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With arctic air plunging the Midwest and Northeast into a deep freeze cold enough to ice over the Great Lakes while surpassing nearly two decades of winter records, the 2013-2014 season has contributed to the death of thousands of wild ducks.

Even indigenous species may find it hard to adjust to extraordinarily cold winters and lingering cold during spring, which has motivated zookeepers to prepare their facilities to accommodate their exotic wildlife for all seasons.

Wild temperature swings and cold snaps continued through March with winter refusing to relinquish its grip as the spring season began. Toledo, Ohio, experienced their snowiest winter ever, with a record-breaking snowfall of 84.8 inches. Weather data for the city has been collected since the late 1800s.

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"There was a delay to any significant warmups in March across the East due to the unusually persistent cold pattern locked into place," AccuWeather.com meteorologist Andy Mussoline said.

"Depending on the temperatures, they'll either have access (to the exhibits) or we'll keep them in," Lanandra Russell, Zoo New England head administrative assistant to animal management, said.

Zoo New England manages the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Mass.

Russell said if temperatures are low but safe for the animals, the team lets the animals decide if they want to be outdoors.

If temperatures are too low, the team will prevent the animals from being outdoors at all.

Special accommodations and installations are also made within the exhibits to maintain a comfortable environment for the animals, she said.

Lions and tigers, who are acclimated to warmer climates in their natural habitat, have heated rocks installed in their exhibits, which they can lounge on during cold days.

"It's built onto the exhibit," Russell said, adding the heated rock acts like an electric blanket for the animal.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also provides heated rocks for the lions and tigers living in the Midwest, organization spokeswoman Patty Peters said.

"We have indoor habitats," Peters said. "Depending on the animal's ability (to withstand outdoor temperatures), they have access. They have the option to go in or out. If it's really bad out, we won't let them go out."

Animals who are acclimated to cooler climates are also taken care of during the spring and summer months with special air conditioned facilities, according to Russell and Peters.

"Our Red Pandas are more acclimated to cooler temperatures," Russell said. "They can go into the air conditioned area."

During hot summer days when animals retreat into the cool air, a camera allows visitors to view the Pandas in the facility.

Peters said Reindeer also need to be kept cool throughout the year with habitat misters because of their need for cold climates.

Polar bears are given the ability to cool off and take a swim in the summer with a pool of water that is kept at a constant 55 to 60 degrees F, which also keeps the water from freezing in the winter months, Peters said.

(Photo/G.Jones: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium)

Throughout the year, special treats are also provided to the animals.

"For the lions and tigers we freeze meatballs for them," Russell said. "We provide ice treats for the different animals."

In addition to maintaining seasonal accommodations, certain exhibits are only featured in the spring and summer months, including Zoo New England's annual butterfly exhibit and Budgie exhibit.

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Over the weekend, Tropical Cyclone Ita strengthened as it moved westward through the Coral Sea.

Ita currently contains winds equal to that of a tropical storm in in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm is expected to continue to strengthen as it moves west and then southwest in the coming days.

Ita is expected to strengthen to the equivalent of a hurricane during this time and will then remain at this strength as it approaches the northern coast of Queensland on Friday.

The expected track will take the cyclone into an area north of Cairns, an area known primarily for mining.

Peak winds at the time of landfall could reach as high as 215 kph (135 mph), leading to down trees and power lines with the potential for some minor structural damage.

Rainfall will also be a concern as 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) will be common across the northern half of the Cape York Peninsula with 1-2 inches expected farther down the coast including Cairns and Townsville.

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The heaviest rainfall can total more than 150 mm (6 inches) near where Ita makes a landfall and along its track over the Cape York Peninsula.

Ita has the potential to re-emerge over the Gulf of Carpentaria over the weekend which could allow for restrengthening and further impacts to northern Queensland into early next week.

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Warm, sunny weather will be the theme for the Southwest through midweek with several cities challenging record high temperatures.

Tuesday could turn out to be the warmest day of the year so far for many locations, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque.

More of the same is on tap for Wednesday as temperatures are expected to remain well above normal across the region.

A large area of high pressure centered over the Southwest is responsible for the record-challenging warmth, promoting abundant sunshine for both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday looks to bring the first 90-degree day of the year to Phoenix, Ariz., as well as the first 100-degree day to the infamous Death Valley.

