Here are temperatures for the last twenty years through September. Remember the media reports two years ago that 2015 was the hottest year ever? You don't hear that now because it was temporary; caused by the major El Nino. In between the El Ninos was "the pause" where temperatures did not rise, in spite of computer model forecasts they should have been rising. Here is the important question: Will temperatures drop to near the levels of The Pause as they recover from the El Nino? Ask me in a year or so.

Recent review at Goodreads. Ken Heard   rated it  it was amazing I was surprised to learn that the Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) refused to issue tornado warnings as late as the 1950s so as not to scare people unnecessarily. That seems ridiculous today with constant live reports from tv weathermen, upgraded polarization Dopplar radars, satellite imagery that can pinpoint a tornado's thought process and more. But that was the case, and Mike Smith was on the forefront of changing that practice. His book is an excellent history of tornadoes and hurricanes and the mindset that accompanied them in those days. The book is almost three-fold. First, he describes with excellent clarity the actual storms. He also throws in science behind the storms, what causes them, et al. And he includes his personal memoirs on them. Like most meteorologists, Smith got involved in weather forecasting because of a storm. He saw a devastating Kansas tornado that sparked...

Recent discoveries of human skeletons confirm the revelation of the colony’s president, George Percy, that they also resorted to cannibalism: “Some adventuringe to seeke releife in the woods, dyed as they sought it, and weare eaten by others who found them dead.” When one man confessed under torture to having murdered and eaten his wife, Percy ordered his execution. From a New York Times'   review of "A Cold Welcome: The Little Ice Age and Europe's Encounter with North America." I assure you: if the climate cooled significantly, there are be mass starvation (due to shorter growing seasons) across the world. The people who worry about global warming should really be more careful what they wish for.

Buzzfeed  has a sickening story that seems to confirm what many meteorologists believe: the death toll in Puerto Rico is much higher than the official numbers. Nearly ninety years ago, a hurricane in Florida killed so many the dead were buried in mass graves. I had hoped America had gotten past the era where we could properly bury people from weather-related disasters.

Extreme winds are likely. With a severe flash flood threat. The red "moderate" is a serious threat. Please remember: Drive slowly as downed trees are likely and turn around, don't drown.  Never drive into a flooded area.

From USAToday . Everyone in town is super excited about the upcoming college basketball season.

This actress is in Made in America.  Can you guess what Sarah is "being" in her Halloween costume? If not, click here . If you want to go to a party or trick-or-treat in the same costume as the original, go here . I suspect the original cost less than the variant Sarah Wright is wearing.