Forecasters say Hurricane Kristy has strengthened into a Category 4 storm and is expected to remain away from land as it churns in the Pacific Ocean.

Oscar has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall Sunday in eastern Cuba.

Although we started the summer very wet, it’s now been weeks since many have seen any significant rainfall

Forecasters say Hurricane Kirk has strengthened into a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and waves caused by it could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions this weekend.

Forecasters say Hurricane Kirk has strengthened into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane.

Hurricanes, derechos, and winter storms are all weather events that have left Houston in disarray. Whether a tree fell on your house or flood waters swept away your belongings, the cost of Mother Nature’s wrath can be hard to recover from.

As conversations over accountability with local, and state leadership as well as with CenterPoint Energy continue, new satellite images are giving a sobering look at the massive power outages, caused by Beryl.

A voluntary evacuation order has been issued by Galveston Emergency Management Officials for the west end of Galveston Island.

As the threat of Hurricane Beryl increases as storm inches closer to the Houston area, those who are planning to travel during impact hours are advised to plan ahead.

Hurricane Beryl is making it’s way across the Caribbean, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Regardless of it’s path or intensity, we can expect to see dangerous beaches through the holiday weekend.

Scientists say a large number of whales visiting the waters off New England included an uncommon sighting of an orca eating a tuna and an unusually large group of an endangered species of whale.

Climate change means potential changes for hurricanes. NOAA scientists are using climate models to figure out trends as the atmosphere warms.

Blue waves are showing up on our coast!

Hurricane season is over 90 days away, and NOAA is already forecasting some changes in our El Nino Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short.

A lot of activity, but mostly off shore this year

Tropical development in the Caribbean likely this week

Tropical Storm Pilar is lashing Central America with heavy rains that have already been blamed for two deaths in El Salvador as it meanders off the Pacific coast.

Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Pilar has already caused two deaths in El Salvador as it meanders off the Pacific coast.

This year, El Nino is in place heading into winter for the first time in four years, driving the outlook for warmer-than-average temperatures for the northern tier of the continental United States, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released last week by the Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Norma has weakened slightly but remains a major storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Tropical Storm Norma has formed off Mexico's western Pacific coast.

Lidia has dissipated after hitting land as a Category 4 hurricane near the resort of Puerta Vallarta, where one person was killed by a falling tree and two others were injured.

Tropical Storm Philippe is aiming for Bermuda on a path that would eventually take it to Atlantic Canada and eastern New England.

Tropical Storm Philippe is drenching the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as it spins away from the northeast Caribbean on a path that would take it toward Bermuda and later New England and Atlantic Canada.

Tropical Storm Philippe has made landfall in the tiny island of Barbuda as it unleashes heavy rains and flash floods in the northeast Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Rina has formed in the Atlantic Ocean on the heels of Tropical Storm Philippe.

As an international search determined the implosion of a vessel that disappeared on its way to the underwater wreckage of the Titanic, a man who was one of the submersible company's first customers says a dive he made to the site two years ago was like a suicide mission.

Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Officials National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association will issue their outlook for the upcoming 2023 hurricane season.

Typhoon Mawar was a Category 4 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph or greater when it crossed the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday night.

Storms today lighten up Thursday and Friday.

KPRC 2′s Anthony Yanez share some fascinating facts about NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter fleet ahead of hurricane season.

The nation's largest public utility has appointed an independent panel to look into power failures that spurred the decision to implement rolling blackouts during dangerously cold conditions late last year.

We’re all used to the hurricane hunters out there flying into, well, hurricanes, to collect wind, temperature, pressure, and moisture data. The airplane shown above is the WC-130J which flies directly into these storms at 24,000-30,000 feet dropping what basically amounts to small computers (dropwindsondes) which sample the atmosphere as they fall to the ocean floor. That information is transmitted back to supercomputers to help create our hurricane forecasts.

A federal utility’s decision to resort to rolling blackouts after coal and natural gas units went offline during dangerously cold conditions has intensified questions about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s recent decision to double down on fossil fuels.

An arctic blast has brought extreme cold, heavy snow and high winds to much of the U.S. Cold air moving down from Canada has caused temperatures to plunge dramatically.

You probably heard the statistic on Hurricane Nicole being the first hurricane to strike Florida in November in 37 years. In fact, that last particular hurricane, Kate, struck Nov. 21, 1985:

Tropical Depression Lisa has moved into southern Mexico a day after making landfall as a hurricane in the Central American nation of Belize and heading inland over northern Guatemala.

Hurricane Lisa has made landfall on the Caribbean coast of Belize.

Former Hurricane Roslyn slammed into a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Hurricane Roslyn has grown to Category 4 force as it heads for a collision with Mexico’s Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

Hurricane Roslyn is moving off Mexico’s Pacific coast, with forecasters predictng a weekend landfall between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Hurricane Orlene has strengthened some while heading for an expected Monday landfall on Mexico’s northwestern Pacific coast.

