And to think #AMS2025 in New Orleans last year missed historic snow (sneaux) by one week !

Icy scenery from my hometown of Monroe, LA from around 11:20am this morning. Family members say it was falling as mostly sleet at the time of the picture. Unfortunately , additional wintry precipitation and brutally cold temps will follow for north Louisiana. #lawx

At 1:20 PM CST, West Monroe [Ouachita Co, LA] Trained Spotter reports Sleet of 2.70 Inch. Trained spotter reports accumulating sleet in West Monroe. #lawx Link

Anyone made an #AMS2026 feed yet?

Heavy rains expected in the Baton Rouge area late Thursday night through Friday have triggered a flood watch by the National Weather Service.

If you haven’t listened to the latest WeatherGeeks podcast with @drshepherd2013.bsky.social & @spann.bsky.social do yourself a favor & listen soon! Really enjoyed this conversation between 2 heavy hitters in the weather community.

Dr. Shepherd and James Spann?! Oooooh this is going to be great!!!!

AMS is working on a Climate Science Certification program (CCS) and is looking for 2 non-weather educated professionals to assist with input, topics, and exam questions. If you are interested, message me ASAP so I can pass your name and email along!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Registration is OPEN for Geaux Science Explorations: STEM & Stories! Join LSU scientists for hands-on, story-time adventures in science & math! 📅 Jan 31 | 10:30–11:45 AM 📍 Main Library, Eden Park, LSU Center for River Studies 📝 Register by Jan 16 🔗 bit.ly/44Btprn

The image below is a McDonald’s app notification I received on this rainy afternoon. If fast food can use weather APIs to influence behavior, why not healthcare? An example would be a MyChart alert for a diabetes patient: “Extreme Heat Alert: Stay hydrated, meds increase heat sensitivity”.

I attended the LSU vs Georgia football game in Sept 2003. It was only 85°F at kickoff, but the sun was relentless. I saw fans faint and witnessed one fan having a seizure. This article discusses how early-season SEC games can pose very real heat risks. www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Due to cooler temps, less daylight, drier air, and more: fall weather can really affect your health. I discuss this in my “Weather and Wellness” blog! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...

Your fall forecast: cooler temps, drier air, and ….rhinitis?! Yes, the shift in seasons can trigger changes in your health! Join me in my latest “Weather & Wellness” blog as I unpack some of the health woes that accompany autumn. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/weat...

No, it's not just you. Summers are 21 days longer in Baton Rouge, 17 days longer in Lafayette, 11 days longer in New Orleans.

I have 2 fall -related “Weather & Wellness Wednesdays” blogs this evening! The first is a repost of my 2023 blog regarding cold fronts and their effect on respiratory health. Read it here and let me know if your lungs hate fall as much as mine do! weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/10/fall...

Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal. Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness. tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w

Yesterday marked the end of National Preparedness Month, but for caregivers, readiness is never seasonal. I published a new piece on my Weather and Wellness blog, and this one got a bit personal. Learn how becoming a caregiver reshaped how I think about preparedness. tinyurl.com/4ama4x7w

Just a reminder that NWS is considered essential during a government shutdown. Meteorologists will still go to work, forecasts will still be made, watches and warnings will be issued, data will flow. We won’t be paid until the shutdown ends, but we’ll still protect life and property as always.

First Coastal Louisiana AMS (CLAMS) meeting of the fall starting soon with Phil Grisby of NWS New Orleans speaking to the group tonight! Come join us if you are in the Baton Rouge area!

This is a very insightful article covering increasing heat-related deaths in Louisiana. www.nola.com/news/environ...

My take from the discussion at tropical.colostate.edu/Forecast/202... is to not let your guard down even though hurricane season has not been very active. The note of the possibility of a strong Central American gyre concerns me as I know that the CAG can give rise to “home grown” storms in October

From the Atmospheric Science Dept. at Colorado State: “The NHC currently is not expecting any TC formations in the next 7 days. If that forecast verifies, it will be only the 2nd yr since 1950 w/no Atlantic named storm activity between 8/29 and 9/16. The only other year was 1992”

Currently viewing a CDC Heat Preparedness webinar. I am happy to hear how health departments are using the HeatRisk took. I’ve been a fan since the tool’s experimental days with the Western Region.

I have a saying: “Gulf Coast emergency managers always labor on Labor Day”. I’ll gladly take a quiet end to August and start to September! But I know my fellow EM’s are concerned about the second half of the season and the “home grown threats” that can occur during that time.

If this is true then a lot of us in BR are…well….gone, lol

I really enjoyed listening to 2 emergency management superstars on the most recent @ametsoc.org “Clear Skies Ahead” podcast! Great job Ashley Morris @missashes92.bsky.social & Melissa Sizemore! I was nodding in agreement throughout the entire discussion!

