Latest news with #Southwest
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Searing' and 'stifling': Heat settling in across the U.S.
It's hot in the East. And in the Southwest. And in the Plains. And in the Midwest. You get the idea. As summer officially begins June 20, the National Weather Service forecast is sprinkled with words like "searing," "stifling" and "oppressive" to describe conditions across the country — as well as "severe," in the case of storms sparked by the heat, and warnings for even higher temperatures this weekend in some parts of the U.S. The Southwest, Mountain West and High Plains regions are all dealing with "searing heat," the National Weather Service said, with potentially severe thunderstorms predicted for the Eastern U.S. Severe weather is also expected in the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. A line of thunderstorms were possible late Thursday in the East, with the Storm Prediction Center issuing an enhanced risk level for severe weather along the I-95 corridor, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and New York City. Damaging gusts, downpours, large hail and tornadoes are possible from Northern New England to the Carolinas. The National Weather Service said higher temperatures are expected over the weekend and into next week, with temperatures soaring into the high 90s in the East. A heat wave will expand across the Southwest, Rockies and Plains, where there are extreme heat warnings in Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as advisories for Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and El Paso. The weekend will bring an upper-level ridge of high pressure, ushering in "the most oppressive heat of the season to date" for "just about everyone east of the Mississippi River" into next week, the National Weather Service said. Heat indices in the Midwest could reach as high as 105-110 degrees. As storms bubble up across the Northeast, travel disruptions may be possible, especially in New York, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, according to Delays due to severe thunderstorms could have a ripple effect on travel elsewhere, AccuWeather said. Weather, illustrated and explained: 2025 may be second-warmest year on Earth, just behind 2024 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Searing,' 'stifling' heat settling in across U.S.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient groundwater records reveal worrying forecast for US Southwest
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Aquifers in the U.S. Southwest will be more badly affected by climate change than those farther north, a new study suggests. Climate models predict that a warmer climate will lead to less rainfall in regions like Southern California and wetter weather in the Pacific Northwest. But what could really spell trouble for the Southwest is that groundwater pools there are more sensitive to climate shifts than pools farther north, researchers said. Modern aquifer records are poor indicators of what happens when Earth gets warmer, because humans have pumped out huge amounts of groundwater. So instead scientists looked at records from the past, with the end of the last ice age (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) revealing some of the changes that might be coming our way. "The last ice age gives us a window to explore groundwater dynamics that might be quite relevant to future change," study lead author Alan Seltzer, an associate scientist specializing in marine chemistry and geochemistry at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said in a statement. Researchers looked at the period between 11,000 and 20,000 years ago, when ice sheets retreated from North America and storms moved northward. Before this period, what is now the U.S. Southwest received abundant rainfall, while the present-day Pacific Northwest was relatively dry. But by the start of the Holocene — the current geological epoch — the climate had shifted to resemble today's patterns, with a wet Northwest and a drier Southwest. Related: Groundwater in the Colorado River basin won't run out — but eventually we won't be able to get at it, scientists warn For the new study, Seltzer and his colleagues analyzed ancient groundwater from the Palouse basin aquifer, which sits beneath Washington and Idaho. Ancient groundwater holds geochemical clues, such as dissolved noble gases, that can reveal past changes in water table depth. The researchers measured different versions, or isotopes, of the noble gases krypton and xenon from 17 wells in the aquifer, which enabled them to reconstruct water table depths over 9,000 years of global warming. The scientists then compared these records with records from the San Diego aquifer in Southern California that Seltzer and other researchers had previously compiled in a 2019 study. The researchers revealed their findings in a new study published June 11 in the journal Science Advances. In response to global warming and drier conditions at the end of the last ice age, water table levels in Southwestern aquifers dropped sharply. In contrast, water table levels in the Pacific Northwest stayed surprisingly stable, despite an increase in rainfall, according to the new study. The reason for this may be that groundwater systems with a shallow water table — where water sits nearer the surface, such as the Palouse basin — are able to transfer more water to neighboring soils than systems with a deep water table, so they remain relatively stable. Surface soils are less compact, and can therefore hold more water than deeper soils. RELATED STORIES —1.2 billion-year-old groundwater is some of the oldest on Earth —6 million-year-old 'fossil groundwater pool' discovered deep beneath Sicilian mountains —'Precipitation, the source of all fresh water, can no longer be relied upon': Global water cycle pushed out of balance 'for 1st time in human history' Systems with a deep water table, such as the San Diego aquifer, are more sensitive to changes in rainfall. Without precipitation, these aquifers rapidly dry out, according to the study. To confirm their findings, the researchers compared the ancient groundwater data from the aquifers to groundwater processes in an Earth system computer model. "The model gave almost exactly the same answer as the isotope measurements," Seltzer said. Overall, the research suggests that aquifers are more vulnerable to climate change in the Southwest, which is predicted to get drier over the coming decades, than in the Pacific Northwest. Millions of people in the Southwest depend on groundwater to live — and "these results should help direct research and adaptation efforts" to combat water insecurity, study co-author Kris Karnauskas, a climate scientist and associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in the statement.
Fox News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Rep. Andy Biggs: Arizona Is Doing So Much Better Thanks To The Trump Administration's Border Crackdown
Arizona Republican Congressman Andy Biggs joins Fox Across America With guest host Rich Zeoli to shed light on how the Trump administration's clear strategy to curb illegal immigration is already having a significant impact on his state. 'They didn't release anybody. The federal government, the CBP, they didn't really anybody into the United States last month. Not one, not one person. And we have communities that saw literally millions of people pour through those communities during the Biden administration. And this, by the way, this particular governor didn't speak out, didn't do anything to help us. In fact, she got rid of, you know, cargo container barriers that had been put up. She got rid the border security task force. She got rid of all that. Total disaster. And the reality is, though, where we still have an issue is we do have places where there's no border fencing, no border wall, and they're conduits for human and drug trafficking. And so we see the evidence of that still, not nearly to the extent that we did when Joe Biden was president, and it's significantly better. But we really, my position as a guy who's lived in Arizona, you know, native of Arizona. I want that to stop. I don't want any of that trafficking coming through our state. Child, human, sex, drug, none of that trafficking do I want coming through our state.' Rep. Biggs Discusses The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' To hear what else they talked about, listen to the podcast!