Palm Springs, Calif., may be another location that flirts with the 100-degree mark.

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AccuWeather.com RealFeel(R) temperatures can run as much as 10 degrees higher than the actual temperature under the cloud-free sky.

This could make it feel closer to 100 degrees in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon when temperatures are forecast to approach the record value of 92 degrees.

Folks planning to spend time in the outdoors should plan accordingly by wearing sunscreen and protective clothing.

Anyone partaking in more strenuous activities in the outdoors should also have more drinking water available to stay hydrated.

Temperatures are expected to fall by a few degrees each day heading into the weekend as the main core of the heat shifts to the east.

Dry weather will be here to stay though with very little rain in sight for the entire Southwest through the first half of next week.

This is bad news when it comes to the ongoing drought across the West.

According to the most recent report given by the U.S. Drought Monitor on April 1, 2014, 60 percent of the West is experiencing a moderate drought with the worst conditions being found across California and western Nevada.

"There is a glimmer of hope," said AccuWeather.com western U.S. weather expert Ken Clark, "but it is on the far distant horizon."

"El Niño conditions are expected to develop through the summer, and if the magnitude holds into next winter, we very well could be in for an abundance of storms next winter," said Clark.

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

An Indian man holds an umbrella and waits to cross a road during heavy downpour in Kolkata, India, Friday, Sept. 27, 2013. India's monsoon season, which runs from June to September, brings rain that is vital to agriculture. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Cherrapunji, India, is one of the wettest places on Earth, thanks to monsoon rains each year.

Cherrapunji now holds the world record 48-hour rainfall with a whopping 2,493 mm, or 98.15 inches, of rain on June 15-16, 1995, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced Friday.

The WMO's Commission on Climatology made its decision after an investigation into whether the rainfall total should be included in the WMO World Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes.

Cherrapunji is so wet because it gets an almost unimpeded flow of moisture from the Bay of Bengal across the lower elevations of Bangladesh to the south, AccuWeather.com Manager of International Forecasting and Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.

The city sits on a plateau at about 4,869 feet (1,484 meters), so as the moist air pushes north, it is forced to rise quickly, which forces it to condense into clouds and rain.

The moist air upslopes over the area as it attempts to rise into the Himalayas just north of Cherrapunji.

Cherrapunji also holds the one-year world record for rainfall with 26,470 mm (86 feet, 10 inches) of rain from August 1860 to July 1861, the WMO said.

While India depends on monsoon rains for its agriculture, there could be a problem this summer with weaker rains and below-normal rainfall, Nicholls said.

The monsoon rains are very important for India since that is when most of their annual rain will fall. India's economy is still largely agriculturally based so farmers rely on these rains for their crops, Nicholls said.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists expressed confidence that El Nino is developing and may reach moderate strength this summer.

While El Niño may bring beneficial rains to California and tame the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, it typically means a weaker monsoon and below-normal rainfall, especially in the key growing areas of northwest India.

"However, El Niño is not the only factor, a more important factor discovered fairly recently is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)," Nicholls said. "A positive IOD tends to enhance rainfall during the monsoon, while a negative IOD tends to suppress rainfall."

The IOD is projected to be largely neutral this summer while El Niño is projected to develop, so El Niño may be the more dominate signal. This could mean below-normal monsoonal rains for northern India.

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The latest monsoon influenced by El Niño forming in summer was 2009, which led to well below-normal rainfall across central and northern India.

The lack of rainfall sank the Indian economy into recession, Nicholls said.

"The one difference from 2009 versus this year is the IOD which went strong negative in June 2009, then rebound to neutral then weakly positive late in the summer," he said. "The IOD is expected to be different in 2014, so the impacts may not be as extreme, but if the El Nino forms as expected then there should be rainfall shortfalls across portions of northern India, which would stress crops and could ultimately stress India's economy."

Related on SKYE: The World's Wettest Places

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

(Getty Images)

Two areas of gusty and locally severe thunderstorms will bring locally dangerous conditions and disruptions to daily activities in the South Tuesday.

As the storms rumble through large metro areas such as Orlando, Tampa and Miami, Fla.; Jackson, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Alexandria, La., flight delays are possible and poor visibility and runoff can slow traffic on roadways.

