Last year, North Idaho hoped for rain to ease the two-year drought. News from November to January showed that hope turning into a reality. Rain and snow fell, giving a boost to the soil and ski resorts. This weather was just right, not too much, not too little. As of mid-January, snowpack at high el
Ever wonder how plants survive harsh conditions like dry spells or salty soils? One key player is the Sec14 gene family, a group of genes with a special domain that helps regulate lipids, the building blocks of cell membranes. This family has been around since the days of yeast, and it's found in al
Ethiopia's Wollo area is heavily reliant on rain for agriculture, but the amount and distribution of rainfall can vary greatly over time and space. A recent study looked into how much and how often it rained in Wollo from 1981 to 2022. The study used data from the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Prec
Plants face lots of problems due to changes in the weather and how we manage farms. One of these issues is abiotic stress, which is when conditions like drought or too much salt in the soil make it hard for plants to grow. To deal with these problems, plants have special proteins called stress-assoc
Drought can seriously mess with how plants get their phosphorus, a key nutrient. Recent studies might not have fully understood how different drought conditions alter the availability of phosphorus in soil. Scientists decided to test this by growing maize under varying levels of soil wetness in a tr
Imagine you're a grass trying to survive in harsh conditions. You might think that learning to handle drought would also help you deal with cold winters. Scientists are exploring if this is true or not. They studied different types of grasses and how they adapt to different climates. Some grasses th
Southern California is on high alert due to dangerously dry conditions and gusty winds. Moisture levels are at record lows, making the region a tinderbox ready to ignite. This "weather whiplash" from wet to dry spells hasn't been seen since 1992-1993. Scientists warn that climate change may be ampli
High winds and extremely low humidity are back, putting parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties at high risk for new fires. The National Weather Service predicts gusts up to 60 mph, which could fan existing flames and carry embers to new areas. Firefighters have been working tirelessly to contain
It looks like California might be in for a rough few months. Weather experts have warned that the state is facing particularly dangerous wildfire conditions. What makes this situation unique? It’s the combination of dry fuels and powerful winds. Fuels are things like grass, shrubs, and trees that ca
Southern California is in for a major blast of powerful and dry winds known as Santa Ana winds. These winds can be a big problem for the region, especially when it's already really dry. Forecasters are expecting wind gusts between 50 to 70 miles per hour, and in some high areas, it could go up to 10
