Snow drought

A warming climate has meant less snow in the northern hemisphere, which is a problem when agriculture depends on melting snow to grow crops. Bloomberg reports on the current snow drought situation.

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Ski resorts dealing with fewer snow days

For Bloomberg Green, Jin Wu, Laura Millan and Hayley Warren, on the challenges ski resorts face with rising temperatures:

Artificial snowmaking has become more efficient, so it uses less water and electricity. But even with advanced technology, fake snow can’t always be deployed — and climate change is creating a more difficult environment, making water more scarce and temperatures too high for it to freeze. This year, skyrocketing energy prices forced some resorts in Japan to shut down their snow cannons and wait for natural flakes to fall.

The piece starts with a horizontal scroll through the mountains and then transitions to the chart above. There’s a nice flow between the photo into the abstract view, so they don’t seem like two separate things.

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Snow cover mapped using snowflakes

To show snow cover across the United States, Althea Archer for the USGS used hexbins, but instead of hexbins, she used snowflakes. Archer provided her R code and outlined her process in a blog post, which is something I’m not used to seeing from a government agency. I like it.

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Distribution of snowfall estimates to show uncertainty

For NYT’s The Upshot, Aatish Bhatia, Josh Katz and Margot Sanger-Katz show the full distribution of expected snowfall in your area instead of just the middle:

The range can be wide. That’s because predicting snow remains tricky, especially several days out, said Alex Lamers, a warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Getting a snowfall total right requires predicting the path of a storm correctly, estimating the amount of precipitation and understanding additional factors — like the temperature high in the atmosphere, or wind speeds close to the ground — that can influence the snow’s density.

The Weather Man with Nicolas Cage is such an underrated movie.

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Frequency trails in the snow

This is a good tweet.

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Art of Science: Sonja Hinrichsen’s Snow Drawings

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Snow Drawing, Briancon, France, 2014. Photo by Sonja Hinrichsen

Artists whose work engages with the environment often gather materials from nature – branches, dirt, soil or leaves. Sonja Hinrichsen’s art supplies simply drop from the sky. Hinrichsen creates beautiful, ephemeral artworks using snow.

Her Snow Drawings are a series of designs that are “walked into” pristine snow surfaces with snowshoes. Hinrichsen creates the design and a group of volunteers strap on snowshoes and make it. The artist then documents the work in photographs and video.

Hinrichsen says her Snow Drawings, which she has been making since 2009 in the US and Europe, “correspond with and accentuate the landscape, and I hope that they help arouse appreciation and consciousness for the natural world.”  She says she prefers to create immersive but ephemeral experiences rather than objects.

The drawing shown above was created in February 2014 in Briancon, in the Valley of Serre Chevalier, a skiing area in the French Alps. The piece was created over two days with the help of approximately 70 participants from the surrounding communities.

You can read more about these and other projects by Sonja Hinrichsen at her website.


Filed under: The Art of Science Tagged: sciart, snow, Sonja Hinrichen

11 Winter Weather Tips : As Told by Adorable Dogs

Don’t be stuck in the dog house by not preparing for winter weather. Whether it is avoiding frostbite or heating your home safely, make sure you know how to prepare for and handle winter weather.

1. Winter weather can be hair-raisingly unpredictable.

Funny australian shepherd running and enjoy snow time in cloud of snow flying away from his legs

Unusual weather can hit at any time. That’s why it is important to be prepared for all types of weather emergencies. Take actions to prepare for winter weather before a storm impacts your area.

2. Be sure to dress properly for winter weather.

Huge Dogue De Borgeaux dressed with hat, scarf and sweater sitting in the snow

When temperatures drop, it is important to dress warmly, wear plenty of layers, and stay dry. Try to stay indoors when the weather is extremely cold, especially if there are high winds. If you have to go outside, be sure to practice winter weather outdoor safety.

