Climate Impact Report – 3/26

March 26, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 3/26

On Tuesday, as a winter storm continued to affect the region, dozens of school districts and colleges across Minnesota and neighboring states canceled classes, moved to online learning, or opted to start classes two hours late.
On Sunday, thousands of residents across New England were digging out after a major weekend storm dumped more than two feet of snow in some areas, caused multiple road accidents, downed power lines, and left hundreds of thousands across the Northeast in the dark.
On Sunday, parts of west Texas were hit by dust storms, with wind speeds reaching up to 80 MPH.
This week’s new snow broke a daily snowfall record for March 24 and also pushed the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport up to 25.6 inches of snow.

A new and collaborative warning system could save lives during wildfires.
- The National Weather Service forecasters alert local officials when a fire appears on satellite. If the officials decide that conditions on the ground are concerning enough, they can then ask the National Weather Service to issue a warning and relay it to residents through the national phone-based Wireless Emergency Alert system.

In August 2023, there was an excessive heat warning in Lake Elsinore, California, when a 12-year-old student — who had been instructed to run — died during P.E. class.
- A coroner’s report has reportedly found that the boy died of a heart defect, with heat and physical exertion as contributing factors.
Despite some improvement, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s spruce-fir forest remains in poor condition and threatened by climate change.
A March 2024 study found that special “cooling” paint can significantly reduce the temperatures of surfaces in cities and help pedestrians feel cooler.