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Climate news and stories

Climate.gov news and features

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Heat.gov news and events

Is La Nina behind this spring’s unusually high tornado activity?

May 1, 2017

A tornado coming out of a dark storm cloud in a wide open field.

The 2017 U.S. tornado season is off to a whirlwind start

April 25, 2017

Tornadoes seen over Minnesota farmland, August 24, 2014.

Scientists document coral loss – and slow signs of recovery – in the Central Pacific

April 21, 2017

Coral reef colonies near Jarvis Island.

Planting an Earth Day garden? Consider climate’s new normal

April 19, 2017

Yellow lillies.

March and year to date were 2nd warmest on record for world

April 19, 2017

Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extents remain record-low

NOAA monthly climate call: Thursday, April 20

April 18, 2017

Experts recap March and provide outlooks through July for the U.S.

Study: Parts of central and Southern California had worst 4-year dry spell in 450 years

April 10, 2017

The Enterprise Bridge passes over a section of Lake Oroville that was nearly dry on September 30, 2014, in Oroville, California. Lake Oroville, California's 2nd largest reservoir, was at 49% of average (30% of capacity), the second lowest level on record (behind 1977.) Heavy rains in December 2014 allowed lake levels to recover slightly--as of January 23, 2015 Lake Oroville was at its 7th lowest level of the past 35 years.

U.S. had 2nd warmest year to date and 9th warmest March on record

April 6, 2017

5 billion-dollar disasters in first 3 months of 2017 set new record

A warmer-than-normal winter in the Mid-Atlantic brought Washington, D.C.'s famed cherry blossoms to the brink of full bloom by mid-March, but then a cold snap hit and froze at least half the blossoms. The remaining Japanese Yoshino cherry blossoms reached peak on March 25, 2017. Pictured here is the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C., March 28, 2017.

A superbloom of wildflowers overtakes California's southeastern deserts

March 28, 2017

Wildflowers blooming in California's Anza Borrego Desert Park, March 12, 2017.

Map: The historical warmest and coldest 1st day of spring for thousands of U.S. locations

March 20, 2017

See the sliding version of this map that shows the warmest (left) and coldest (right) first day of spring (March 20) recorded at thousands of U.S. locations.

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