDaily Record104 °F103 °F (08-29-2011)
Selected Variables: High Maximum Temp, Low Minimum Temp
Selected Types: All-Time Record, Daily Record

Weather Statistics for the State of New York for August 31,2013 from weatherunderground.com

Coastal Water Temperatures
Place Temperature
Kings Point, NY 75.0 °F
Bridgeport, CT 75.9 °F
Astronomy
Aug. 31, 2013 Rise Set
Actual Time 6:20 AM EDT 7:28 PM EDT
Civil Twilight 5:52 AM EDT 7:56 PM EDT
Nautical Twilight 5:18 AM EDT 8:30 PM EDT
Astronomical Twilight 4:43 AM EDT 9:05 PM EDT
Moon 1:45 AM EDT (8/31) 4:26 PM EDT (8/31)
Length Of Visible Light 14h 04m
Length of Day
13h 08m
Tomorrow will be 2m 37s shorter.
Waning Crescent, 18% of the Moon is Illuminated
Today
Waning Crescent
Sep 5
New
Sep 12
First Quarter
Sep 19
Full
Sep 26
Last Quarter
Today's Extremes
State Highs State Lows
88 °F
Elmira
86 °F
Central Park
86 °F
New York
84 °F
Penn Yan
84 °F
Syracuse
60 °F
Saranac Lake
64 °F
Massena
66 °F
Elmira
66 °F
Plattsburgh
67 °F
Fort Drum
Snow Depth
Station Depth Elevation
No new snow has been reported.

China Earthquake: At Least 5 Dead

August 31,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AP Photo/Xinhua, Li Shicai
Two vehicles collide after an earthquake in Deqen County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. An earthquake hit a mountainous area of southwestern China on Saturday, killing at least five people and injuring 10 others, the country's quake agency and state media said.
BEIJING -- An earthquake hit a mountainous area of southwestern China on Saturday, killing at least five people, destroying hundreds of residences and forcing thousands of people to relocate, the government and state media said.
The quake, which also injured 21 people, shook a wide area, including scenic Shangri-La and Deqen counties in Yunnan province, and Derong county in Sichuan province, just to the north.
The China Earthquake Administration said the morning quake had a magnitude of 5.9, with the U.S. Geological Survey saying it was 5.8.
(MORE: Deadly Floods in Taiwan)
The China Earthquake Information Center, citing Yunnan's provincial civil affairs department, said five people died and 17 were injured in Shangri-La and Deqen counties. Six of the injured were in serious condition.Sichuan's government said four people were injured in Derong county.
The official Xinhua News Agency, also citing Yunnan's civil affairs department, said the quake destroyed 600 residential units and damaged 55,500 others. More than 9,000 residents were forced to relocate.
Xinhua said telecommunications and electricity supplies were affected in Deqen and Derong, hindering rescue efforts.
China's mountainous areas in its southwest are prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. In April this year, another quake in Sichuan killed 193 people.

MORE: Deadly Flooding in China

Soldiers stack sandbags to strengthen a dam along Amur River on Aug. 29, 2013 in Heihe, China. (ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images)

Eight Inches of Hail Creates a Wintry August Scene in Nebraska

By: Jon Erdman
Published: August 31,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A view of the accumulated hail near Hay Springs, Neb. on Aug. 30, 2013. (Lisa Hughes via Facebook)
You may have seen hail at least once. You may never have seen piles or drifts of hail, though.
(MORE: Layers Inside a Hailstone | An Underrated Danger)
The Weather Channel Facebook friend Lisa Hughes sent us some photos above that have the meteorologists here buzzing.
A late afternoon severe thunderstorm deposited up to eight inches of accumulated hail near the town of Hay Springs, Neb. on Aug. 30, 2013. According to the National Weather Service office in North Platte, Neb., golf-ball size hail (1.75 inches in diameter) lasted 15-20 minutes, and broke a car's windshield northwest of Hay Springs.
Which brings us to Lisa's photos.
The first photo in the slideshow above is a view of a hailstreak, or the footprint of hail on the ground, just north of Hay Springs. Hailstreaks are most spectacular when seen from above. Weather Underground's Christopher Burt has such an aerial photo of a Canadian hailstreak from July 2013 in an excellent blog post on record hailstorms and hailstones.
The second photo shows the wintry scene from hail accumulations up to eight inches deep, according to Hughes.
The third photo is a sunset view of hail fog. This occurs because the humid air near the ground is cooled quickly by the fresh hail cover. As the hail slowly melts and water evaporates, the air above is chilled further. If winds are light, a shallow, dense fog can form.
Straight-line wind gusts around 60 mph also snapped trees and damaged a gymnasium roof in Hay Springs. Those damage photos from Lisa Hughes are near the end of the slideshow above.
Accumulating hailstorms are much less rare than you may think, particularly in the High Plains and Rockies. A swath of the High Plains from southeast Wyoming and northeast Colorado to the Texas Panhandle is called "Hail Alley". On average, hail falls in these locations at least three days each year.
On July 3, 2013, over a foot of hail swamped the town of Santa Rosa, N.M.
   MORE:  Strange Hailstones