Thunderstorms will ramp up ahead of an advancing cool front over central and South Florida Tuesday. Those heading to theme parks, the beach or the golf course should keep an eye out for rapidly changing weather conditions.

According to senior meteorologist Mark Mancuso, "The greatest threats from the Florida storms will be flooding downpours, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts."

A couple of the strongest storms could produce a short-lived tornado.

"Motorists should be on the lookout for high water on roadways and golfers should quickly exit courses if they hear thunder," Mancuso said.

The storms can affect the central counties of the peninsula at any time during the day, but they will hold off until the afternoon and evening hours in the southern counties.

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Meanwhile, a pocket of chilly air high above the ground will allow showers and thunderstorms to erupt in portions of Louisiana, Mississippi Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, the western part of the Florida Panhandle and southern parts of Missouri and Kentucky.

"The afternoon and evening storms over the lower Mississippi Valley have the potential to bring damaging wind gusts, brief blinding downpours and hail ranging in size from peas to marbles," Mancuso said.

A couple of the strongest storms can produce golf ball-sized hail.

The storms will diminish to showers and drift toward the southern Atlantic Seaboard Tuesday night, including Augusta National Golf Course, site of the 2014 Masters.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
The cherry trees on Capitol Hill in Washington blossom amid a spring rain and after a cold, lingering winter, Monday, April 7, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Another surge of warmth is forecast to spring across the Midwest and East Thursday into Friday.

The pattern has the potential to bring some of the highest temperatures of the season so far.

Temperatures are forecast to rise well into the 60s to lower 70s from the Ohio Valley to the interior Northeast and mid-Atlantic. The only cool spots will be where a breeze blows off the chilly waters of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures will climb well into the 70s across the South.

It will be dry and mild for those with outdoor plans or just trying to exercise. Many people will be able to shed jackets and long sleeves.

Some cities where weather conditions will be dry and clear for Major League Baseball on Thursday include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

There is the risk of a shower in Chicago as the Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates, but most of the time will be rain-free.

A storm system with rain and thunderstorms will travel from the Midwest to the Northeast, spanning Friday, Friday night and Saturday morning.

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If temperatures do not breach their high mark for the season Thursday into Friday, there will be another opportunity this weekend in the wake of the storm system.

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Moore, Okla., is in the heart of an area known as Tornado Alley. The people who call Moore home are still rebuilding from last year's devastating tornado that struck the area on May 20, 2013. In fact, HelpMooreRebuild.org is just one website where requests for help can be made as well as an area for people to sign up, serve and donate.

According to NOAA, about 1,300 tornadoes hit the United States per year and about 60 people die from a tornado-related death such as falling debris, per year. With severe weather season already underway, it is important to be able to identify where tornadoes touch down most frequently.

The most popular answer, Tornado Alley, is a stretch of land famous for its frequent tornado watches and warnings during the spring. Tornadoes, however, can occur almost anywhere in the United States, including west of the Rockies and east of the Appalachians. In fact, some weather experts suggest there is more than one tornado alley and up to as many as four different domestic locations.

Senior Vice President of AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions and Tornado Expert Mike Smith said that he believes in only two domestic tornado alleys: the classic stretch from Dallas to Des Moines, Iowa and Dixie Alley.

"Dixie consists of northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama. This area can estimate seeing about eight to 13 tornado watches per year and it's because of the low pressure systems that come through the area that mixes with moisture from the Gulf," Smith said.

The collision of cool air and warm, moist air is also what makes the Plains such a prime location for frequent tornadoes.

"The Great Plains is so susceptible to tornadoes because of the collision between moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, cool air from Canada, and most uniquely, very dry air from New Mexico and California that collides with the moisture," Smith said.

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Those same ingredients can be found just about anywhere on the map of the United States, thus sporting the theory that there may be a Hoosier Alley (Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio) and Carolina Alley (North Carolina and South Carolina) as well.

"The basic ingredients start with a thunderstorm: warm and moist air at low levels, cold and dry air above that and something that lifts the warm, moist air up. The air is going to be less dense and it will rise up like a hot air balloon. For a tornado, it needs to be organized in the atmosphere where the wind increases with height and a change in direction aloft," Harold Brooks, senior scientist of Forecast Research and Development Division for NOAA, said.

Since it's not rare for the atmosphere to bring these conditions together, some say it's nearly impossible to define one tornado alley, let alone multiple.