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
After flying with 40 different airlines, one consistently stands out as my favorite
After flying with 40 different airlines, Qantas stands out as my favorite. In my opinion, the airline offers great customer service and in-flight perks. Overall, I think Qantas offers the best combination of value, service, and reliability. When I first started traveling internationally, I wasn't loyal to any one airline. I simply chose whichever flight could get me to my destination at the lowest price. However, in my 30 years of flying with 40 different airlines in seats ranging from business to economy, I've learned that the cost of a ticket isn't everything. Oftentimes, the key to having a great trip is booking with the right airline. And after hundreds of flights, I have one carrier I'll choose every time I can: Qantas. From the friendly staff to the included perks, here's why I love flying with the Australian airline. When flying with Qantas, I always find the staff to be friendly and welcoming. In some cases, they'll even go out of their way to make my trips even better. Once, after a long layover in Europe and a delayed flight with another airline, I was feeling exhausted and disheveled. When a Qantas crew member came by my economy seat with water, we started chatting and I explained my situation. Later, they returned with a first-class amenity kit and pajamas so I could freshen up and change out of my travel-worn clothes. This small, thoughtful act made a big difference for me on a tough travel day, and is something I'll always remember. I love that even on the shortest domestic flights, Qantas offers a free meal or snack and nonalcoholic beverages. This means I never need to arrive early to buy overpriced airport food. Qantas also provides complimentary beer and wine on domestic flights after 12 p.m. — a nice touch that makes even short flights more enjoyable. One of my favorite perks, however, is that baggage is included in the ticket price on all domestic and international flights. This isn't the case on most major airlines (even Southwest famously ended its free baggage policy earlier this year). In my opinion, it's just another thing that makes flying with Qantas pretty great. Another significant advantage of flying with Qantas is the airline's membership in the Oneworld alliance — a global network of 14 airlines that makes connections easier and offers benefits across carriers. The perks are especially great for passengers who have a frequent flyer account with one of the participating airlines. For example, my Qantas gold status grants me priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, and access to over 600 Oneworld lounges globally. The lounge access is one of my favorite perks, since I can grab a decent meal before boarding a meal-free US domestic flight. Sometimes, I even shower after a long-haul journey from Australia, arriving at my final destination refreshed and for the day. No airline delivers perfect service 100% of the time. After all, delays and cancellations happen. However, after hundreds of flights, I've found that Qantas offers the best combination of value, service, and reliability. Although I may occasionally find cheaper fares elsewhere, the overall experience makes Qantas my go-to option whenever possible. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
After flying with 40 different airlines, one consistently stands out as my favorite
After flying with 40 different airlines, Qantas stands out as my favorite. In my opinion, the airline offers great customer service and in-flight perks. Overall, I think Qantas offers the best combination of value, service, and reliability. When I first started traveling internationally, I wasn't loyal to any one airline. I simply chose whichever flight could get me to my destination at the lowest price. However, in my 30 years of flying with 40 different airlines in seats ranging from business to economy, I've learned that the cost of a ticket isn't everything. Oftentimes, the key to having a great trip is booking with the right airline. And after hundreds of flights, I have one carrier I'll choose every time I can: Qantas. From the friendly staff to the included perks, here's why I love flying with the Australian airline. I always feel at home on Qantas flights When flying with Qantas, I always find the staff to be friendly and welcoming. In some cases, they'll even go out of their way to make my trips even better. Once, after a long layover in Europe and a delayed flight with another airline, I was feeling exhausted and disheveled. When a Qantas crew member came by my economy seat with water, we started chatting and I explained my situation. Later, they returned with a first-class amenity kit and pajamas so I could freshen up and change out of my travel-worn clothes. This small, thoughtful act made a big difference for me on a tough travel day, and is something I'll always remember. I never worry about hidden costs — or pay for airport food I love that even on the shortest domestic flights, Qantas offers a free meal or snack and nonalcoholic beverages. This means I never need to arrive early to buy overpriced airport food. Qantas also provides complimentary beer and wine on domestic flights after 12 p.m. — a nice touch that makes even short flights more enjoyable. One of my favorite perks, however, is that baggage is included in the ticket price on all domestic and international flights. This isn't the case on most major airlines (even Southwest famously ended its free baggage policy earlier this year). In my opinion, it's just another thing that makes flying with Qantas pretty great. The Oneworld alliance makes US travel more seamless Another significant advantage of flying with Qantas is the airline's membership in the Oneworld alliance — a global network of 14 airlines that makes connections easier and offers benefits across carriers. The perks are especially great for passengers who have a frequent flyer account with one of the participating airlines. For example, my Qantas gold status grants me priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, and access to over 600 Oneworld lounges globally. The lounge access is one of my favorite perks, since I can grab a decent meal before boarding a meal-free US domestic flight. Sometimes, I even shower after a long-haul journey from Australia, arriving at my final destination refreshed and for the day. When I'm able to, I always book with Qantas No airline delivers perfect service 100% of the time. After all, delays and cancellations happen. However, after hundreds of flights, I've found that Qantas offers the best combination of value, service, and reliability. Although I may occasionally find cheaper fares elsewhere, the overall experience makes Qantas my go-to option whenever possible.
