Insider Blog

Springtime brings warmer and wetter conditions but it also means a higher chance for severe weather. Of all severe weather and disasters flooding is by far the most common threat. Flooding is associated with 90% of weather disasters throughout the year so it’s important to stay prepared. The spring in particular is the most worrisome

Spring has sprung ahead of schedule this year with warmer and wetter conditions moving in quick. This isn’t a new trend, as spring has been pushing earlier every year, and this brings lots of shifts to the environment. In previous Climate Matters, we’ve looked at how shorter winters lead to changes in crop season and

It’s the third day of severe weather preparedness week in Missouri and Wednesday’s focus is tornado safety. Earlier today at 11 a.m., the state conducted an organized tornado warning system test. Many people were able to hear the tornado sirens whine from county to county. The tornado siren is effective when positioned outdoors, but residents

The second day of severe weather preparedness week focuses on lightning safety. Although these power bolts can make for some beautiful sights, it can also lead to deadly ones. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that 81 people have died from lightning from 2019-2023. A greater portion of this totals belongs to

Wildfires have been cropping up more across Mid-Missouri recently as dry conditions continue. Heading into early spring is one of the worst times for fires locally as dead vegetation can burn and be swept around by spring winds. This year’s drought has especially contributed to dry fuels in the area that can easily spread blazes

The Smokehouse Creek Wildfire continues to spread thanks to high winds and drought like conditions over the Texas Panhandle. Over 5000,000 acres has burned in North Texas as a result of wildfires that continue to rage on with little to no progress on containment. Over 1,000 people have been affected by these fires affected 621

Mid-Missouri will see a bright Full Moon tonight but it may still appear somewhat dimmer than usual. Tonight will be the annual Snow Moon as the Moon reaches its full phase in February, typically the coldest part of the year. But a Micromoon event will also occur at the same time, making the Moon appear

Wintertime is a nuisance to many because of snow and frigid temperatures but it is still an important time of year for the environment. Colder conditions bring an end to the growing season and allow the soil to recharge, while also keeping bug populations in check. But winter is losing its chill and you may

With abnormally warm temperatures across Mid-Missouri, some plants are starting of their initial processes towards getting ready for the spring bloom. Most plants make their determination of when to break out of their winter modes by the temperatures of the soil. As air temperatures have continued to increase, the soil temperature has followed suit with

Each year, the sound of cicadas can be heard into the mid to later summer months. This upcoming spring though, an even larger unearthing of cicadas looks to make an appearance filling the trees with these harmless insects. There are two typical categories of cicadas in terms of when they unearth. This year, Mid-Missouri will

The next several mornings, Venus and Mars will be passing by closely to each other. This event will be visible to the human eye or through binoculars during the early dawn hours the next several days. Venus will be close to around 100 times brighter than Mars each morning. Both planets will look to pass

You might have noticed a steep increase in your latest utility bill from the month of January for the City of Columbia. This was due to the extreme cold we experienced throughout the last month. Cooling and heating degree days is a metric created for power companies to understand how much output will be needed