"I don't think there are any [tornado alleys]. It isn't a well-defined concept and it's pretty clear if you ask different meteorologists that they will draw different maps. If you ask the public, I think they would draw an area that would be something that would be based on occurrence," Brooks said.

Dawn breaks over the rubble that used to be homes, left earlier in the week when a tornado hit Moore, Okla., Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

There are several different ways that a tornado alley could be defined.

It could be based on how often tornadoes touch down in an area, how often you include path lengths, if there is a definable severe weather season, or you could talk about impacts and where the most damage occurs, Brooks said.

Dixie Alley is characterized by the presence of a defined severe weather season in the springtime as well as a strong fall signal which is slightly different from the definitive severe weather season of the Plains.

"There has been a high fatality rate from the 1950s through the present with F2 storms or higher in Dixie. These are the kind of storms that can take out a person's home," Smith said.

Defining an alley based on frequency or damage is not as easily agreed upon in areas referred to as Carolina Alley and Hoosier Alley.

"Carolina Alley is something that I don't buy. An interesting theory, as is Hoosier Alley, but they are terms for broad regions between the Rockies and the Appalachians where there is enhanced tornado occurrence, but the strength of that seasonal cycle weakens as you go east from the Plains," Brooks said.

Although Brooks does not buy into Carolina or Hoosier Alley's there is research that disagrees with him.

Despite the location, it's important to pass on and understand the difference between tornado watches and warnings.

"Tornado Alley receives 10-15 watches per year and this is when the forecast conditions are just right for a severe weather event to occur, but a warning is when a specific area is advised to take cover," Smith said.

"Essentially, the Plains are an ideal place to make storms very frequently because it's easy for the atmosphere to do it there. You need something to initiate it and get the storm started and that the conditions to support the storms in April and May are perfect. But again, this can happen just about anywhere if the conditions are just right," Brooks said.

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April 10, 2014

The FBI collected data from its Uniform Crime Reports and calculated the occurrence of crimes in the U.S. for 2012, the most recent year of complete data. (Photo/FBI)

There will be more violent crimes through the end of the 21st century as a result of climate change, according to a new study.

The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, showed that climate change will cause an additional 22,000 murders, 180,000 cases of rape, 1.2 million aggravated assaults, 2.3 million simple assaults, 260,000 robberies, 1.3 million burglaries, 2.2 million cases of larceny and 580,000 cases of vehicle theft in the United States between 2010 and 2099.

There are two main theories about why higher temperatures lead to more crime, study author Matthew Ranson said.

"The first is that when temperatures are warmer, there are more opportunities to commit crime. People leave their windows open, more potential victims are out on the streets and people are more likely to get together and interact," Ranson said. "The second theory is that temperature has a direct effect on human aggression. For example, in laboratory studies, subjects make more aggressive choices when they are in a hot room instead of a comfortable room."

Ranson analyzed 30 years of monthly crime and weather data for 2,997 U.S. counties.

The crime data was taken from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, which includes monthly information on crimes in the jurisdictions of various police departments.

Historically, serious crime rises in the warmer months of the year.

"Whether you look at daily, weekly or monthly data, there is a strong relationship between historical temperatures and crime. For example, crime rates are highest in warm months of the year. This seasonality is strongest in the northern areas of the U.S., which is where the seasonal temperature differences are also largest," Ranson said.

The social cost of increased crimes as a result of climate change is calculated to cost between $38 billion and $115 billion, according to Ranson. This rise in crime is also estimated to require a permanent 4 percent increase in police forces across the U.S.

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"The cost I report in the paper is the cost of victimization, based on evidence such as the value of lost property, medical bills and pain-and-suffering jury awards to victims," he said.

Although, Ranson admits that predicting the future may prove to be difficult.

"We don't know what the year 2100 is going to be like," he said. "What we do know, however, is that climate change is likely to lead to higher temperatures, and historically, higher temperatures have caused more crime. So, while the predictions in the paper could be quite inaccurate, the takeaway message is that climate change is likely to cause a significant increase in crime."

However, not all experts agree. A George Washington University professor said the projected rise in crime is a bit more nuanced than what Ranson reported.

"It's not as straightforward as that. There are some findings that show there is not a linear relationship between crime and temperatures," Sabrina McCormick, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health at GWU's Milken Institute School of Public Health, said.

