Map showing when leaves have emerged in the Lower 48 states relative to a normal year. The following places are highlighted: Denver: 26 days early on Feb. 20 (new record); Salt Lake City: 19 days early on March 1 (new record); Omaha: 17 days early on March 13; Pittsburgh: 15 days early on March 11; Philadelphia: 4 days early on March 13; Washington: 1 day late on March 9; Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 14 days early on Jan. 12 (new record); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 11 days late on Feb. 15. Data through March 31.

Spring is arriving early across swaths of the country. My latest maps w/ @naemas.bsky.social @bennollweather.bsky.social

Gift link: wapo.st/4m30NyJ

(corrects dates in an image in a previous post)

A massive border wall expansion is underway The aggressive pace of expansion has alarmed advocates who say the construction will destroy pristine country, threaten endangered species, and cut off access to sacred Indigenous and archaeological s...

Public lands/parks in AZ, NM, TX our country protected are slated for border wall. The costs are steep. TX’s Big Bend is stunning & loved by its community. Wall is coming despite having few crossings there. The fight is on.
w/ @jakespring.bsky.social @johnmuyskens.bsky.social

wapo.st/4bVCIGB

curious when D.C.'s cherry trees will be in full bloom this year? i've built a statistical model and tracker page that updates daily: tinius.github.io/blossoms/

now waiting for NPS and @capitalweather.bsky.social predictions to compare

Last week, many of my colleagues at The Post were laid off and the visual reporters were among the hardest hit. The great Daniel Wolfe was one of them, and he has written a guide to my dear former teammates which I undersign completely

The NYC subway is drowning. Here’s how to save it. As the planet warms, subway systems around the world have struggled to cope with floods far beyond what they were originally designed to handle.

If you're one of the ~3 million daily subway riders currently getting drenched while waiting for your train, don't miss this deep dive from me, @johnmuyskens.bsky.social @sadbumblebee.buzz & @kcrowebasspro.bsky.social
explaining why the MTA is so flood-prone -- and what can be done wapo.st/49lyC9y

Record wildfire smoke kills more people each year than car crashes. It’s about to get worse. The past six summers have been the smokiest on record. New research shows that smoke could become the costliest consequence of climate change for Americans.

It's not your imagination: Wildfire smoke in the U.S. has dramatically worsened since 2019. According to a new study, it's already killing 41,000 people a year - and it's poised to get much worse.

new from me @johnmuyskens.bsky.social and @sadbumblebee.buzz

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

What we lose when weather balloons don’t fly Meteorologists are launching fewer weather balloons across the United States as the National Weather Service loses staff. Some worry forecasts will suffer.

What we lose when weather balloons don’t fly.

Nice visual story by Scott Dance et al. at WaPo.

Comments from me, @tdiliberto.bsky.social, and Louis Uccellini.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

Where local forecast offices no longer monitor weather around the clock For at least half a century, the National Weather Service has been an around-the-clock operation. That is no longer possible in parts of the country.

See where the National Weather Service can no longer monitor conditions around the clock, because of DOGE-led staffing cuts:

1 in 8 Californians now face extreme fire danger, Post analysis shows One in 8 Californians now live in places at risk for the kinds of devastating wildfires that tore through Los Angeles this winter, according to a Washington Post analysis of new state fire maps.

1 in 8 Californians now face extreme fire danger, Post analysis shows

www.washingtonpost.com/weather/inte...

Why seas are surging Since 2010, sea levels at a gauge in Savannah, Georgia have risen by more than 7 inches. Similar trends in sea level rise are happening across the U.S. South.

Sea level rise is skyrocketing in the U.S. South. Scientists are beginning to understand way.

Happy to play a part in this awesome piece with colleagues @johnmuyskens.bsky.social, Simon Ducroquet, Kevin Crowe, and @bananafish.bsky.social.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

A letter to our readers

a note to Washington Post readers: On Dec. 7, we ask you to respect our walkout by not crossing the picket line: For 24 hours, please do not engage with any Post content. That includes our print + online news stories, podcasts, videos, games and recipes.