POTHOLES you might say one good thing about Boston's potholes is you get to see the historic past of cobblestones pic.twitter.com/60nYaOWfQO

- David L. Ryan (@GlobeDavidLRyan) February 20, 2014

Potholes the size of moon craters right now. Call 311 to report, or use this link: http://t.co/aiOqWCmDG1 pic.twitter.com/psRrfCeEns

- Matt Veasey (@PPDMattVeasey) February 19, 2014

Interviewing cabbies for #1010WINS who are in a long line to get tires repaired courtesy NYC's potholes pic.twitter.com/6RcsdayhHf

- garybaumgarten (@garybaumgarten) February 16, 2014

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Photos: Winter Storm Wallops Swath of East Coast

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Photos: Winter Storm Wallops Swath of East Coast

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The northern lights dance in a breathtaking display in these stunning images from an aurora video recently sent to Space.com.

Night sky photographer Chad Blakley captured these intense auroras grooving over several Swedish Lapland locations, including a small hotel high in the Swedish mountains, on Feb. 21. The result: a spectacular video of Sweden's northern lights display.

"This display was one of the best of the year and we are hopeful that the final four weeks of the season will continue to impress," Blakley wrote Space.com in an email. "The show started as soon as the sun went down and continued well into the night - long after my cameras had frozen and all of my batteries had died." [See more amazing aurora by Blakley and other stargazers]


Brilliant northern lights dance over a small hotel high in the Swedish mountains on Feb. 21, 2014 in this image from the video "Lights Over Lapland" by Chad Blakley. (Credit: Chad Blakley | ligthsoverlapland.com)

Vivid auroras like those seen in Blakley's images are caused by charged particles from the sun (the solar wind) that interact with the Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 50 miles, or 80 km), causing a glow.

The particles are drawn to Earth's polar regions by the planet's magnetic field. The auroras over the North Pole are known as the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The lights over the South Pole are known as the aurora australis, or southern lights. When the aurora is most active, it creates a spectacular display of bright colors called the aurora corona.


Colorful auroras shimmer over northern Sweden on Feb. 21, 2014 in this image from the video "Lights Over Lapland" by Chad Blakley. Credit: Chad Blakley | ligthsoverlapland.com)

"Before we know it, the midnight sun will return and we will have to patiently wait for the auroras to return later this autumn," Blakley said.

To see more amazing night sky photos submitted by Space.com readers, visit our astrophotography archive.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Space.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Original story on Space.com.

• Intense Auroras Groove Over Swedish Mountains In New Video
• Aurora Guide: How the Northern Lights Work (Infographic)
• Best Binoculars for Skywatchers and Observers
• Northern Lights: Amazing Aurora Photos of 2013

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While icy and snowy roads may keep the general public confined to their homes, emergency personnel have a duty to respond no matter what the weather unleashes.

Sergeant Ryan Hendrick of the Ferguson Township Police Department in State College, Pa., said weather can be one of police's "greatest villains."

Dangerous road conditions combined with increased need for police involvement in accidents requires additional effort and diligence from police officers and other emergency responders.

Hendrick stressed the need for reduced travel when conditions have deteriorated.

"[Fewer drivers] would greatly reduce the calls for service on agencies, but these requests are unheeded year after year," he said.

Police officers are also not immune to the dangers of travel.

"Most [police] cruisers are rear wheel drive vehicles that are much less effective in the snow than other vehicles. This slows officer's response time to emergency calls and puts the officers at a higher risk of being in a crash themselves," Hendrick said.

Dangerous winter conditions also increase the demand for the Red Cross' essential services after snow and ice storms.

On Feb. 13, 2014, the Red Cross provided shelter for 700 people across eight states in shelters and warming centers due to the major ice storm that resulted in thousands losing power.

The Red Cross adheres to local official's travel advisories to reduce the strain on emergency services and for the safety of their staff. However, the need for alternate plans during especially severe weather is pertinent for their operations.

"There are times, for example during major events like a snowstorm or a hurricane, when we may even have staff stay at a shelter overnight because we don't want them out in the elements," Anne Marie Borrego, director of media relations for the American Red Cross, said.

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Latest Update on the Major Winter Storm
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When winter storms create dangerous conditions, it is imperative to follow all local officials' warnings on travel and to exercise caution with heating devices in your home to decrease the strain on emergency personnel.

Due to the use of space heaters and candles, Borrego said, "We do see a major spike in home fires in the winter."

An increase in home fires also intensifies the pressure on emergency personnel, requiring both the police and fire departments to respond immediately.

