Weather Is a Current Event

Weather is a current event. People talk about the weather more than almost anything else. Some hurricanes make national news, due to the loss of lives and the amount of property damage they can cause. Tornadoes also leave devastation in their wakes. These types of severe storms often affect a specific geographic area. However, weather that affects people across large geographic areas becomes a national weather event.

The winter storm that swept across the country in December of 2013 may not hold the record for amount of snow, but it made the news for the number of states that were impacted. Within the same two-to-three-day period, severe weather affected much of the nation. This included snow, ice, sleet, wind, and record cold temperatures. The Pacific coast saw rare snow—up to two inches in some places. The western United States received blasts of Arctic air accompanied in some locations by gusty winds. This led to dangerous windchill factors. The icy path of the storm stretched across two thousand miles, affecting at least nine states.

Temperatures were expected to drop considerably below normal across the Midwest and across the nation. The National Weather Service posted alerts for winter storm activity in the western and eastern United States. The eastern United States had a forecast for heavy snowfall. At the same time, an alert for extreme wind chill was issued across the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. One news report listed effects of the storm in 23 states. That’s almost half of the United States!

This winter storm example is no longer current, but weather affects us every day. Scientists and climate researchers constantly monitor temperatures and weather trends. Their goal is to predict the weather. Their forecasts and observations affect more than our daily activities. Climate data gives us information on national and worldwide trends, such as global warming. This, in turn, informs the choices we make as a people and a society.