West Texas

Hobbs, N.M.

Yosemite Wildfire Update: Progress Made

By: Gosia Wozniacka
Published: August 31,2013
 
 
 
 
 
FRESNO, Calif. — Smoke from a wildfire around Yosemite National Park is causing problems in the San Joaquin Valley, even as firefighters make advances against the massive blaze.
Winds had been blowing dense smoke plumes northeast into the Lake Tahoe area and Nevada but a shift brought them west down to the San Joaquin Valley floor.
Regional air pollution control authorities issued a health caution for San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties. Residents who see or smell smoke were urged to stay inside, especially people with heart of lung problems, older adults and children.
(MORE: See the World's Strangest Weather Phenomena)
But in signs of progress, By Friday crews had built containment lines around more than a third of the huge forest fire and officials had lifted evacuation advisories in some small communities in the mountainous area,
Also, a few dozen firefighters were released and more could be sent home in coming days, said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 4,800 firefighters remained on the scene late Friday.
"We continue to gain the upper hand, but there's still a lot of work to be done," Berlant said.
The 2-week-old blaze burning in the Sierra Nevada northeast of Fresno has scorched 333 square miles of brush, oaks and pine, making it the largest U.S. wildfire to date this year and the fifth-largest wildfire in modern California records. Containment was estimated at 35 percent.
Evacuation advisories were lifted Thursday in Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville and Willow Springs but remained in place for other communities, and evacuations were still mandatory along the fire's southeastern edge.
About 75 square miles of the fire are inside Yosemite but at some distance from the national park's major attractions, including glacially carved Yosemite Valley's granite monoliths and towering waterfalls.
(MORE: Yosemite Forecast | Fire Among Largest in California History)
Park officials expect about 3,000 cars a day to pass through gates during the long Labor Day holiday weekend instead of the nearly 5,000 that might typically show. The fire has caused some people to cancel reservations in the park but those vacancies have been quickly filled, officials said.
"Valley campgrounds are still full and skies in Yosemite Valley are crystal clear," said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.
(MORE: Wildfire Risk Map)
A 4-mile stretch of State Route 120, one of three western entrances into Yosemite, remained closed, hurting tourism-dependent businesses in communities along the route.
Costs reached $47 million, including firefighters from 41 states and the District of Columbia and significant aviation resources including helicopters, a DC-10 jumbo jet and military aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne FireFighting System. Aircraft have dropped 1.7 million gallons of retardant and 1.4 million gallons of water.
The fire started Aug. 17 and its cause remains under investigation. It is expected to keep burning long after it is fully contained, and recovery will be extensive. Some 7,000 damaged trees next to power lines will need to be removed by utility crews and 800 guardrail posts will need to be replaced on Route 120, a fire fact sheet said.

Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Groveland, Calif.
Sunset over Lake Tahoe with smoke from the Rim Fire, Aug. 27, 2013. (Shaun Tanner/Weather Underground)