In order to respond efficiently to winter's unique and varying dangers, special precautions must be taken.

"In all four seasons, we are putting plans into place to respond to major weather events. So we're ready to go if and when something happens," Borrego said.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The same frigid air that helped to push a snowstorm south Sunday to Monday delivered the lowest temperatures on record for March to parts of the Midwest and East.

In the wake of the storm over parts of the Plains and East, temperatures plunged 25 to 50 degrees in a few hours and reached the lowest levels ever recorded in March for some locations.

In Austin, Texas, the temperature on Sunday went from 72 degrees at 8:47 a.m. to 40 degrees at noon Central Time. In Houston, temperatures dropped from a Sunday afternoon high of 77 degrees to 28 degrees Monday morning.

Temperatures at Kansas City, Mo., plummeted to minus 3 F Monday morning, breaking the old all-time record low temperature for March of minus 1 F set in 1962.

After spending much of Sunday with temperatures in the 40s and 50s over the coastal mid-Atlantic, temperatures Monday morning had plummeted to the teens and lower 20s with snow. The cold will not stop there.

On Tuesday morning, temperatures may rival record lows set in the 1800s in parts of the mid-Atlantic.

Many areas along the mid-Atlantic coast will start the day Tuesday in the single digits. Temperatures will dip to near or below zero over parts of the central Appalachians.

A moderating trend is forecast for much of the Central and Eastern states later this week.

According to Northeast Weather Expert Dave Dombek, "Tuesday will likely be the coldest morning from New York City to Washington, D.C., until next winter."

However, it will not mark the end of the colder-than-average weather.

Normal high temperatures for the middle of March are 46 degrees in Chicago, 50 in New York City and 56 in Washington, D.C.

There will be more days with high temperatures in the 40s and 50s compared to what has occurred in recent weeks in the Midwest and Northeast, and that will feel good to millions of people struggling with the cold and high heating bills this winter.

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Latest Update on the Major Winter Storm
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Northeast Regional Weather Radar

However, as normal temperatures trend upward through March, actual temperatures on a number of days will lag behind the normal trend by 5, 10 or more degrees in some cases. The higher-than-average demand for energy will continue into the spring.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A storm responsible for ice in portions of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Tuesday will swing farther east in the South later this week with the potential for wet snow.

Ice Storm Hits South Central States

Cold air trapped near the ground Tuesday morning allowed a zone of freezing rain to develop in part of the South Central states.

Ice snarled traffic across portions of Texas and Louisiana early on Tuesday. The treacherous conditions and resultant accidents led to closures along portions of I-10, I-110, US 190 and other local roads across Louisiana.

Oncor.

As the system progresses to the east Tuesday afternoon, temperatures are forecast to rise just enough to prevent freezing rain over much of southeastern Louisiana, northern Florida, southern Alabama and southern Georgia.

However, folks partaking in Mardi Gras celebrations are in for a cold rain into the evening hours. Some freezing rain will occur for a time over parts of central Alabama, prior to temperatures rising.

Wet Snow May Fall on Part of Southeast, Mid-Atlantic

As the storm moves toward the Atlantic coast, it is forecast by AccuWeather.com meteorologists to strengthen.

According to senior meteorologist Mark Mancuso, "The storm could strengthen just enough to tap into just enough cold air in parts of northern Georgia, the Carolinas to portions of southern Virginia to bring some wet snow later Thursday into Friday."

Cities that have a chance at receiving some wet snow or a wintry mix of snow, ice and rain include Atlanta and Athens, Ga.; Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C.; Greenville, Spartanburg and Rock Hill, S.C.; and Charlottesville, Roanoke and Richmond, Va.

Enough snow or a wintry mix could fall in this swath to cover grassy surfaces and perhaps bring slippery travel.

There is a chance the storm may track far enough to the north to bring a mixture of rain and wet snow to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Atlantic City, N.J., later Thursday night into Friday morning.

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Wednesday, March, 5, 2014

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

A dry weather pattern has returned to much of California after the recent spell of rainy weather, leaving residents wondering when they will see rain again.

Although no major storms are on the horizon, moisture streaming over the Pacific Northwest will occasionally dip southward, bringing a few opportunities for rain in northern and central California through next week.

Despite some rain in the forecast, it does not appear like it will be enough to have a meaningful impact on the severe drought gripping nearly all of the state.

Rounds of rain will be seen over northern portions of the state through midweek with the moisture taking its first dip southward on Thursday. This will bring the next chance of rain to cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Redding.

