States bordering the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico face a greater risk this year of a hurricane strike, according to the forecast from CSU’s Department of Atmospheric Science (USA Today).
From 1981 to 2012, 70% of major Atlantic hurricanes – those reaching Category 3 or higher – have gone through rapid intensification.
Hurricane Laura's landfall came after officials in both states issued the gravest of warnings about the storm, which is among the strongest ever to hit the United States (New York Times).
Ozone layer researchers identify potential steps for the further success of a three-decade long treaty, the Montreal Protocol.
Colorado State University is a partner in a $20 million NSF program on AI and environmental research led by the University of Oklahoma.
Rapid intensification has taken Hurricane Laura from a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph early Tuesday to a Category 3 with 115-mph winds on Wednesday morning (CNN).
Atmospheric scientists at CSU found black carbon is not as important as previously thought for ice particle formation in mid-level clouds, the clouds most responsible for precipitation over continents.
“We’re seeing not only just warmer sea surface temperatures, we’re also seeing lower sea level pressures,” said Jhordanne Jones, a graduate research assistant with CSU’s Tropical Weather and Climate Research Group (Scientific American).
CSU hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach said there have been only two occasions in the last 150 years when there have been two systems in the Gulf of Mexico where both were at least of tropical storm strength (Ars Technica).
So far, 2020 is Colorado’s third driest year on record and the 12th warmest, according to state climatologist Russ Schumacher (Colorado Public Radio).