Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Russ Schumacher @rschumacher.cloud · 19h

Highly unusual situation approaching western Colorado with the moisture from Hurricane Priscilla. Grand Junction has never had precipitable water over an inch (25mm) so late in the year, but looks like it will be near that level on both Fri & Sat. Six standard deviations above average! #cowx 1/2

Global Ensemble Forecast System mean precipitable water and 700-mb winds valid on Saturday morning, 11 October 2025. A big plume of moisture will be transported into the southwest US ahead of decaying Hurricane Priscilla. From https://schumacher.atmos.colostate.edu/weather/ens.php

Standardized anomaly of precipitable water from the ECWMF ensemble mean on Saturday morning, 11 October 2025. It shows a broad swath of greater than +3 standard deviations in the western US. From https://schumacher.atmos.colostate.edu/weather/ecmwf.php

Ensemble forecast plume showing precipitable water at Grand Junction, Colorado in the members of the ECWMF ensemble. Values are predicted to be around 25-30 mm with high confidence on Friday 10 October through Saturday 11 October, far above the 90th percentile for the date. From https://schumacher.atmos.colostate.edu/weather/ecmwf.php

4 23 56

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 21h

While I’m at the UCAR Member’s meeting, I’m reminding everyone of the internships, workshops, and other student opportunities that they have available! www.ucar.edu/exhibit/stud...

Exhibit resources | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

www.ucar.edu

7 14

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 18h

The Senate has confirmed Trump's pick to run NOAA. Neil Jacobs will lead an agency that's lost ~2,000 staff in a year and could lose most of its research division.

I did a deep dive on why Jacobs wanted this job for @bloomberg.com. Here's what I learned (thread)

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Weather Boss During ‘Sharpiegate’ Nears Return to a Shrinking Agency

Trump’s appointee to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has vowed to support the president's massive cuts.

www.bloomberg.com

1 8 11

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Nicole Zampieri @nzampieri.bsky.social · 1d

MS position for Fall 2026 available to study Hurricane Ecology w/ me at #UCF and with @jefferybcannon.bsky.social from @thejonesctr.bsky.social! Funded half time as a TA and half as an RA. See web for details: tinyurl.com/9pm33ttt
Please RT and share with your bright undergrads!!

1 3 4

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Matt Lanza @mattlanza.bsky.social · 2d

12 years is a long time. A good stretch. But the EF-5 “drought” has ended.

Also, this is a lesson to the Monday morning quarterbacks that this took *3 months* to confirm. Good analysis takes time. So save your hot takes immediately after an event.

IEMBot Grand Forks @fgf.weather.im · 2d

#FGF issues Public Information Statement (PNS) at Oct 6, 9:30 AM CDT ...Enderlin Tornado #1 Upgraded to EF-5... Link

3 20 56

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 6d

The "compact" is a threat, with the administration explicitly stating that it plans to disfavor universities that don't sign in areas from foreign student visas, student loans, federal contracts as well as grants, and even tax [501(c)(3)] status.

It's a maximalist plan of 1st Amendment violation.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

9 180 410

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Elizabeth Leitman @wxliz.bsky.social · 7d

Just a reminder that NWS is considered essential during a government shutdown. Meteorologists will still go to work, forecasts will still be made, watches and warnings will be issued, data will flow. We won’t be paid until the shutdown ends, but we’ll still protect life and property as always.

12 100 350

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 7d

"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

Thank you, Dr. Goodall, for making such a positive difference. Your legacy will live on!

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 7d

The world has lost its most powerful advocate for nature and hope. Yet many remain who will continue her legacy and I know she will continue to inspire generations more.

A screenshot of a post by the Jane Goodall Institute on LinkedIn stating that they learned that Dr. Goodall passed away due to natural causes in California while on her speaking to her current speaking tour there.

1 5

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 8d

The "Climate Experts' Review of the DOE Climate Working Group Report" edited by @andrewdessler.com and @bobkopp.net is now posted on the Earth and Space Science Open Archive and has a DOI! See quoted post below. 🧪 #climate

Andrew Dessler @andrewdessler.com · 8d

Our comment to the DOE and EPA about the DOE Climate Working Group report is now posted on ESSOAR preprint server. It has a DOI and can now be cited!

essopenarchive.org/users/260056...

Screenshot of an ESS Open Archive preprint page. A green “Download PDF” button sits at top left. The title reads “Climate Experts’ Review of the DOE Climate Working Group Report.” Below are subject tags “Atmospheric Sciences” and “Climate Science,” followed by two listed authors. A “Preprint timeline” box shows “Submitted to ESS Open Archive” on 24 Sep 2025 and “Published in ESS Open Archive” on 29 Sep 2025. A citation block includes the DOI 10.22541/essoar.175745244.41950365/v2 and notes version v2 (processing). A right-side box says “Non-exclusive” and “No reuse.” A yellow banner at the bottom states: “This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary.”

2 10

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 8d

It's truly an honor to be on the 2025 Time Magazine #TIME100Next list! I took a moment to reflect on what this recognition means to me personally & also on importance of offering nuanced context in a moment of widespread misinformation & societal upheaval.

Climate Scientist Daniel Swain reflects on "TIME100 Next" recognition

It's truly an honor to be on the 2025 Time Magazine #TIME100Next list! I wanted to take a moment to briefly reflect on what the recognition means to me personally, and also on the broader importance of supporting those who are doing their very best to provide constructive context surrounding global

www.youtube.com

15 26 240

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 8d

Congrats, Daniel! Well deserved!

