Tag Archives: Climate Change

La Niña and the Azores-Bermuda Ridge: Impact on the 2024 Hurricane Season

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Fred Pickhardt

Currently, El Niño is weakening rapidly, and meteorologists anticipate the development of a La Niña event by the main 2024 hurricane season. La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Just how will this transition affect the Atlantic hurricane environment? Continue reading →

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Why is it so warm in the North Atlantic?

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Fred Pickhardt

The overall recent warming of the North Atlantic, particularly in the northeastern sector, may be in large part a combination of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) being in its warm phase which raises the base SST to any additional warming added from the recent reduced trade winds in the tropics. Continue reading →

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Floods in Italy force thousands of people to leave their homes

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Fred Pickhardt

Intense rainfall in mid-May resulted in severe flooding in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna displacing over 30,000 people and killing 14.  Continue reading →

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Record Rainfall in Fort Lauderdale

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Fred Pickhardt

Reord rainfall in Fort Lauderdale. A stationary supercell thunderstorm that centered itself near Fort Lauderdale, Florida produced prolonged periods of 3+ inch hourly rainfalls creating widespread flooding. Continue reading →

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Heat Wave in Western Europe tied to Sea Temperatures?

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Fred Pickhardt

Another heat wave is currently developing over Western Europe and the media are pointing the finger at climate change but more likely are a result of a growing area of negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly that has developed over the eastern North Atlantic ocean which has a tendency to enhance undulations in the jet stream.

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New NOAA Sea Level Rise Estimate for St Petersburg, Florida 

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Fred Pickhardt

A new Sea Level Rise report from NOAA has been issued to project seal level rise and coastal flood hazards for the United States out to 2150 for 5 sea level scenarios: low, intermediate-low, intermediate, intermediate-high and high. Continue reading →

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Sea Level Rise Projections – Reality or Hype?

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Fred Pickhardt

In recent years there has been much press regarding global warming (climate change) and how this will affect sea level rise, including claims that the oceans could rise up to 10 feet or more by 2100.  Continue reading →

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Does global climate change have an influence on tropical cyclone activity?

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Fred Pickhardt

Does global climate change have an influence on tropical cyclone activity and can these influences be detected?  This question is important given the high risk to populations along coastal regions. This question was tackled in a recent assessment published in The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Continue reading →

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Hurricane Storm Surges in Tampa Bay

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Fred Pickhardt

The highest storm surges in Tampa Bay are usually associated with hurricanes, with the three highest tides occurring during Cat 3 storms in 1848, 1921 and 1985. Hurricane Elena in late August of 1985 caused the highest storm surge recorded … Continue reading →

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Tale of Two Hemispheres

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Fred Pickhardt

Interesting split in SST temperatures for the Northern Hemisphere vs. the Southern Hemisphere.  The Northern Hemisphere SST anomaly is predominately warmer than normal while the Southern Hemisphere appears to be mostly cooler than normal. NOAA Global SST Anomaly https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/sst/anomaly/2019/anomnight.8.8.2019.gif   … Continue reading →

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