Please Take This Survey to Help Us Better Understand the Weather

Dennis Mersereau · 11/19/14 12:00PM

We know you love to have your voice heard, so here's your chance to register your constructive opinions. We've developed a survey to help us better understand how readers of Gawker Media sites receive and use weather forecasts. Your participation is requested and appreciated.

Here's Your World Today, Explained (November 18, 2014)

Dennis Mersereau · 11/18/14 04:16PM

Your world is a beautiful place, most of its inhabitants aside. The wonder of looking at our pale blue dot from hundreds of miles in space will never get old. Here's a look at your world today, in all of its awesome goodness.

Lake Effect Snow: How Nature's Greatest Snow Machine Works

Dennis Mersereau · 11/18/14 02:22PM

The above photo, taken from a plane above Buffalo yesterday by photographer Jeff Suhr, shows the brutal lake effect snow storm in effect over Western New York right now. Some areas are expecting up to six feet of snow by the end of the week. These snowstorms are among the most intense in the world, and the processes that create them are pretty spectacular.

Maps: When Does Your City Usually See Its First Snowfall?

Dennis Mersereau · 11/17/14 04:14PM

People keep calling these early-season snows "unprecedented" when they're really not. What is the earliest it's ever snowed, and when does it usually start snowing? Let's take a look at some data from major cities around the country to settle the question.

Your Friday Knowledge Boost: Mexico's Powerful Tehuantepecer Winds

Dennis Mersereau · 11/14/14 01:54PM

When the United States sees a sweeping cold snap like the one we're in now, that cold air doesn't stop at the border. It can continue blowing south into Mexico and race across the Gulf. This cold air can create a powerful jet of wind in southern Mexico known as the Tehuantepecer.

Al Roker to Stay Live on the Air for 34 Hours in World Record Attempt

Dennis Mersereau · 11/12/14 04:55PM

Beginning at 10:00 PM ET tonight, Al Roker will embark on a 34-hour quest to break the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous live weather report. The ever-present weathercaster for NBC and The Weather Channel seeks to break the current record of 24 hours.

Here's Your World Today, Explained

Dennis Mersereau · 11/11/14 02:56PM

Here's a true color look at our home planet this afternoon; the western half of it, anyway. It's beautiful, and there are lots of really cool features you can see from space today. Let's take a closer look at our pale blue dot.

Maps: Half of Iowa Needs a T-Shirt While Half Needs a Parka

Dennis Mersereau · 11/10/14 05:10PM

The leading edge of the Arctic air filtering into the U.S. is abrupt and ruthless—temperatures in Iowa at 4:00 PM ranged from 72°F in the southeastern corner of the state and 27°F with a wind chill of 11°F in the northwestern corner of the state. Ahh. Or brrr, depending.

What Is That Hurricane-Like Storm Off the Coast of Florida?

Dennis Mersereau · 11/10/14 03:58PM

An astute reader pointed out that there's a strange storm system sitting off the eastern coast of Florida that strongly resembles a hurricane on radar imagery. Even though it looks just like a hurricane, it's not even close to being one. Why is that? Let's take a look.

Hello, Winter: One to Two Feet of Snow Falling on Upper Midwest Today

Dennis Mersereau · 11/10/14 11:46AM

The first significant snowstorm of the year will drop between one and two feet of snow across eight states from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest by Tuesday evening. The heavy, wet snow will cause major travel disruptions and possibly some power outages.

We're All Going to Freeze to Death Next Week: A Reader's Guide to Hype

Dennis Mersereau · 11/07/14 01:27PM

We're all about to freeze to death at the hands of an angry Alaskan sea bomb! Or, that's what it sounds like when you scroll through Twitter, anyway. What is this "bomb" everyone is talking about? Just how cold will it get and for how long? That question and more, answered below.

This Powerful Mapping Tool Lets You Plot the Weather Along a Road Trip

Dennis Mersereau · 11/06/14 03:06PM

The National Weather Service has developed a powerful tool that allows users to create custom weather maps that show everything from temperatures to snow totals. The tool's most excellent feature, by far, is the ability to track future weather along the path of one's road trip.