Now that they have merged with Hawaiian, Alaska Airlines has a new livery (paint scheme) that is just beautiful.  Congratulations. 

Today is National Meteorologists Day. To all of my colleagues around the nation: best wishes, good health and keep up the great work that saves lives and makes our nation better. 

Australia's Jo Nova has an i nsightful article regarding energy investment here. It applies to the United States. 

For the first time in the history of the Nation of Cuba: Yes, it got to freezing (zero degrees Celsius) for the first time. Cuba has always had an excellent meteorological service, so I trust this.  While on the subject of winter: The North American Reliability Corporation's latest long-term assessment warns that half the U.S. will face increased risks of blackouts during winter storms as demand for electricity increases while coal- and natural gas-fired power plants are retired. Details here . No one wants another Nashville!

Seven percent! The idea that the grid can run on renewables for any length of time is nonsense.