The relationship appears to be more like an upside-down U, with lower rates of violent crimes during colder weather and higher rates as the temperature rises. But with extreme heat, the rate comes back down, according to McCormick.

"So, there is the potential that he is incorrect about that [relationship]," she said.

The message McCormick sees in Ranson's research is that climate change threatens the fabric of our society.

However, there are things people can do to help mitigate the effects of climate change, including tree planting and the building of "social capital" in communities where crime rates are high.

"It will empower them to protect themselves and adapt more effectively to climate change," McCormick said.

In Philadelphia, each neighborhood has a block captain, a person who volunteers to act as the community leader on their block and notify the city about problems such as needed street light and pothole repairs, McCormick said.

In the event of a heat wave, the block captain is in charge of going door-to-door to alert neighbors.

Despite a cold winter across the nation, this summer should not have abnormally high temperature extremes.

There will be fairly average temperatures this summer in the eastern United States, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist and member of the Long-Range Forecasting Team Jack Boston said.

"It will be hot and dry from the southern Plains to the Southwest and the Northwest. Burbank, Calif., in the Los Angeles area, is forecast to be above normal during June, July and August," he said. "The northern Plains and Great Lakes will be back and forth with temperatures; Minneapolis will be 1.5 degrees above normal in June, 1 degree below normal and a half degree above normal in August."

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Thursday, April 10, 2014


The warmest weather since early last October will surge into many areas of the East on Monday, featuring 80-degree temperatures in some locations. The warmup may bring a surge in pollen.

Mild air building in the Eastern states through Saturday will be just a tease compared to the warmth coming Sunday into Monday for many areas east of the Mississippi River.

After flirting with some of the highest temperatures of the season so far over the next few days, the warmth will be quite noticeable by early next week.

The warmth is likely to reach all the way into northern New England and the Maritimes. However, the warm weather will be accompanied by a stiff south to southwesterly breeze.

Only locations with a southern exposure to chilly ocean, sound or bay waters will stay relatively cool.

Despite Monday's warmth, temperatures will stop short of record levels in most areas. For many locations, record highs this time of the year are well into the 80s and lower 90s.

The combination of mild air and recent rainfall helped to bring the cherry blossoms to peak around Washington, D.C., this week.

The surging warmth will allow more lawns to green up, blossoms to emerge and early spring flowers to bloom.

Along with the surging warmth will be an explosion of tree pollen in southern portions of the mid-Atlantic and in parts of the Ohio Valley.

To some extent, the stiff breeze will allow some of the tree pollen to push northward for a time into areas where vegetation is still dormant.

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The combination of tree pollen, mold, emerging grasses, old winter brush and other conditions could have some allergy sufferers running for cover.

However, these factors may not necessarily be the source of allergy symptoms for many people.

Despite the upcoming warm surge, this does not mean the end of unseasonable chill for portions of the Midwest and the East.

Another substantial dip in temperatures is in the forecast for much of the North Central states and the Northeast during the middle of next week.

Marking the change from very warm conditions to chilly weather will be a front accompanied with showers, thunderstorms and perhaps even severe weather.

A bit of wet snow is possible at the tail end of the rain at midweek in parts of upstate New York and northern New England.

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As California's San Joaquin River meanders down from the Sierra Nevada across the Central Valley toward the San Francisco Bay, it loses water to farms and communities along the way. Now, amid drought, a national river conservation agency is calling on California to manage the San Joaquin's much-needed water more efficiently.

The nonprofit American Rivers announced today (April 9) that it has deemed the San Joaquin the most endangered river in America. The organization highlights 10 rivers each year facing threats and management decisions that could make or break their futures.

"The San Joaquin has lots of problems from dams, levees and water diversions," said John Cain, the conservation director for California floodplain management at American Rivers. "It's had these problems for a long time, but this year, it's really at a tipping point." [Under Threat: See the 10 Most Endangered Rivers of 2014]

Fork in the river

There are two big legislative and management decisions facing the San Joaquin. The first is that the state's Water Resources Control Board is updating its Bay Delta Water Quality Plan. This plan governs the enormous estuary that connects the San Joaquin to the Pacific, the Bay Delta; it's the largest estuary on the west coast of either North or South America, said Eric Wesselman, executive director of the California conservation organization Friends of the River.

