The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026The Speaker Series is back! In October, we have Narayan Gautam speaking on “Situation of Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi Devastating Flood 2026 in Nepal.” This will take place on Zoom on Thursday, October 1st at 10 am ET / 9 am CT / 8 am MT. Zoom link: oklahoma.zoom.us/j/97856889297 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026To learn more about datasets and methods, visit www.nature.com/articles/s41... and physicstoday.aip.org/quick-study/...nature.comOpposing trends in winter Atmospheric River over the Western and Eastern US during the past four decades - npj Climate and Atmospheric Sciencenpj Climate and Atmospheric Science - Opposing trends in winter Atmospheric River over the Western and Eastern US during the past four decades 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Over the East, northward propagation of warm and moist air is enhanced from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, creating favorable AR development, possibly resulting in greater coastal flooding and extreme wind. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026This could be resulting in the prolonged and severe drought observed in the western U.S. over the last several decades, with diminished snowpack from less associated precipitation. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026The corresponding AR response to these anticyclones is opposite, however, for the Western and Eastern U.S. Over the west, southward movement of cold and dry air from the north inhibits eastward movement of ARs into the region. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026, leading to increases in anticyclonic circulation patterns (high pressure centers) along both the West and East coast. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026It was found that various climate modes such as the Pacific North American pattern (PNA), East Asian Subtropical Jet (EASJ), and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibited a declining trend over the same period 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026 Why is this? To start, ARs explain more than 30% of the winter precipitation in the Northwest, with a similar fraction (25-55%) observed over the Eastern U.S. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026During the winter season, ARs occur over both the western and eastern U.S. Over the modern satellite era (1980-2020), a decline in AR activity over the Western U.S. leads to a drying trend, while increases over the Eastern U.S. lead to a moistening trend, largely resulting from strong events. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026A steeper pressure gradient leads to stronger winds as a result of geostrophic balance, which is an approximate balance between the pressure gradient and Coriolis force. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026The airflow between the low and high pressure systems increases the AR’s wind speed and constrains the flow of warm, humid air into a narrow region between the 2 systems. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Dynamically, ARs typically occur not necessarily within a low-pressure system like Extratropical Cyclones, but between a low and high-pressure center, or anticyclone. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026 They move 2-3 times as much water as the Amazon River, and account for most of the atmospheric water vapor transported toward the poles. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Did you know that at any given time, each hemisphere on Earth contains three to five atmospheric rivers (ARs)? ARs, first noticed by researchers in the 1990s, are long but not wide, and play a major part in the distribution of water and energy across the globe. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026To learn more, visit www.noaa.gov/news-release... www.aoml.noaa.gov/how-does-el-... www.bbc.com/weather/arti... www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/?se...noaa.govNOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane seasonEarly preparation essential to staying safe all season 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Remember, there are still several months left in this year’s hurricane season, so it is important to continue watching forecasts and staying informed and prepared, even if you live along the Atlantic! Hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions can still occur during an El Niño phase. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026It is important to note that, along with El Niño conditions, human-caused climate change is also a factor. Feel free to look back at some of our previous posts to see how climate change is impacting the intensity and frequency of extreme events. 110
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026If you recall from the above paragraph, sea surface temperatures are abnormally warm in this region during El Niño. Without the increase in vertical wind shear in the Atlantic, the Central Pacific typically experiences a more active hurricane season due, in part, to El Niño. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026However, warm sea surface temperatures fuel hurricane development. During the Central Pacific Hurricane Season, hurricanes (referred to as tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere) move into the Central Pacific from the Eastern Pacific or form in the Central Pacific. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026During El Niño in the Atlantic, an increase in vertical wind shear over the region helps prevent thunderstorms from forming into hurricanes. This often leads to a less active than average hurricane season. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026How does it impact Hurricane Season? An enemy of hurricane development is strong vertical wind shear, or changing wind direction and/or speed with height. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026What is it? El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in which sea surface temperatures in the Central and Eastern tropical Pacific are anomalously warm, and the easterly trade winds are weaker. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026To learn more, visit www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt... and www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...climatecentral.org8 in 10 U.S. Coastal Flood Days Are Due to Climate Change | Climate CentralAnalysis finds that human-caused sea level rise is driving a surge in coastal flooding across the U.S., putting coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems at risk. 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Oil and gas wells, landfills, and sewage treatment facilities also face great risk, given that more than 3,700 of these facilities are along U.S. coastlines. So what can we do? We can try to increase resilience by raising roads, relocating low-lying buildings, and restoring coastal ecosystems. 110