3. Avoid exertion.

Cute small dog under a blanket snuggling with a teddy bear

Winter is a great time to stay in and cuddle. Cold weather puts an extra strain on the heart. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s advice about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold. If you have to do heavy outdoor chores, dress warmly and work slowly.

4. Prepare your car for winter weather.

dog sitting in the drivers sear of a car

No one wants to ride unprepared. Always have an emergency kit in your car with supplies you can use if your car breaks down. Prepare your car for winter by following CDC’s guidance.

5. Heat your home safely.

two pugs staring wide-eyed in front of the fireplace

As these guys know, fire can be scary. Not knowing how to safely heat your home or use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater can be dangerous. Take time to learn about safe ways to heat your home and find more important winter weather indoor safety tips.

6. Create a Support Network.

four husky puppies in a basket

Even if your support network is not as cute as this one, it is important to have one. Having a support network of family and friends to help you during an emergency is very important. Check on your neighbors, and help older adults and the disabled shovel snow for safe walking paths. Use these CDC eCards to invite your friends and family to join your support network.

7. Know how to spot, avoid, and treat Frostbite and Hypothermia.

curly haired dog half burried in snow

Even with a fluffy coat of fur you could be at risk for frostbite or hypothermia in severe winter weather. Know the signs and how to avoid frostbite and hypothermia by following CDC’s Safe and Healthy Winter Weather guidance.

8. Take care of your pets.

pug-dog in winter outerwear pulling on a leash

Pets get cold too! During cold weather bring your pets inside, even if they don’t want to go. As you prepare your home for winter weather, take special measures to care for your pets, make sure they have adequate shelter and access to unfrozen water.

9. Tips for coping with severe weather.

dog covered in snow with large sad eyes

Coping with severe winter weather can be tough. Learn how to manage the stress and emotions of dealing with severe weather or a catastrophic event and how to maintain a healthy state of mind.

10. Avoid ice.

white dog staring at an icicle

Ice can be extremely dangerous. Many cold-weather injuries result from falls on ice-covered sidewalks, steps, driveways, and porches. Keep your steps and walkways as free of ice as possible by using rock salt or another chemical de-icing compound. Sand may also be used on walkways to reduce the risk of slipping.

11. Stay inside during severe winter weather.

Large saint burnard dog sitting on a couch leaning on a man trying to read the paper

When winter weather hits, find a comfy spot and try to stay inside. Staying indoors during extreme cold can help reduce the risk of car crashes, falls on the ice, hypothermia and frostbite. It’s also much cozier.

Posted by in BBC, Infographics, snow

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Emergency Planning for All Abilities

Photo of a Push to Open button on a door for accessibility.

By Georgina Peacock

Nickole Cheron was stuck in her home for eight days after a rare winter storm buried Portland, Oregon, under more than a foot of snow in 2008. Fortunately for Nickole, whose muscles are too weak to support her body, she signed up for “Ready Now!,” an emergency preparedness training program developed through the CDC-supported Oregon Office of Disability and Health. Nickole said the training was empowering, and reinforced her ability to live independently with a disability. She learned from the training to develop a back-up plan, stock up on food, water and necessary medications, make a handy list of emergency contact information and to keep a charged car battery at home for her electric wheelchair.

At CDC, we work to make sure people of all abilities – including those with disabilities – are prepared for an emergency. Unlike Nickole, many people with disabilities and their caregivers do not plan for disasters or are not included in disaster planning by government organizations, communities or private sector companies. This week, we are focusing on people with disabilities for National Preparedness Month.

Photo of a wheelchairWhat You Can Do

To make sure the needs of people with disabilities are met in disasters, here are a few areas that all of us – caregivers, emergency responders, health professionals and individuals with disabilities – should focus on:

Communication and notification. People with disabilities need to be able to access and understand information in an emergency. For example, provide access to visual notification systems such as fire alarms with flashing lights for those with hearing loss that need to be notified about impending disasters.

Evacuation and emergency transportation. It is important to plan for transportation that people with mobility limitations can use in an emergency or to identify family members, friends or colleagues who can assist people with disabilities who may have difficulty evacuating.