Greenland's 'Grand Canyon' Found Under Ice Sheet

By: By Terrell Johnson
Published: August 30,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hidden under more than a mile of ice for millions of years, a massive mega-canyon has been discovered beneath the Greenland ice sheet by a team of scientists who announced their findings Thursday in the journal Science.
"One might assume that the landscape of the Earth has been fully explored and mapped," Jonathan Bamber, professor of physical geography at the U.K.-based University of Bristol and lead author of the study, told NASA. "Our research shows there's still a lot left to discover."
Using data collected over the past few decades by NASA and researchers from Germany and the U.K. with ice-penetrating radar equipment hung from the belly of an airplane, the scientists found a canyon under Greenland's ice that stretches more than 460 miles long -- about twice the length of the Grand Canyon -- and just over 6 miles wide.
J. Bamber/University of Bristol
A 3-D image of the canyon under Greenland's ice sheet.
The canyon begins near the center of Greenland and continues all the way to the Petermann Glacier fjord, which empties out on the northern coast. This suggests that the canyon was carved by an ancient river long before the Arctic island was covered by today's ice sheet, which spans more than 660,000 square miles.
"Nowhere does it look like a typical U-shaped valley," Bamber told NPR in an interview yesterday, noting that's the shape a glacier-carved canyon would have. "At its northern limit, it looks pretty much like a river valley. It's got relatively steep slopes, and it's quite deep."
Because the canyon slopes continuously and gradually on its meandering path toward the sea -- without the ice sheet sitting on top of it, a river in the canyon would drop nearly two feet every mile, the scientists estimate -- glaciers probably didn't play a role in its formation.
"We think this was a major river system in Greenland before the ice sheet was there," he says. "And it's just survived the cover by the ice sheet."
This helps explain why Greenland doesn't have large sub-glacial lakes under its ice, unlike Antarctica, the scientists say -- because the canyon transports meltwater from Greenland's interior to the edge of the ice sheet and into the Arctic Ocean.
The researchers in the study pieced together data from radar images of the ice taken over the past 40 years, much of collected by missions like NASA's Operation IceBridge, using equipment that beams radio waves through the ice but which bounce off the bedrock at the bottom.
From the images they collected, the scientists assembled a three-dimensional map of the landscape underneath Greenland's ice sheet. It was only then that the canyon came fully into view, Bamber said in an interview with the London Telegraph.
“It is a huge feature and it was quite a surprise to all of us that it was really there," he told the U.K.-based newspaper. “We are pretty excited and amazed when we discovered this huge, undiscovered feature.”
Read more about the study at Science or NASA IceBridge.

MORE: Swimming in Greenland?

Diving into the water in Tasiilaq in southeastern Greenland. (Kristinn Einarsson/Visit Greenland)

Midwest Drought: Hot, Dry Spell Brings Back Crop Concerns

By: David Pitt
Published: August 30,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A growing season that began unusually wet and cold in the Midwest is finishing hot and dry, renewing worries of drought and its impact on crops.
"Over the last couple of months, drought conditions have expanded in the Midwest from northern Missouri to portions of Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Severe drought conditions now exist in parts of central Iowa and northern Missouri. As of Aug. 30, Des Moines, Iowa has seen under an inch of rain for the month. The total rainfall deficit since June 1 has grown to more than eight inches."
Temperatures soared to records in recent days in parts of the region, reaching nearly 100 degrees in some areas.
"It's about the worst case scenario we could have with these high temperatures and the lack of water with soil moisture declining," said Roger Elmore, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University.
(MORE: Labor Day Relief on the Way for Some)
Background