The estuary is a crucial habitat for fish, including the economically important Chinook salmon, Wesselman, who was not involved in the American Rivers report, told Live Science. The water board has the power to increase flows down the San Joaquin into the estuary, improving the water and habitat quality. Though there is pressure from agricultural interests to keep that water for irrigation, environmental advocates argue that increased flows are necessary to protect both the environment and the economy.

"If the estuary collapses, then these fisheries collapse," Wesselman said.

There are also farmers near the estuary who would prefer more water get downstream, Cain added. And 23 million Californians get drinking water from the San Joaquin and south delta.

"Today, that supply is really compromised by the low quality and quantity of the San Joaquin river," Cain said.

The San Joaquin and its tributaries are extensively dammed, and water diversions remove 70 percent of the natural flow of the river, American Rivers reports. More than 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the river have run dry for half a century because of the diversions.

A second tipping point for the river involves attempts in Congress to overturn a settlement agreement to restore the San Joaquin. This settlement, hard-won over the course of two decades of litigation, is threatened by the pressures on the river's water. The problems have only worsened as California's drought drags on. In February, the Fresno Bee newspaper reported that planned water releases for the restoration have been put on hold until at least 2015.

The drought is "like putting gasoline on the fire for water politics," Wesselman said.

Water solutions

The drought, however, is not the reason American Rivers chose to highlight the San Joaquin this year, Cain said. The river's problems run deep, and would require a solution no matter how much rain California was getting, he said.

American Rivers is urging Californians to push for a sustainable management plan for the San Joaquin. Wesselman said that probably the most efficient route for reaching the Water Resources Control Board's ear is to pressure the state's governor, Jerry Brown, who appoints the board. [See Images of the San Joaquin River]

Nationally, citizens can urge their senators to oppose attempts to overturn state and federal laws that safeguard rivers from excessive diversion, Cain said.

"What we're advocating for is better water management regimes so that there is enough water for farms and fish," Cain said. "That would really require water conservation in all years and actively recharging our aquifer in wet years, so it can serve as a buffer in dry years."

About 80 percent of California's water goes to agriculture, so conservation by farmers is key, Wesselman said. Possible solutions include installing drip rather than spray irrigation; planting annual crops such as lettuce that can be tailored to wet and dry years versus plants such as nut trees that must be watered no matter the weather; and lining canals so that precious water doesn't seep into the soil instead of irrigating crops.

"The drought, in a way, is the opportunity for California to put itself on a path to a sustainable water future," Wesselman said.

American Rivers highlighted nine other endangered rivers in its report, as well. Threats range from excessive diversions to outdated dams to polluted runoff. The full list is:

1. San Joaquin River, California

2. Upper Colorado River, Colorado

3. Middle Mississippi River, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky

4. Gila River, New Mexico

5. San Francisquito Creek, California

6. South Fork Edisto River, South Carolina

7. White River, Colorado

8. White River, Washington

9. Haw River, North Carolina

10. Clearwater and Lochsa rivers, Idaho

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

• The Worst Droughts in U.S. History
• Images: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth
• 8 of the World's Most Endangered Places

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There has been a lot of interest recently in an upcoming series of lunar eclipses that begins April 15. These are usually described as "four blood moons" and taken by some to prophesy upcoming disasters.

The total lunar eclipse of April 15 will begin a so-called tetrad series of eclipses that is making the rounds online as a potential harbinger of doom, due in part to a recent book on the four blood moons that makes the dubious claim.

Astronomers rarely if ever use the term blood moon. When they do, they are usually using it as an alternate name for the Hunter's Moon, the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon, usually in late October. The Hunter's Moon, like the Harvest Moon, rises slowly on autumn evenings so that it shines through a thick layer of the Earth's atmosphere, and is colored red by Rayleigh scattering and air pollution. [Four Blood Moons: Lunar Eclipse Tetrad Explained (Video)]

Lunar eclipses explained

A lunar eclipse is something quite different. It occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow.

The Earth's shadow consists of two parts: a dark inner core called the "umbra," and a lighter outer part called the "penumbra." Rather than being truly dark, the inner shadow is usually tinted orange or red by light passing through the ring of atmosphere surrounding the Earth.