3

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 8d

An end of an era that brings back memories of all the times I received a 3 1/2-inch floppy disk in the mail and simply formatted it. Free storage!

Encyclopaedia Britannica @britannica.com · 8d

(solemnly) You've had mail.

1 2

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

IPCC @ipcc.bsky.social · 9d

Registration for experts interested in serving as Expert Reviewers and providing scientific comments on the First Order Draft of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is now open!

Read more 🔗
www.ipcc.ch/2025/09/17/p...

25 32

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 12d

Udall (1955), El Dorado (1958), Hesston (1990), Andover (1991, 2022), Haysville (1999), Greensburg (2007). People from El Dorado might refer to the 1958 tornado as the "wrong-way" tornado, since came from the northwest. Not unusual to us these days, but to them at the time, it was off the wall.

2

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 14d

An important thing I learned in working on this post that maybe I just was asleep on is that a number of NWS upper air sites are doing one of their two daily soundings at 1800 UTC to be able to work around staffing issues.

Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 14d

We have been lucky to avoid a major hurricane landfall so far this season - but as the tropics heat up and a gov't shutdown looms, I wanted to take a deep dive into where we stand with federal staffing and budget. TLDR: it’s not great. More: tinyurl.com/bdedmty4

BalancedWx Special: Federal staffing and budget updates as possible shutdown looms

Staffing levels and morale still concerning as head into the fall

tinyurl.com

3 6 21

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Jared Rennie @jjrennie.bsky.social · 14d

Here is a look of #Helene and the Predecessor Rainfall Event, which began setting up around this time a year ago.

I updated this to incorporate the @nws.noaa.gov flash flood warnings and flash flood emergencies.

#FLwx #GAwx #ALwx #SCwx #NCwx #TNwx @spann.bsky.social @wxbrad.bsky.social

2 17 42

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Jared Rennie @jjrennie.bsky.social · 14d

If @ametsoc.org or @nwas.org ever gave out a "Graphic of the Year" award, it should go to Jay Cordeira, displaying the synoptics behind the Predecessor Rainfall Event before #Helene

It's an amazing graphic and displays our double whammy of 'rain and then more rain.'

3 19 69

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 15d

The 5th National #Climate Assessment is back online! See the link in the quoted post below. 🧪

Climate.us @climate.us · 15d

🚨 NCA5 is now LIVE! 🚨

They took it down, but we've brought it back at: nca5.climate.us

Bookmark. 👏 this. 👏 page. 👏

This is just our first step in restoring trusted science information that Americans need to understand what's happening with the climate.

3 14

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Brian McNoldy @bmcnoldy.bsky.social · 15d

A textbook example of concentric eyewalls in Super Typhoon #Ragasa as seen from Chinese radars. This and other radar loops are available at bmcnoldy.earth.miami.edu/tropics/radar/.
#HuajiashaCN

2 20 52

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 15d

“Yes, NSF has to carry out the priorities of the president… But we’re all trying to find a way to educate scientists on how to dance the new dance we’ve got to dance without violating our principles.”

Science Magazine @science.org · 15d

Trump directives have undermined a 75-year history of independence and threaten the agency’s vaunted track record for excellence. https://scim.ag/3VryMEP

Under Trump, NSF faces worst crisis in its 75-year history

Political directives have undermined agency's independence and record of supporting the best basic research

scim.ag

3 7

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Alana Kinrich @alanakinrich.medsky.social · 16d

I took Tylenol as needed throughout my pregnancy. I am a doctor. I order Tylenol for pregnant women regularly. Tylenol is safe in pregnancy. RFK Jr is ignoring a huge recent well-done study because he doesn't like the answer it gives. There is no causality between Tylenol and autism.

Caroline Dodds Pennock @carolinepennock.bsky.social · 16d

You have no idea how much I despite these anti-science dipshits for making pregnant women terrified of taking (safe, mild, proven) pain relief.

100 1K 3.8K

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Kim Wood @drkimwood.bsky.social · 16d

Watch Gabrielle evolve from a lopsided tropical storm to a major hurricane in less than 48 hours.

Circle extends about 600 km from the storm center. Intensity values are interpolated to hourly resolution to match the infrared images, rounded to 5-kt increments in line with NHC precision.

22 51

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

National Weather Service @nws.noaa.gov · 16d

The Fall/Autumnal Equinox is TODAY at 2:19 PM EDT. That's the time at which our Sun is directly over the Earth's equator, signaling the start of Northern Hemisphere astronomical fall. The Earth’s northern hemisphere will continue to tilt further from the sun through the Winter Solstice on Dec 21.

Graphic showing Earth during the June solstice and September equinox. At the equinox, sunlight is evenly distributed along the equator. Text notes Fall Equinox 2025 occurs Sept 22 at 2:19 pm EDT.

3 150 300

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Jared Rennie @jjrennie.bsky.social · 16d

You're going to hear a lot of stories about #Helene this week.

I humbly ask that if you have time, to hear mine.

The Buncombe County Special Collections interviewed me a month ago to talk about my experiences covering weather disasters while living one.

helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1...

1 17 34

Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette

Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 17d

Weather radar people: I’m on the steering committee for a Radar Technology Community Workshop to be held at NCAR in early 2026. We’re trying to nail down dates and topics to attract a good cross section. Please fill out this 5-minute survey and share the link! www.eol.ucar.edu/Radar-Techno...

Radar Technology Community Workshop | Earth Observing LaboratoryRadar Technology Community Workshop | Earth Observing Laboratory

www.eol.ucar.edu

1 7 13