Latest National Drought Status

Latest National Drought Status
A wet, cool spring delayed planting and slowed crop growth - but it also replenished soil moisture in many crop producing states, causing some of last year's widespread drought to retreat. The rain stopped in July in many of those states, however, and as the soil dried out, the heat set in and stressed corn and soybean crops.
The southeast Iowa city of Burlington, which is surrounded by corn fields, had its wettest spring on record at 19.23 inches of precipitation, nearly 8 inches above normal. Yet it's now on track to have its driest summer on record, with only 3.86 inches so far, 8.41 inches below normal.
Wayne Humphries farms about 1,000 acres about 45 miles north of Burlington at Columbus Junction. He grows corn and soybeans and raises hogs.
He said he delayed planting by about 30 days because of wet fields and now is watching the lower leaves of cornstalks turn brown from lack of moisture. He hasn't seen a measurable rain for 30 days.
Soybean plants are suffering too as seeds are developing in the pods.
"I have solace in the fact that we did everything we could and we did it to the best of our ability and now whatever happens, happens," he said. "It's sort of a philosophical moment."
(PHOTOS: Yosemite Wildfire Now One of the Biggest Fires in California History)
Corn and soybeans have developed enough that weather conditions are not likely to reduce the number of kernels on the corn cob or the seeds in soybean pods. But those kernels and seeds could develop smaller and weigh less, which could reduce the harvest this fall, Elmore said.
Unless it's a drastic reduction, it's unlikely to affect consumer prices at the grocery store. A shortage of corn and soybeans from a bad year would likely have a more immediate impact on meat prices because it costs more for livestock farmers to feed their herds.
The crops are holding up good. In another week or so, they are going to need a drink.
Dean Stoskopf, farmer
The dry conditions aren't confined to Middle America: for the first time since early April, more than half of the country is now in some stage of drought, according to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday. That includes much of the West, where the hot, dry weather has fueled wildfires.
Drought conditions surged in the past week in corn-producing states, up to 45 percent of the region from 25 percent the week before, said Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybeans in drought also increased sharply in the last week to 38 percent from 16 percent, he said.
In northwest Kansas, farmer Brian Baalman watched the temperature reach 94 degrees on his truck thermometer Wednesday. He farms about 30 miles west of Colby, where corn plants are turning white and ears are drooping as the heat kills the corn that's not irrigated.
"We are basically back to where we (were) in the moisture situation before the rain came, you know," he said. "Go west of me and it is a lot different, drier yet, and folks are worse off than we are," he said.
Lack of rain has caused drought conditions to expand in most of Wisconsin and Minnesota, along with eastern Illinois, western Indiana and northern Michigan, and parts of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, according to the drought report.
(MORE: Is Global Warming on a 'Hiatus'?)
Rain eased drought in portions of northern Nebraska, though much of the western half of the state remains in extreme drought. The report also shows that abnormally dry conditions, one stage below drought, expanded in eastern Iowa and South Dakota.
All of those states grow either corn or soybeans, or both.
In Wisconsin, where farmers have been waiting weeks for rain, grazing usually provides about half of the food that the 550 dairy cows consume in the summer at Saxon Homestead Farm. But this year, the pastures are providing only about a third of what's needed, and farmer Karl Klessig and his family have already dipped into their winter food supply.
"We never touch those stacks until October or November," Klessig said Wednesday. "This year, we started feeding two of those stacks in August."
But the drought monitor showed improvement in western and central Kansas, western and central Oklahoma, the Panhandle of Texas, south-central Arkansas, and eastern Louisiana. Improvement from rain also was noted in western and southern South Dakota.
In western Kansas, farmer Dean Stoskopf said temperatures hovering in the upper 90s have helped crops mature at his family farm near Hoisington.
"The crops are holding up good," he said, but acknowledged: "In another week or so, they are going to need a drink."

MORE: A Lake Goes From Drought to Full

Hartwell Lake at Lightwood Creek boat ramp in January 2008. (iwitness/gch30643)

As Air Conditioning Use Grows, Are We Cooling Our Way to a Hotter World?