This swath of moisture looks to depart the region by Friday before diving southward once again on Sunday, affecting the same areas.

After this second push, it does not appear like any rain will be seen over the state until at least the end of next week, possibly longer.

Unfortunately, this rain is not forecast to reach Southern California, keeping cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego dry all the way through next week.

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One of the benefits to the rain-free weather in Southern California is that residents will not have to battle the elements when cleaning up after the recent storms.

As beneficial as the rain was from these storms, they did cause flash flooding and mudslides over the area late last week and over the weekend that put lives and properties at risk.

According to the most recent report form the U.S Drought Monitor, nearly 75 percent of the state is in an extreme drought.

"Yes, it was nice to get a good sized storm. But the state is nowhere near out of the woods." said AccuWeather.com Western Weather Expert Ken Clark.

With little to no rain on the horizon over the next week and a half, drought conditions will only worsen across California before the state enters their dry season.

"The drought in California did not just develop this year, or in the last 12 months, but over the last three years. It is unrealistic to think one series of storms is going to have a huge impact on the long-term drought." said Clark.

If the pattern does not yield more rain over California before the summer, the risk of wildfires will likely increase dramatically, putting even more lives and property at risk.

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

(Getty Images)

A low pressure system set to slam into the Northwest will not only deliver rain over the region, but also the threat of flooding and avalanches.

Strong winds and heavy mountain snow are forecast to accompany the rain brought by this storm as it continues to impact the region through Thursday.

The areas that will be hardest hit by this system will be those at the coast where the heaviest rainfall and strongest winds are expected, which may result in some coastal flooding.

Some flash flooding and travel delays are also possible farther inland along the I-5 corridor, including Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore.

Avalanches will also be a threat around the Cascades as a surge of warm air moves in ahead of this system.

The combination of rain and snow falling over the mountains and this surge of warmer air will help to weaken the stability of the snowpack on the ground, resulting in the elevated risk of avalanches.

This threat is expected to decrease heading into Thursday as colder air moves in over the region; however, some are still possible as more snow adds to the weight piling on the already unstable snowpack.

If you plan on traveling in the mountainous areas, you should use extreme caution as these avalanches may happen at any time with little warning.

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By Friday, this storm system will begin to track over the Plains, leaving only a few showers around to close out the week.

The next chance for a soaking rain and mountain snow will come over the second half of the weekend as a cold front swings through the region.

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A newfound asteroid will buzz close by Earth today (March 4), flying safely between our planet and the orbit of the moon, and you can follow the space rock encounter live online.

The asteroid 2014 DX110 will zip by Earth at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) today, just days after its discovery on Feb. 28. NASA officials say it poses no threat to the Earth.

"This asteroid, 2014 DX110, is estimated to be about 100 feet (30 meters) across," officials at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California wrote in an alert. "Its closest approach to Earth will be at about 217,000 miles (about 350,000 kilometers) from Earth at about 1 p.m. PST (4 p.m. EST) [2100 GMT] on March 5. The average distance between Earth and its moon is about 239,000 miles (385,000 kilometers)." [Photos: Potentially Dangerous Near-Earth Asteroids]

Two web-based skywatching services, the online Slooh observatory and the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, will attempt to offer free live views of asteroid 2014 DX110 during its flyby. You can watch both asteroid flyby webcasts on Space.com here, beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST. The webcasts are heavily dependent on weather conditions at the observing sites.

The first asteroid 2014 DX110 webcast at 3:30 p.m. EST comes courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project overseen by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi in Ceccano, Italy. The webcast will cover the incoming asteroid's approach and closest flyby to Earth during today's space rock encounter.

Masi observed the asteroid Tuesday night by telescope, snapping a photo that revealed the asteroid to be a white pinprick of light in a sea of black space. You can follow Masi's webcast directly at the Virtual Telescope Project website here.

At 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT), the Slooh observatory will webcast its own coverage of asteroid 2014 DX110 using the company's remote-controlled telescopes. Slooh's Paul Cox will host the observing event.

Slooh officials said it will be a challenge to see asteroid 2014 DX110 because, "with its small size, location, and incredible rate of motion, there is a high probability we will not capture the asteroid during the broadcast."

Today's webcast is one of two asteroid live events in a single week by Slooh. The online skywatching project will host a second webcast on Sunday night (March 9) to track the newfound asteroid 2014 CU13.