Shelter accessibility. Make sure you or your loved one knows shelter options prior to an emergency. Look for shelters with battery-charging stations for wheelchairs or assistive devices, accessible bathrooms, and personal assistive services (home health nurses and aides). Every shelter is required to accept service animals, but make sure to find out which shelters offer sign language interpreters or the specific assistance that you require.

Blind man with a guide dog walking down the stairs with a woman.Working Together – A Whole Community Approach

Using a whole community approach, individuals, families, caregivers, health professionals and community partners from within governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations need to work together so that that people with disabilities and their family members can protect themselves in the event of disasters. Always first involve the individual with a disability in planning to the maximum extent appropriate. Keep specific needs of people with disabilities in mind, and connect them with the appropriate service and healthcare providers. If successful, communities can improve their ability to respond and recover from all hazards – and strengthen the resiliency of people of all abilities.

Lessons from Atlanta

photo of television screen showing news coverage of Atlanta snowstormWhat many would call a “dusting,” we Atlantans would call a “snowpocalypse” as evidence by this week’s 2 inches of snow which crippled the city, causing severe gridlock across the metro area, stranding school children and commuters who were forced to abandon cars on the highway. The mayor of Atlanta and Governor Deal have been making the media circuit, trying to explain what happened to cause the city to grind to a halt, but regardless of who’s fault it was, it’s time to take a look at the situation and see what we can learn from a preparedness perspective. Here are our top 5 lessons learned, that don’t just apply to folks in the Deep South, but to everyone who might be caught in an emergency situation.

  1. You can always count on…yourself. We’d like to be able to tell you that someone from your local, state, or federal government will always be available 24/7 to help everyone during an emergency, but that’s just not realistic. First responders are there to help the people in the most need, it’s important that everyone else be self-sufficient until emergency response crews have time to get the situation under control. That means you need to be prepared for the worst, with supplies, plans, and knowledge to make sure you can care for yourself and your family until the situation returns to normal.
  2. Keep emergency supplies in your car. So much of our lives revolve around our vehicles. For most of us that’s how we get to and from work everyday, shuttle our kids, and buy groceries. And in places like Atlanta many of us have long commutes, during which time anything could happen. You have emergency supplies in your house, why not in your car? Many motorists were stranded on the highways for 10 hours or more. You need to make sure you have a blanket, water, food, and other emergency supplies stored away in your trunk just in case.
  3. Make a family emergency plan. If you can’t pick up your kids who will? Many parents were stranded on the interstate and unable to get to their children’s schools. Sit down with your family and go over what you would do in different emergency situations. Is there a neighbor or relative in the area that can help out if you aren’t able to get to your kids. Let them know you’d like to include them in your plan. Make sure you also come up with a communication plan, that includes giving everyone a list of important phone numbers, not just to save in your cellphone but to keep in your wallet or kids’ backpack. Many commuters’ cell phones died while they were sitting on the roadways for hours. If all your important phone numbers are saved to your device and it died, would you be able to remember your neighbor’s number to ask them to check in on the kids when a Good Samaritan loans you their phone?  
  4. icy streetKeep your gas tanks full. This is important to remember in other emergencies like hurricanes, when people are trying to evacuate.  If there’s a chance you’re going to need your car, or your ability to get gas is going to be restricted (due to road closures or shortages), make sure you fill up your tank as soon as you hear the first warning. Many of the motorists trying to get home this week ran out of gas, worsening the clogged roads and delaying first responders from getting to people who really needed their help.  
  5. Listen to warnings. The City of Atlanta and the surrounding metro area was under a winter storm warning within 12 hours of the first flakes, but residents and area leaders were slow to listen, most people didn’t start taking action until the snow began to fall, which lead to a mass exodus of the city. While no one likes to “cry wolf” in situations like these, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Learn the difference between a watch and a warning, and start taking action as soon as you hear the inclement forecast.