There are many ways to categorize a hurricane. The storm’s central pressure is one way. The height of its storm surge is another. How much rain it drops is another. And, of course, the strength of its wind is another. But what causes a hurricane to strengthen or weaken? The answer is simple enough, but multifaceted.

Can you remember the fanfare of the August 2017 Full Solar Eclipse that crossed the country from northwest to southeast? Not since June 8, 1918 had such a celestial event occurred in the United States! We had a partial glimpse here in Houston that Monday afternoon of August 21st as you can see from the cover photo above: three meteorologists walk into an eclipse....below is the “path of total darkness”:

More rain is expect this weekend

More rain is expect this weekend

More rain is expect this weekend

We are now in the top five for most 100 degree days in a year

You’ve heard the rain rumors for this week, but I can tell you now we’re not promising a lot! A weak cold front will be pushing through today and tonight, then meander around the gulf the next few days. Tomorrow, it will be offshore:

Mexican authorities say Hurricane Agatha caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 11 people and left 20 missing.

Hurricane Agatha has become the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific as it swept ashore on a sparsely populated stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns in southern Mexico.

The first hurricane of the season has formed off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and it's rapidly growing stronger ahead of an expected strike along a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns as a major storm.

Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, have just released their official hurricane forecast, predicting an above-average 2022 season. This would make it the seventh consecutive hurricane season we’ve seen with higher than normal activity.

The above NOAA pic of the Atlantic Ocean skies full of Saharan dust is from 2006 and you can imagine that any tropical showers and storms would have a zero percent chance of forming in that kind of atmosphere. Those dusty skies are dry for one thing and particulates are falling downward toward Earth, suppressing any upward motion required to get tropical storms to build.

I’ve written recently about the 1992 Channelview tornado outbreak when, fortunately, not a life was lost. The best we could do then to warn the public was break into live TV. By the time we received a warning from the National Weather Service and typed that warning into a crawl machine and then put it on air a good twenty minutes would pass. But those were the two warning methods for television along with NOAA weather radio. So we’ve come a long way. But not far enough.

Today NOAA has announced their spring outlook for drought, flood risk, temperature and precipitation. This includes the months April through June.

A report just released from NASA, NOAA, and other agencies predicts that coastal sea levels will rise a foot by 2050 but we may get there on the Texas coast faster than that! Forecasting a significant increase in coastal flooding to the end of this century and beyond, the report includes interactive tools so that us regular folks can drill down a bit to our own areas to find out just what kind of sea level rises are really predicted. For the Texas coast, there is honestly not much comfort. For instance, Galveston by just the end of this decade, 2030, could see a tidal increase of a full foot, or .32 meters:

If you’re familiar with the Texas coast, which isn’t known for having crystal clear water, you probably never would have suspected that a mere 100 miles off of Galveston is a 56 square mile marine sanctuary complete.

I had an email the other day that comes with a pretty simple answer:

Let’s face it: talking about an ever warmer world is not very sexy and we hear it so much that we’re getting used to it. That, of course, is the wrong road to take as we’re better off accepting the facts and moving forward toward solutions. Last year soared to #4 in the record books for hottest on record in the United States, but consider this: December was THE hottest December on record and summer was THE hottest on record (Houston barely reached 100° but you’ll recall all those searing days in the Northwest).

Don’t be quick to blame climate change for such a warm December...the jury is still out on that one. However, La Nina is well-established and this is a typical warmer/drier pattern we’re stuck in! Look at the Pacific’s cooler than normal surface waters:

Granted, we haven’t seen much tropical activity the past couple of months, so the fact that the season is now “over over” surprises no one. If you look at the bell curve of tropical activity, September 10th is the most likely day to have some kind of tropical system in the Atlantic Basin:

The winter season outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a strong La Nina pattern for the US

Tropical depression Mindy has dumped rain along the Georgia and South Carolina seacoasts during its trek over land and is now moving well offshore into the Atlantic Ocean.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has ordered a mandatory evacuation for a small area of the city outside the levee system.

Tropical Storm Ida has formed in the Caribbean and forecasters say it's aimed at the U.S. Gulf Coast, prompting Louisiana’s governor to declare a state of emergency and forecasters to announce a hurricane watch for New Orleans.

New Englanders bracing for their first hurricane in 30 years are hauling boats out of the water and taking other precautions as Tropical Storm Henri barrels toward the Northeast coast.

They may not live in a pineapple, but they’re certainly hanging out under the sea.

Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer.

Phil Klotzbach, a researcher and hurricane expert at Colorado State University, has issued his July updated forecast for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season Thursday. He’s predicting another busy season.

Tropical Storm Elsa is sweeping over western Cuba with strong rain and winds, and forecasters say it will move on to the Florida Keys on Tuesday and Florida’s central Gulf coast by Wednesday.

An undersea exploration company plans to dive to the sunken Titanic to begin what’s expected to be an annual chronicling of the shipwreck’s deterioration.