Asteroid 2014 DX110 was discovered last week by astronomers using the space rock-hunting Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Haleakala, Hawaii. The telescope is one of many around the world used to seek out and track near-Earth objects. NASA's Near-Earth Objects program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., oversees one of those efforts.

"NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets using both ground- and space-based telescopes," JPL officials said in a statement. "The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called 'Spaceguard,' discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them and identifies their close approaches to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet."

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

• 100-Foot Space Rock Flies Between Moon and Earth | Video
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• How It Works: NASA Asteroid-Capture Mission in Pictures

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With severe weather season upon us, this week is dedicated to the preparations that take place prior to the peak of season, known as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Typically, severe weather ramps up during transitional seasons with severe weather firing up first in the South in February.

March and April are commonly the most active months of the season for the Deep South, while in the northern areas the season's height normally occurs in May and June.

"Severe weather can occur at any time during the year because of the discrepancy between warm, moist air and cold, dry air," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said. "The frequency of severe weather is more of a problem headed into the spring months."

Just last year, financial losses from severe weather in 2013 exceeded $1 billion in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.

While the United States averages approximately 1,253 tornadoes per year, according to NOAA, last year ranked below average with 903 tornadoes total.

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Even though numbers were down in 2013, a few disastrous twisters rampaged across Oklahoma, wreaking havoc and destroying entire communities.

Spotlighted last year were two separate tornadoes, the first an EF-5 twister that plundered through Moore, Okla., on May 20, 2013, killing seven children and the second, the widest tornado on record, coming two weeks later on May 31, 2013, barreling through El Reno, Okla.

Still recovering from the aftermath of the deadly twister, Moore continues to rebuild. To help with recovery efforts, the city was awarded $26.3 million in disaster recovery aid by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. On Feb. 18, 2014, the city plans to release their plan of action publicly.

With this year's severe weather season expected to mimic last year's due to the amount of cold and stable air in the atmosphere, the Gulf Coast may still be at risk for several severe weather incidents, according to AccuWeather.com Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok.

Ahead of the impending season, National Severe Weather Preparedness Week aims to get people ready for the potentially life-threatening dangers of the season, including tornadoes.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from severe weather, NOAA encourages people to know their own risk, take action and be an example in the community.

Aside from taking precautions into your own hands, many companies are joining the fight to ready the nation for the forthcoming season, including AccuWeather.

As a long-time Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador[TM], the company is working hard with NOAA to improve the nation's readiness, responsiveness and overall resilience against extreme weather events.

This program is a recognition that it takes the entire American Weather Enterprise to help people understand their risk for severe and disruptive weather in their community, according to AccuWeather Director of Innovative and Development Jon Porter.

"We will continue communicating, through our public facing digital media properties, information that will help citizens and businesses be aware of upcoming severe weather potential and further understand what impacts can be expected in their area so that they can make improved decisions about how to prepare for dangerous weather," Porter said.

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Spring will tease the Midwest and East briefly Friday into Saturday and again early next week, thanks to a couple of pushes of milder air.

For some locations around the Great Lakes, the mild air will bring temperatures peaking in the 30s with melting snow and ice.

For locations farther south over the Ohio Valley and along the mid-Atlantic coast, temperatures will climb into the 40s and 50s in many areas.

From the Tennessee Valley to North Carolina and eastern Virginia, temperatures are forecast to make a run into the 60s.

In New England, temperatures will climb into the 30s and even the lower 40s on a couple of days.

While the pattern will not be free of precipitation everywhere and will be interrupted by a push of chilly air mainly on Sunday, the temporary break in the pattern will allow folks to get outdoors. Perhaps open the windows in the house to let in a little fresh air. Joggers and bicyclists will take to the streets, parks and trails.

Now might be the time to see if your car needs attention.

Where there is snow still on the ground, the milder weather will make it easier for novice, less cold hardy people to take to the slopes with their boards and skis.

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Malls, stores and restaurants may notice an uptick in business.

It might even be a good to to check the status of your grill and fire up some hot dogs and burgers.

A few crocuses may emerge from the ground over the next few days across the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic. The 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., will not begin until March 20 and is scheduled through April 13.

Just remember the warm conditions during the day will cause some runoff. Some surfaces made wet by runoff during the day may freeze at night. Use caution with walking, biking or jogging first thing in the morning.

The mild spell may bring another round of potholes, so motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians beware.

The second half of next week may turn unsettled to stormy for a large part of the East and part of the Midwest. Early indications are that a major storm with snow, ice and rain may move up from the Gulf of Mexico.

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