Depending on the atmospheric conditions on Earth in the band of atmosphere through which the sun's light is passing, the umbra may take on a range of colors from light coppery-red to almost total black. The light illuminating an eclipsed moon is coming from thousands of sunsets and sunrises around the Earth. During some eclipses, these sunsets and sunrises are clear, and much light passes through; during others, clouds may block the light, causing a dark eclipse.

The blood moon

On rare occasions, the light reaching the moon is exactly the color of blood, but there is no way of predicting this in advance. So there are no grounds to call any particular lunar eclipse a blood moon until it actually shows its color.

Because the moon's orbit is slightly tilted with respect to the sun's path across the sky, most of the time the moon passes above or below the Earth's shadow, and no eclipse occurs. Sometimes it passes only through the penumbra and produces what is called a penumbral eclipse, a moon so lightly shaded that the casual observer might not even notice a difference. There were two such penumbral eclipses in 2013, on May 25 and Oct. 18. [Total Lunar Eclipses: Blood Red Moon Explained (Video)]

Sometimes the moon only dips slightly into the central shadow, and it produces a partial lunar eclipse. One of these occurred last year, on April 25.

The rarest of all lunar eclipses are those in which the moon passes through the darkest part of the shadow, a true total lunar eclipse. This last happened on Dec. 10, 2011.

Four Blood Moons: The lunar eclipse tetrad

What is unusual about this month's lunar eclipse is that it is the first of a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row. Called a tetrad, such a series of four total eclipses in a row is a fairly rare event. The last such series happened in the years 2003 and 2004. It will only occur seven more times in the current century.

So while a tetrad of total lunar eclipses is somewhat rare, it is not extraordinarily so, and probably nothing to make a fuss about. After all, the only thing that happens during a lunar eclipse is that the moon spends a couple of hours passing through the Earth's shadow, hardly something to be concerned about.

Unfortunately, there are still many superstitious people in the world. Such is the case in the book "Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change" (Worthy Publishing, 2013) by John Hagee, which suggests a link between the new total lunar eclipse tetrad and biblical prophecy about the end times.

When the mechanisms behind eclipses were less well understood, they were thought to be omens of bad tidings, just as comets were. Now people know that these are just normal events in the clockwork of the solar system, things which have occurred regularly for thousands of years and which will occur for thousands of years into the future.

Associations between "disastrous" events and normal astronomical events are all fabrications of the human mind, as people attempt to find explanations for why disasters affect them. Because of the Internet and cable news channels, people now hear reports of disasters from around the world, including earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, which they never would have been aware of in the past. It's almost inevitable that something bad will happen right after an eclipse or a visit from a comet.

As an ardent skywatcher who derives much pleasure from beautiful events like lunar eclipses, it saddens me that there are "prophets of doom" in the world who view these life-enriching events as portents of disaster.

The good news about these forthcoming lunar eclipses is that all four will be visible to most skywatchers in North America. I hope that you will manage to observe one or more of them, and share their beauty with your friends. The eclipse on April 15 will require most North Americans to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, but it will be well worth it.

This article was provided to Space.com by Simulation Curriculum, the leader in space science curriculum solutions and the makers of Starry Night and SkySafari. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

• The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts
• Close Mars, Lunar Eclipse And Lyrid Meteors - April 2014 Skywatching Video
• Photos: Total Lunar Eclipse of December 2011
• A Tetrad Of Lunar Eclipses Starts In April | Video

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Friday, April 11, 2014

In this May 20, 2013, file photo, a tornado moves through Moore, Okla., as northbound traffic on Interstate 35 stops at Indian Hills Road in Moore, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File)

There is the potential for severe thunderstorms to erupt over a portion of the South Central states on Sunday as warmth and chill collide.

Warm air will surge northeastward Sunday and Monday over the eastern third of the nation, while a chilly air mass pushes southward across the Plains.

While the pattern will bring some of the warmest weather since early last October to parts of the Northeast and an April snowstorm to Denver and vicinity, it is also likely to ignite robust thunderstorms from portions of central and northeastern Texas to parts of Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.

Travel along portions of I-20, I-35, I-30 and I-40 could be impact by the storms. Cities that could be hit with some of the storms include Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.; Shreveport, La.; and Springfield, Mo.