By: By Terrell Johnson
Published: August 30,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
A young girl eats an ice lolly next to an air conditioning unit in Shanghai, China, on July 16, 2013.
No other country uses as much energy for air conditioning today as the United States. And it isn't difficult to understand why, especially in a summer when devastating heat waves have swept through the Midwest, forcing school closings in some states.
But that's changing quickly as developing nations – especially in the most populous and hottest parts of the world – seek to enjoy the advantages of modern life, particularly one that makes life indoors more comfortable, helps people by more productive at work and can even save lives during periods of intense heat.
That's worrying scientists who note that the energy required to meet the demand for cooling across the developing world could go up dramatically, and would likely be generated by some of the dirtiest sources of electricity.
"Should the world eventually adapt the U.S. level of the need for cooling, energy demand for air conditioning would be equal to about 50 times the current demand for cooling in the U.S.," Michael Sivak, a research professor at the University of Michigan, told the Christian Science Monitor.
Sivak published a study in the most recent issue of American Scientist that explores what is likely to happen to energy consumption in the developing world as personal incomes rise: "an unprecedented increase in energy demand," he says.
Asia's biggest and most rapidly developing countries offer some of the most compelling examples of the rapid growth of air conditioning, he explains. In China, the percentage of households that owned an air conditioner back in 1990 was just 1 percent. By 2003, that number had jumped to 62 percent; in 2010, more than 50 million air conditioning units were sold there nationwide.
The numbers in neighboring India are also telling. Were Mumbai, whose population of roughly 20 million makes it India's largest city, to reach the same level of usage as the United States -- where about 87 percent of households are equipped with air conditioning -- it would generate about a quarter of the demand of the entire U.S.
The country as a whole –India is home to more than 1.2 billion people – had only about a 2 percent adoption rate as recently as 2007. Six years later, air conditioning sales across India are estimated to be growing by roughly 20 percent every year.
Why is this so concerning? Because in developing countries, as Stan Cox of the nonprofit Land Institute writes at Yale University's Environment360, the likeliest source of energy to power all those new air conditioners is coal, among the cheapest and most plentiful sources of energy on Earth.
It's also among the dirtiest, as coal-fired power plants are one of the biggest contributors of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, adding about 80 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the electricity sector every year.
Even though some U.S. cities have taken steps to curb energy usage from air conditioning – in 2008, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a law that bans the city's retail storefronts from blasting cool air onto the sidewalks to entice passersby – it continues rising rapidly in this country too.
Since 1993, the amount of electricity consumed for air conditioning has risen by nearly 40 percent nationwide but nowhere more than the Southeast, which added more (and bigger) housing units in the past 15 years than any other region of the country, according the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The rise in air conditioning across the developing world mirrors what has been happening in the American South for the past few decades, Cox added in his interview with the Christian Science Monitor. "I grew up in Georgia, and throughout my childhood A/C was taking off there," he said.
"It seemed almost like magic at the time, but gradually ... I started thinking about the feedback loop," he added, because air conditioning "is burning so much fossil fuel, especially coal, which is helping to ensure the greater need for air conditioning in the future."

Firefighters Making Progress in Yosemite-Area Fire; Labor Day Vacations on Hold

By: Tracie Cone
Published: August 30,2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
FRESNO, Calif. — Nearly a third of the huge forest fire burning in and around Yosemite National Park was contained Friday and some small communities in the area were no longer under evacuation advisories.
Nearly 5,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, but in another sign of progress some were expected to be released to go home, said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
"We continue to gain the upper hand, but there's still a lot of work to be done," he said.
(MORE: See the World's Strangest Weather Phenomena)
The 2-week-old blaze burning in the Sierra Nevada northeast of Fresno has scorched 315 square miles of brush, oaks and pine, making it the largest U.S. wildfire to date this year and the fifth largest wildfire in modern California records. Containment was estimated at 32 percent.
Winds had been blowing dense smoke plumes northeast into the Lake Tahoe area and Nevada but a shift Friday brought them west down to the San Joaquin Valley floor.
Regional air pollution control authorities issued a health caution for San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties. Residents who see or smell smoke were urged to stay inside, especially people with heart of lung problems, older adults and children.
Evacuation advisories were lifted Thursday in Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville and Willow Springs but remained in place for other communities, and evacuations were still mandatory along the fire's southeastern edge.

About 75 square miles of the fire are inside Yosemite but at some distance from the national park's major attractions, including glacially carved Yosemite Valley's granite monoliths and towering waterfalls.
Park officials expect about 3,000 cars a day to pass through gates during the long Labor Day holiday weekend instead of the nearly 5,000 that might typically show. The fire has caused some people to cancel reservations in the park but those vacancies have been quickly filled, officials said.
(MORE: Yosemite Forecast | Fire Among Largest in California History)
"Valley campgrounds are still full and skies in Yosemite Valley are crystal clear," said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.
A 4-mile stretch of State Route 120, one of three western entrances into Yosemite, remained closed, hurting tourism-dependent businesses in communities along the route.
(MORE: Wildfire Risk Map)
Costs reached $47 million, including firefighters from 41 states and the District of Columbia and significant aviation resources including helicopters, a DC-10 jumbo jet and military aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne FireFighting System. Aircraft have dropped 1.7 million gallons of retardant and 1.4 million gallons of water.
The fire started Aug. 17 and its cause remains under investigation. It is expected to keep burning long after it is fully contained, and recovery will be extensive. Some 7,000 damaged trees next to power lines will need to be removed by utility crews and 800 guardrail posts will need to be replaced on Route 120, a fire fact sheet said.

