WAMU 88.5 : The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Climate Services

Technology has changed the way we track weather. Apps and websites now give localized information in real time. Farmers and businesses rely on sophisticated modeling to predict conditions weeks and even months in advance. But as the swift and destructive path of this summer's derecho has proven, our understanding of weather patterns is far from perfect. Tech Tuesday explores how government planners, farmers, energy companies and a range of other businesses use climate and weather data for short and long-range planning.

Related Images

Droughts, snow accumulation and average temperatures varied widely across the United States compared to previous years. All photos courtesy of NOAA.

Related Documents

Storm surges, elevations and FEMA floodplains for Washington, D.C. Courtesy of the D.C. Department of Environment.

Related Videos

The director of the National Weather Service, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, discusses numerical weather prediction during the February 2010 mid-Atantic snow event known poularly as Snowmageddon:

Listen to the earthquake that caused the Great Honshu, Japan tsunami:

How to detect, understand and predict El Niño and La Niña weather phenomenons:

WAMU 88.5

Baltimore Mayor To Officiate Mass Same-Sex Wedding At Pride Parade

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will preside over a mass wedding for same-sex couples during the city's Pride Festival at Druid Hill Park next month.

NPR

Can A Piece Of Hair Reveal How Much Coke Or Pepsi You Drink?

People are notorious for under-reporting what they consume — they lie, forget or just guess wrong. For researchers who want to know how much soda we're drinking, a high-tech analysis technique could help.
NPR

Supreme Court Takes Case On Prayer At Government Meetings

Prayers said before meetings of the town board in Greece, N.Y., have predominantly been Christian. A lower court ruled that officials hadn't done enough to seek out prayers from other faiths. That violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause, the court said. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in.
NPR

VIDEO: Look Inside A Grizzly Bear's Mouth

A 3-year-old grizzly in Alaska found a GoPro camera that had been set up to capture nature scenes. The result: Very upclose video. Warning: If slobber and big teeth aren't your thing, this video may not be for you.

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