Climate Impact Report – 2/11

Key Facts Of The Day 2/11

Storms And Flooding

• A trio of storms is expected to bring winter hazards across the United States this week.
  • The first storm is forecasted to bring snow, ice, and rain across a 1,500-mile stretch of the eastern US starting Tuesday morning. 
    • Ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause power outages and create “nearly impossible” driving conditions.
  • The worst snow conditions are expected to impact areas from eastern Kentucky to New Jersey and Delaware with a forecasted three to six inches of snow. 
  • A pocket of heavier snow is forecasted to bring six to twelve inches to parts of northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia with some local areas expecting up to 14 inches of snow. 
  • As of Tuesday, parts of the Tennessee Valley and Appalachians had already experienced one to three inches of snow.
  • The Washington, DC area was expected to receive up to six inches of snow on Tuesday. 
  • On Monday, schools in the DC area, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana announced early dismissals and closures.  
  • The warmer side of the storm was expected to bring heavy rainfall in the south. 
    • As of Tuesday, parts of every state from Texas to the Carolinas had a level two of four risk of flooding.
    • The most significant risk of flash flooding and damage was expected in areas where infrastructure was still heavily damaged, and forests were still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s effects. 
  • The second storm was forecasted to bring snow and ice to the east and rain to the south overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. 
    • The plains and Midwest were expected to experience the highest snow totals from the storm. Double-digit snowfall is possible in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. 
  • The third storm was forecasted to hit California starting Thursday morning, creating the most serious flood threat the area has seen since the January wildfires. 
    • On Thursday, more than 34 million people in California are expected to be under a level two of four risk of flooding. 
    • The threat area encompasses San Fransisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles and the greatest risk areas are those that were recently burned by wildfires. 
    • Up to two inches of rain are expected in the Los Angeles basin. The National Weather Service warned that this rainfall could create “life-threatening” debris flows in and below recently burned areas.  

Wildfires

• The Los Angeles National Weather Service warned that anticipated rainfall this week will bring “life-threatening” debris flows in and below recently burned areas. 
  • In anticipation of the storms, officials in the LA area have bolstered storm preparations including cleaning debris basins, installing concrete barriers, and placing sandbags in fore zones to filter debris and protect storm drains. 

Extreme Heat

• January 2025 was the coldest January for the United States since 1988, but it was still the warmest January globally. 
  • In January 2025, the average temperature of the contiguous U.S. was 29.2 degrees Fahrenheit, 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit below average.
  • January 2025 also marked the sixth-driest January on record for the United States. About 42.4% of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing drought conditions, an increase of about 4.3% since the end of December 2024. 
• On Monday, two studies suggested that global temperature increases were a sign that the planet is likely on track to breach the Paris climate agreement goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
  • The first study found that due to 12 consecutive months of global temperature highs, there was a 60% to 80% chance that the Paris threshold had already been reached. 
  • The second study used historical data on global temperatures to conclude that if global warming continues, 2024 is “almost certain” to fall within the first 20-year period of 1.5-degree warming. 
• A recent study found that up to 188 of the 250 heritage sites worldwide could experience at least one “climate pressure” by the end of the century due to climate change-induced extreme heat, rainfall, and drought.