Groveland, Calif.

Groveland, Calif.
An El Dorado Hills firefighter takes a break from battling the Rim Fire on Aug. 28, 2013 near Groveland, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
  • Groveland, Calif.
  • Yosemite National Park, Calif.
  • Yosemite National Park, Calif.
  • Groveland, Calif.
  • Groveland, Calif.
  • Groveland, Calif.
  • California Rim Fire

National Weather Summary for August 31,2013

Weather Underground midday recap for Saturday,August 31,2013.






Multiple areas of active weather developed across the nation on Saturday. In the North, a low pressure system moved eastward across central Canada and flow around this system created a warm front that stretched from northern Minnesota and eastward into the Great Lakes. At the same time, the system also created a cold front that stretched southward across the Dakotas. This cold front also moved eastward throughout the day and slowly made its way into the upper Midwest. Due to flow around these systems pulling moisture in from the South, there was a slight chance of severe thunderstorm development in these areas with threats of strong winds, hail, and periods of heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile in the East, another low pressure system moved from the Great Lakes and over the Northeast, creating a front that stretched from the Northeast, down the Ohio River valley, and into the Midwest. As this front slid southward throughout the day, it also kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall totals from this system approached 2 inches in many locations. Strong winds blew multiple trees down across parts of Ohio and Kentucky.

Out West, moisture over the desert Southwest spread northward over the Great Basin and into the Intermountain West and Northern Rockies. This allowed for showers and thunderstorms to expand northward across most of the Western states. Flooding remained a concern across the desert locations, as dry surface conditions are not capable of absorbing periods of heavy rainfall. Thus, flood advisories remained in effect from southern California through southern Nevada, into Utah, and across parts of Arizona.

This Date in Weather History for August 31,2013,from weatherforyou.com

Weather History
For Saturday, August 31,2013
1915 - The temperature at Bartlesville, OK, dipped to 38 degrees to establish a state record for the month of August. (The Weather Channel)
1954 - Hurricane Carol swept across eastern New England killing sixty persons and causing 450 million dollars damage. It was the first of three hurricanes to affect New England that year. (David Ludlum)
1971 - The low of 84 degrees and high of 108 degrees at Death Valley, CA, were the coolest of the month. The average daily high was 115.7 degrees that August, and the average daily low was 93.4 degrees. (The Weather Channel)
1984 - Lightning ignited several forest fires in Montana, one of which burned through 100,000 acres of timber and grassland. (The Weather Channel)
1987 - Eight cities in Washington and Oregon reported record high temperatures for the date, including Eugene OR and Portland OR with afternoon highs of 102 degrees. The high of 102 degrees at Portland smashed their previous record for the date by twelve degrees. Frost was reported in South Dakota. Aberdeen SD established a record for the month of August with a morning low of 32 degrees, and Britton SD dipped to 31 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
1988 - August ended on a relatively mild and tranquil note for most of the nation. Forest fires in the northwestern U.S. scorched 180,000 acres of land during the last week of August. (The National Weather Summary)
1989 - Thunderstorms developing along a stationary front spread severe weather from Minnesota to Indiana through the course of the day and night. Thunderstorms in Minnesota produced baseball size hail near Saint Michael and Hutchinson, and drenched Moose Lake with nine inches of rain in six hours. Tucson AZ hit 100 degrees for a record 79th time in the year, surpassing a record established the previous year. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

This Date in Weather History for August 30,2013 from weatherforyou.com

Weather History
For Friday, August 30, 2013
1776 - General Washington took advantage of a heavy fog to evacuate Long Island after a defeat. Adverse winds kept the British fleet from intervening. (David Ludlum)
1839 - A hurricane moved from Cape Hatteras NC to offshore New England. An unusual feature of the hurricane was the snow it helped produce, which whitened the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Considerable snow was also reported at Salem NY. (The Weather Channel)
1982 - A tropical depression brought torrential rains to portions of southern Texas. Up to twelve inches fell south of Houston, and as much as eighteen inches fell southeast of Austin. The tropical depression spawned fourteen tornadoes in three days. (David Ludlum) Record cold gripped the northeastern U.S. Thirty-one cities in New England reported record lows, and areas of Vermont received up to three inches of snow. (The Weather Channel)
1987 - Eight cities in California and Oregon reported record high temperatures for the date, including Redding CA and Sacramento CA where the mercury hit 100 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
1988 - Thunderstorms drenched Georgia and the Carolinas with heavy rain, soaking Columbia, SC, with 4.10 inches in three hours. Fresno CA was the hot spot in the nation with a record high of 109 degrees. Duluth MN tied their record for the month of August with a morning low of 39 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
1989 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced large hail in Montana and North Dakota during the evening and early nighttime hours. Hail three inches in diameter was reported 20 miles south of Medora ND, and thunderstorms over Dawson County MT produced up to three inches of rain. Thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail at Roundup MT, Dazey ND and Protection KS. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