It’s move-in weekend at colleges across the U.S. Families are hauling boxes, climbing stairs, and trekking back and forth in the August heat. There’s a public health angle to move in day that I don’t think we discuss enough (especially for universities in the south)… 🧵

Interesting study from researchers at Tulane University regarding the increase in heart related ED visits after exposure to the combination of extreme heat and humidity. www.linkedin.com/pulse/study-...

I know that EM’s have been adjusting their H-hour plans to account for the possibility of RI. These plans will need to continuously be updated due to the more extreme cases of RI we’ve been seeing. How quickly can you evacuate health facilities, activate shelters, enact contraflow, etc.

We don't compute RI as a percentage of storms but as a percentage of 24-hour periods. Also, faster thresholds are getting more common. 40+kt/24h: - 1975-1999, 3.6% - 2000-2024, 4.4% 50+kt/24h: - 1975-1999, 0.9% - 2000-2024, 1.8%

August 16: 11:20AM AST @53rdWRS find #Erin is now a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Visit hurricanes.gov for the latest https://x.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1956738174408863936

917mb…..absolutely insane. But it feels like I’m saying that phrase every hurricane season now.

🫣Still waiting/deciding? ⏳ You’ve got until Aug 21, 5 PM ET to submit for the 17th Conf. on Environment & Health. Your research deserves the stage and we want you in this conversation! 🌎💡 🔗 annual.ametsoc.org/2026/program... #AMS2026 #EnvHealth

Significant flash flooding has occurred over the US this month. I recently discussed the different types of flooding and how your health can be impacted. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...

Recent flooding across the US led to a special edition of my “Weather and Wellness” blog. Join me as I discuss different types of flooding, and the health impacts that rising waters can bring. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/07/weat...

How can we make sure as many people are prepared for disasters as possible? Harris County Public Health has formed community-based resilience teams to help share information and build connections to resources. East and Central African community asset mapping underway today:

Summer days in the South usually include: -Beautiful clear sky mornings -Humid afternoons w/clouds forming -Downpours just in time for the evening commute I discuss how these summer storms (Rush-Hour Rumblers) carry multiple hazards in my latest blog : tinyurl.com/3kxbr2jm

“Rush-Hour Rumblers” is my nickname for the pop-up thunderstorms that frequently occur during summer afternoons. My latest “Weather & Wellness” blog looks at how these storms can be hazardous for those making their evening commutes. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/06/weat...

Do you take: Diuretics for kidney or blood pressure issues? Antidepressants like SSRIs? Beta blocker or calcium channel blockers for a heart condition? These are examples of meds that can increase sensitivity to heat & sunlight. Be careful as the temps soar! www.mountsinai.org/health-libra...

This picture doesn’t do it justice, but the skies over Baton Rouge filled with stunning mammatus clouds this evening.

The Saharan Air Layer (SAL): Dazzling sunsets, hurricane suppression, and red tide surges? 🤨 In last week’s #WeatherAndWellnessWednesday, I explored the SAL’s upsides & health concerns, from PM10 spikes to asthma and allergy troubles. Read more at weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/06/weathe…

Asperitas (or asperatus) clouds seem over northern Louisiana today (from Walmart’s parking lot 😁)

➡️A hyperbolic Daily News headline ➡️Meteorology 101 ➡️Mie Scattering ➡️Exposure to red tide toxins I cover a lot of (dusty) ground in this week’s special Friday edition of ‘Weather & Wellness Wednesdays’ blog! This week I discuss the Saharan Air Layer weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/06/weat...

Welp, looks like this week’s “Weather and Wellness Wednesday” will be released on a Thursday 🤦🏾‍♀️. Later today, I’ll be discussing a recent “dramatic” national news headline regarding an annual weather phenomenon. Until then, catch up on previous blogs at weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/?m=1

On this day in 1997, the large scale wx pattern that caused the Jarrell, TX tornado resulted in severe storms across north Louisiana. We experienced straight line winds over 100 mph in Monroe. I remember this day vividly, as a large tree limb fell on our house & damaged our roof.

My latest Forbes dot com writing was inspired by a conversation with friends at a post graduation cookout. It synthesized a challenging "aha" moment for me as a meteorologist and public scholar. Hope you will give this a read and would love your thoughts too www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...

Heat doesn’t have to sizzle to be serious! In recognition of #HeatSafety Week, yesterday’s Weather & Wellness Wednesday blog post examined the dangers of early-season and moderate heat. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/05/weathe…

Extreme heat usually gets that news headlines, but it doesn’t take 100° temps cause heat related illnesses. This week’s “Weather & Wellness Wednesday” blog examines the dangers of early-season and moderate heat. weatherandwellness.blogspot.com/2025/05/weat...

Summer isn’t here yet, but the heat sure is! Next Wednesday, my Weather & Wellness blog will explore the dangers of early-season heat & how moderate warmth can still pose health risks. I’ll also discuss the HeatRisk tool! See you next week at tinyurl.com/mvykjnpf