At this early stage, the potential impacts of the storms cover the full spectrum of severe weather, ranging from damaging wind gusts and large hail to flash flooding, frequent lightning strikes and a few tornadoes.

More will be known on the precise nature, timing and areal coverage of the storms over the next couple of days. However, the most likely time for damaging storms is from the mid-afternoon Sunday into the first part of Sunday night.

What typically happens in a situation like this is spotty storms ignite ahead of an advancing cold front during the afternoon hours. These storms bring a higher risk for isolated tornadoes as they mature into severe thunderstorms. During the evening, the storms tend to grow together, move along at a brisk pace and form what is known as a squall line, or perhaps a dangerous cluster of storms, known as a mesoscale convective system (MCS).

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Both systems can bring sudden shifting and damaging winds, while an MCS can bring both damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall. A squall line can bring brief blinding rain.

The storms have the potential to spoil a Sunday stroll or picnic and cause travel delays for those heading home from weekend adventures.

Sunday, storms and a few other batches of severe weather are occurring in a zone expected to be the prime area for severe weather during April.

Prior to the severe weather risk on Sunday, a few of areas can be affected by locally gusty, drenching thunderstorms with hail.

One area to watch is over the Ohio Valley and the central High Plains during Thursday afternoon and evening.

A few storms from northern Arkansas and southern Missouri to the Delmarva Peninsula can be locally heavy and gusty during Friday.

On Saturday, there is a chance of locally gusty thunderstorms around Nebraska, Iowa, eastern Kansas and northern Missouri.

People can keep track of forecast adjustments on the severe weather by checking back on AccuWeather.com or with mobile Apps.

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Friday, April 11, 2014

In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, at a hatchery in Parkdale, Ore., hatchery technician Keith Moody feeds about 30,000 salmon smolts in a rearing pond. (AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka)

Baby salmon have been taking a road trip by land instead of the normal river route because of the extended California drought.

The 2016 fishing season will rely on the survival of the salmon hatchlings hitching a ride to the Delta, according to a recent press release. California's salmon industry currently rakes in $1.4 billion, annually, and employs tens of thousands of people from Santa Barbara to northern Oregon.

"As more and more fresh water is extracted from the Sacramento River and Delta for delivery to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness, the salmon's migration corridor downstream and through the Bay-Delta estuary has become a deadly gauntlet," Zeke Grader, who is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and vice chairman of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, said.

"Add drought, and the Central Valley rivers and Delta become virtually impassable for salmon."

The salmon-truck run goes from Coleman National Fish Hatchery near Redding, Calif., to the San Francisco Bay and its delta. California officials also planned similar efforts, Spokesman Andrew Hughan of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife said.

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There has been some rain during the last month in Northern California, but now the state is moving into its dry season where the amount of rain is normally minimal, AccuWeather.com Western Weather Expert Ken Clark said.

"It won't have any effect on improving the drought status at all," he said. "But I doubt it gets much worse right now."

The amount of water coming out of the California foothills will be noticeably less on streams, potentially affecting both fishing and recreational rafting, Clark said.

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Warm weather will be in tune this weekend for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, being held in Indio, Calif.

The first weekend of the festival is set to begin Friday, April 11 and continue through Sunday, April 13.

Folks headed to the festival can expect dry weather with temperatures within a few degrees of 90 F each day.

Although those going to the festival may welcome the dry weather, it is still important to be prepared for other aspects of the weather.

Keeping hydrated and staying protected from the sun should be in the minds of everyone at the festival, from the fans in the audience to the lead singer of your favorite band.

Wearing sunscreen, light-colored clothing and sunglasses will help protect those planning on spending long periods of time out in the sun.

Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated. Beverages such as soft drinks and alcohol will only accelerate dehydration.

Friday is forecast to be the hottest day at the festival with afternoon temperatures topping out in the mid-90s.

This will be followed up by a cooler, more seasonable day on Saturday with highs in the middle to upper 80s.

Despite the afternoon heat, things will cool off during the overnight hours, dipping down into the upper 50s or lower 60s.

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Early indications are showing that similar conditions will be in play next weekend for the second half of the festival.

Weekend two of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is set to start on Friday, April 18, and last until Sunday, April 20.

With the second weekend shaping up to be nearly a carbon copy of the first, those attending both weekends should take the same precautions to stay protected from the afternoon heat and the blazing sun.

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