CNN-Weather/Environment

By Mary Gilbert and Joe Sutton, CNN (CNN) — A massive blaze that’s raging out of control is threatening Texas Panhandle towns and forcing residents to evacuate. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire burning in the region, has exploded to 200,000 acres since igniting Monday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March of 2011. March 11, 2011 – At 2:46 p.m., a 9.1 magnitude earthquake takes place 231 miles northeast of Tokyo at a depth of 15.2 miles. The earthquake causes a tsunami with 30-foot waves that damage several

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — Record-breaking warmth will open the door Tuesday for a round of unusual February severe thunderstorms and potential tornadoes in the Midwest as dramatically different air masses clash. These kinds of storms – which can generate tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds – are possible at any point in

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — An already fledgling winter is on borrowed time for much of the country as a dramatic pattern change next week and temperature forecasts into March signal what could be the final nail in the coffin of a winter like no other. Unseasonable warmth, missing snow and disappearing ice

By Elizabeth Wolfe and Mary Gilbert, CNN (CNN) — A final round of rainfall soaked California Wednesday morning as the state grappled with road closures, evacuation warnings and water rescues from days of rain. Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California faced the most substantial risk of flooding. Here’s the latest: • Over 20

By Steve Almasy and Mary Gilbert, CNN (CNN) — There’s a significant flood threat in Los Angeles and nearly the entire population of California is under flood alerts as rain drenches the already-soaked state. Officials are urging people to stay off roads as they face the risk of flooding and landslides. • Around 37 million

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — Hurricane season is months away, but the waters where hurricanes roam haven’t received the memo. Ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic are historically warm for this early in the year, raising the risk of a hyperactive storm season that could also be supercharged by a budding La Niña.

By Ashley R. Williams, Elliana Hebert and Sara Tonks, CNN (CNN) — Flood watches stretch along much of the California coast and some evacuation warnings have been ordered as another round of heavy rain rolls into the already soaked state and the threat of floods and landslides grows. The National Weather Service issued a flood

By Elliana Hebert and Sara Tonks, CNN (CNN) — Two storms, including another long-lasting atmospheric river event, will drench much of California starting Saturday and well into next week, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The state is still recovering from a particularly potent storm that brought record-breaking rain and hundreds of mudslides to

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at earthquakes worldwide. The US Geological Survey describes an earthquake as “the ground shaking caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Stresses in the earth’s outer layer push the sides of the fault together. Stress builds up and the rocks slip suddenly, releasing energy in waves

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Lauren Mascarenhas and Mary Gilbert, CNN (CNN) — A fast-moving nor’easter dumped snow on New York City and other major Northeast metropolitan areas Tuesday, knocking out power and disrupting travel, work and school. Here’s the latest: • Double-digit snow: More than a foot of snow fell from Pennsylvania to Connecticut. At least 15

By Elizabeth Wolfe and Mary Gilbert, CNN (CNN) — A quick but intense nor’easter could bring the biggest snowfall in more than two years to parts of the Northeast Tuesday, including New York City. But the forecast is tricky and subject to last-minute changes. With the heaviest snow developing over a narrow area, small shifts

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — Winter has gone missing across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and time is running out to find it. Dozens of cities are on track for one of the warmest winters on record, making snow and ice rare commodities. Several cities are missing feet of snow compared to a

By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN (CNN) — Severe thunderstorms capable of unleashing hail and tornadoes are set to thrash parts of the central Gulf Coast Sunday before spreading into the Southeast, with snow expected to sweep into the Northeast through the beginning of the week. About 23 million people from eastern Texas to western Georgia are at risk

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — The current El Niño is now one of the strongest on record, new data shows, catapulting it into rare “super El Niño” territory, but forecasters believe that La Niña is likely to develop in the coming months. One of the main ways scientists determine whether El Niño is

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at volcanoes, mountains that open downward to a reservoir of molten rock. Facts: More than 80% of the Earth’s surface, both above and below sea level, is of volcanic origin. Lava is molten rock from a volcano that reaches the Earth’s surface. Liquid rock below the Earth’s