Conditions that, by today’s standards, are considered to be mega-droughts — or conversely, abnormally wet “mega-pluvial” events — may become the average in the future, according to new research led by the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and co-authored by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

The western US is facing a greatly heightened risk of extreme rain-after-fire events, which can cause mudslides, flash floods, and significant destruction.

Akira Kasahara, one of the giants of NCAR’s scientific legacy, passed away overnight on March 30.

On behalf of the staff of UCAR, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters, first responders, and other emergency workers whose dedication prevented the wildland fire that ignited on March 26, 2022, from damaging our facilities.

A new study challenges a commonly accepted explanation that a "sudden stratospheric warming" caused the unusually cold weather over the U.S. early last year, a view which was widely reported in the media and discussed among scientists at the time.