US faces freezing East and early summer heat in West
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · May 2
US faces freezing East and early summer heat in West
16 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 2
Through mid-May, cold from West Texas to Maine may run 30F below average, while Pacific Northwest temperatures near 90F and freeze alerts cover parts of the Midwest.
The National Weather Service says a wavy jet stream will keep sending Canadian air eastward, while a Great Basin high-pressure ridge sustains unusual western warmth.
Rain has eased drought and helped contain some Georgia and Florida wildfires, but the West's warm, dry spring and historic snow drought raise fears of an early severe fire season.
As the U.S. faces both May freezes and record heat, is this extreme weather whiplash the new normal for American seasons?
With a smaller workforce, can the new federal policy of aggressive fire suppression truly protect the West this summer?