Tornado

We’re entering the final full workweek before Christmas, and if you’re getting an early start on holiday travel, you’re going to want to prepare for delays on the roads and in the air as a series of storm systems get set to sweep across parts of the U.S.

Millions of people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are facing their next round of rain, snow and ice that could lead to some travel issues as we close out the weekend and begin the final full workweek before the Christmas holiday.

New York officials said recent rainfall has reduced the wildfire risk, but they are still asking residents to conserve water. The U.S. Drought Monitor has much of the tri-state under a severe drought, with a local weather observation site reporting a rainfall deficit of nearly 4" of precipitation for the year. Dozens of fires broke out across the Northeast during the dry conditions of the fall.

A new study has revealed that a marine heat wave caused a massive die-off of common murres around Alaska between 2014-2016. Biologists say the tuxedo-styled birds dive and swim in the ocean to eat small fish and then fly back to land to nest in large colonies.

A strong atmospheric river is drenching much of the West Coast with heavy rains and potentially damaging wind gusts, while in the coastal Pacific Northwest, coastal flooding is a serious concern.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts the Sunshine State’s orange production to be off more than 33% when compared to the 2023-2024 harvesting season. Florida growers are expected to produce 12 million boxes of oranges during the 2024-2025 season which would be the lowest since 1930.