High winds and heavy rains are striking coastal Louisiana and Mississippi as a disorganized and unpredictable tropical weather system churns through the Gulf of Mexico.

Tuesday was the start of hurricane season and leaders are urging people to prepare for an active season.

The NOAA is predicting an above-normal 2021 hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.

Thirty-year climate normals give us a pretty good idea of just where our averages for highs, lows and precipitation lie for any given day.

One of my viewers, Lourdes, wrote me this last Tuesday:Frank, What happened to your prediction of La Nina ruling this winter? You said it would be a dry, warm winter. It’s the warm water that heats the air above it. That hot air rises, condenses and forms clouds which produce rain. AdWe both know that it’s usually a roller coaster around here and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a cold snap or two.

ETA, now a 50-mph tropical storm, continues to move over Nicaragua and Honduras at a slow 7 mph. Eta moving slowly over Central America courtesy NOAAThat slow movement divided into 100 (my rule of thumb for rainfall) equals 14-15 inches. My prayers are with them as Eta takes the next two days to move through that country. However, because 2005 had a couple of unnamed storms, that year’s names did not get to ETA (stopping one short with ZETA). ETA forecasted pathOfficially the season ends Nov. 30, but if 2005 taught us anything it is not to look at the calendar -- that year’s ZETA formed Dec. 28 and degenerated Jan.

Zeta is moving toward the east-northeast near 55 mph (89 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will emerge over the western Atlantic this evening. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. A sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust to 46 mph (74 km/h) were recently reported at Ocean City, Maryland. RAINFALL: The last of the heavy rainfall along the track of Zeta will impact the Mid-Atlantic through this evening.

NOAA has released their winter outlook for the United States and the forecast hinges on La Niña, that cooler than normal Pacific water which tends to produce dry, warm weather for us. El Niño on the other hand brings in wetter, cooler winters. Here’s a look at the current sea surface temperature anomalies, and you can see that huge blue I’ve circled below:La Nina is definitely in charge! However, with the continuing dryness into winter, developing drought for the eastern half of our state is forecast:Developing Drought forecast for SE TexasEnjoy our “winter” weekend, especially tonight! FrankEmail me and follow me on Facebook!

Marcus Peterson walks past a downed tree in his yard after Hurricane Delta moved through, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Jennings, La. It then moved over Lake Charles, a city where Hurricane Laura damaged nearly every home and building in late August. While Delta was a weaker storm than Category 4 Laura, it brought significantly more flooding, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. Forecasters warned that heavy rain, storm surges and flash floods continued to pose dangers in areas from Texas to Mississippi. They arrived back in Lake Charles last weekend, got a new roof on Monday and had to evacuate again Thursday.

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, and provided by NOAA, shows Hurricane Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. – Ripping tarps from already damaged roofs and scattering debris piled by roadsides, Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of destruction on Louisiana as it struck communities still reeling after Hurricane Laura took a similar path just six weeks earlier. Delta's reach stretched as far west as Galveston, Texas, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from where the storm struck Louisiana. Tropical Storm Marco fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip just three days before Laura struck. “The wind is much worse than what Hurricane Laura brought,” Gove said in a message on Twitter.

Location 60 miles NNE of Birmingham Alabama Wind 10 mph Heading NE at 10 mph Pressure 29.83 Coordinates 86.3W, 34.3NDiscussionAt 400 AM CDT (0900 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Beta was located near latitude 34.3 North, longitude 86.3 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the northeast near 10 mph (17 km/h) until it becomes indistinguishable within the background wind and pressure field by mid-afternoon Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 10 mph (20 km/h) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1010 mb (29.83 inches). Tropics Satellite at 3:39 Friday Night, September 25thWatches and WarningsThere are no watches or warnings in effect.

Location 530 miles NNE of Halifax Nova Scotia Wind 50 mph Heading NNE at 32 mph Pressure 28.8 Coordinates 57.3W, 51.0NDiscussionAt 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy was located near latitude 51.0 North, longitude 57.3 West based on the Marble Mountain, Newfoundland, radar and surface observations along the west coast of Newfoundland. On the forecast track, the center of Teddy should move closer to the northwestern Newfoundland coast tonight and into the Labrador Sea on Thursday before merging with a larger extratropical low. By the Sea, Newfoundland (near the Cow Head Lighthouse) reported a barometric pressure of 979 mb (28.91 inches). SURF: Large swells generated by Teddy are affecting Bermuda, the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. WIND: Gusty winds are possible along the western coast of Newfoundland tonight.

You’ve surely heard the term “typhoon,” but have you ever wondered how it differs from a hurricane?

I’ve been talking about this Saharan Air Layer of dust that’s on the way for the weekend. In fact, so have those in space:We flew over this Saharan dust plume today in the west central Atlantic. Then, sending aircraft missions into hurricanes to study surrounding dust layers has proven very important to tropical forecasts. So knowing just how the SAL interacts with the atmosphere has become vital in forecasting hurricanes and other extreme weather events. This happened last February with West Texas Dust and I blogged about it.