Today's Worst Weather for August 31,2013 from accuweather.com

Agricola,Kansas: Sizzling Heat

World Weather Hot Spot for August 30-31,2013 from accuweather.com

Wajima,Japan: Heavy rain;received a whopping 5.24 inches of rain since Thursday (August 29-30, 2013)

WeatherWhys for August 30,2013,from accuweather.com

During the end of summer the jet stream begins to strengthen a bit, allowing fronts from the north to have a little more strength. At the same time, much of the southern half of United States remains very warm while tropical cyclone activity approaches its peak.

Minneapolis Severe Storms Precede Cooldown

By , Senior Meteorologist
August 31,2013; 8:07PM,EDT
 
 
 
Before more seasonable air can filter into Minneapolis for Labor Day, severe thunderstorms will first threaten the city.
A cold front slicing into the steamy air in place across Minneapolis will touch off thunderstorms capable of causing damage early Saturday night.
The strongest thunderstorms threaten to produce damaging winds, hail and downpours. An isolated tornado touching down cannot be ruled out.

Anyone spending Saturday evening outdoors should heed all storm-related warnings and seek shelter as soon as such warnings are issued or thunder is heard.
RELATED:
Minneapolis Weather Radar
Severe Weather Watches and Warnings
Humidity, Storm Relief Coming to the Midwest, East

In the wake of the thunderstorms Saturday night, the heat and humidity will noticeably ease for Sunday and Labor Day. Dry weather and seasonable daytime high temperatures will compliment the weather these days.
Temperatures Sunday night will drop into the 50s for the first time since August 15.

Cooler Temperatures for Los Angeles

By Mark Leberfinger, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
August 31,2013; 8:01PM,EDT
 
 
 
After a spike in temperatures, Los Angeles is looking at cooler temperatures for the latter half of the Labor Day weekend.
It was 93 in downtown Los Angeles on Friday with the airport checking in at 92 degrees. Saturday's high was 88 downtown and 84 at the airport. Temperatures will fall back into the mid-70s for Sunday through Friday.

Showers are expected late Monday night, but it should be mainly dry through Thursday.

Humidity, Storm Relief Coming to Midwest, East

By , Senior Meteorologist
August 31,2013; 7:47PM,EDT
 
 
 
Relief from the sticky and stormy conditions starting this extended holiday weekend is headed to the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Drier and less humid air will spend Sunday through Wednesday sweeping in a west to east fashion from the Midwest to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Fargo, N.D., and Minneapolis will first notice a reduction in storminess and humidity on Sunday, followed by Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit on Labor Day.
St. Louis and Cincinnati will see humidity levels fall Monday afternoon and night with the same set to happen in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City 24 hours later on Tuesday.

Wednesday is when the steamy air will finally be gone from Portland, Boston and southward to Richmond, Va. The less humid air may even work its way into Atlanta this day, but will stop short of reaching the Gulf Coast.
The reduction in humidity will also be accompanied by temperatures returning to values that are more typical of early September.
RELATED:
Radar for the United States
Forecast Temperature Maps
Severe Thunderstorms Threaten Minneapolis

The departure of the humid air, however, will not come quietly. Potentially severe thunderstorms will continue to threaten the Upper Midwest through Saturday night, then the mid-Mississippi Sunday afternoon and evening.
Locally drenching showers and thunderstorms will rattle the East every day prior to the less humid air's arrival. Much to the demise of those with outdoor plans, Labor Day should prove to be the most active day in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Once the steamy air leaves, its quick return is not anticipated. The coolest air mass since the spring may instead dive into the Northeast late in the week.