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Flooding can not only submerge and close roads, but also degrade their structural integrity. More flooding also provides ideal growing conditions for mold to grow on carpets, drywall, and furniture, causing respiratory health issues. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Without measures to rapidly curb emissions, coastal flood impacts are likely to become more damaging and destructive in the future. Trade and supply chains that we all depend on will feel the impacts, as well as transportation systems and infrastructure. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026 From 1880 to 2023, global mean sea level rose 8-9 inches, with U.S. coasts expected to see a rise by as much over the next 30 years as they did the last 100 years. The implication? High-tide flooding is expected to occur 10 times as often as it did in 2020 by 2050. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026This rapid rise in coastal flooding across the U.S. is not unexpected, given the thermal expansion of seawater due to ocean warming, as well as the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. The oceans absorb 90% of excess heat trapped in Earth's climate system by human-produced greenhouse gases. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/202680% of these flood days due to anthropogenic sea level rise, according to a study led by Climate Central. The frequency of days with coastal flooding has more than tripled since the 2000s, jumping from 4 days annually to 14 days during 2020-2025 across the 71 U.S. sites. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Looking specifically at the influence of human-caused sea level rise on extreme water levels at 519 tide gauge sites around the world through 2025, 71 U.S. sites experienced a total of 9,184 days with coastal flooding. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Coastal flooding does not only have to result from strong offshore storms, it can also be triggered on sunny days during high tides. As a result of global warming, sea levels are rising, causing high tide lines to move further inland, flooding areas that used to only see flooding during storms. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Did you know that 30% of the U.S. population lives along coastlines? With the threat of sea level rise as a result of climate change, high tide flooding is increasing along these coasts. New research now shows that human-caused sea level rise drives 80% of days with coastal flooding in the U.S. 120
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026To learn more, visit www.bbc.com/news/article... www.nps.gov/articles/gla... pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/... 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Despite contributing less than 0.1% of historic greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal is experiencing drastic changes in its environment due to climate change. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026In doing so, they can cause flimsy, temporary dams to rivers, eventually breaking and sending water downstream all at once. They can also fall into the river and simply cause a “tidal wave” effect. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026As more and more water exits these systems, and things that provide more structural stability to these ecosystems disappear (e.g., permafrost), it becomes much easier for large portions of these glaciers to break apart. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Another way this occurs is through an “ice bulge.” Water and loose ice from upstream travel until impeded by ice, collecting until enough pressure builds and structural integrity is compromised. As glaciers shrink, these events become more likely; Himalayan melting has doubled since 2000. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Significant debris fell into the river, causing a large wall of water to move down the valley. Communities in the path saw water levels increase by 23 to 30 feet. Glaciers collapse when they become unstable due to warming. The closer ice gets to freezing, the weaker it becomes. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026On Aug 26, Nepal and Tibet were struck by a large flash flood. There was no extreme precipitation or warning. Originally, it was thought a 5.2 magnitude earthquake caused it. However, investigation points to a potential glacier collapse which was the actual cause of that earthquake. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Yes, air conditioning can help, but access is strongly tied to income and remains highly unequal in many hot countries. To learn more, visit www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt... as well as www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...climatecentral.orgClimate Change is Costing People Sleep | Climate CentralHotter nights make it harder for people to get the sleep they need. Analysis shows that the amount of heat-related sleep loss linked to climate change has at least doubled since the early 1970s, on av... 000
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The effects of these warmer temperatures are also twice as large for adults over the age of 65 compared to middle-aged adults, and 2-3x as large for lower-middle income countries compared to higher-income countries, and were overall higher among women. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Climate change was also contributing more to sleep loss now than in the early 1970s in nearly every city analyzed. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026 Southeast Asia was also particulalry succeptible, given the pre-existing higher temperatures, with 78-91 hours of sleep lost per year due to higher nighttime temperatures, including 8-9 hours due to climate change. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The influence of climate change was especially large for certain regions and cities, such as the Middle East region. In these areas, nearly 2 full nights of sleep were found to be lost due to climate change’s impact on nighttime temperatures. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The share of nighttime temperatures attributed to climate change is smaller in many places, because climate change’s warming signal is concentrated in the hottest nights, and sleep loss grows disproportionately as nights get more extreme. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026This is because the analysis only attributes the difference between the relationship applied to observed and counterfactual temperatures to climate change, with any other source of nighttime warmth (urban heat islands, natural variability) not counted as climate change’s contribution. 110
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026It was found that globally, nearly 56 hours of sleep were lost by the average person each year due to nighttime heat from 2020-2025, with 10% of that sleep loss attributed to climate change.Why is only a fraction of that nighttime heat attributed to climate change? 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026 Climate Central applied a relationship between nighttime temperature and sleep to both observed temperatures and counterfactual temperatures that would have occurred in a world without CO2 emissions, analyzing 2020-2025 and a historical period in the early 1970s. 100
The Climate Consensus @climateconsensus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026In essence, climate change may be exacerbating the insufficient sleep that many people already experience.How was sleep quality linked to climate change, you ask? 100