From Mindy and I, the very best wishes for happiness, good health and great family and friends in 2018.  This is going to be a very big year for me personally. Stay tuned.

The  Washington Post  ran a  "media" column  yesterday that stated, We need to focus more intently — and more engagingly — on subjects that matter most to ordinary people’s lives, and to calm down about White House intrigue and Trump’s every tweet. And we need to stamp out the snarky attitude that seems to brag, “I’m smarter than my audience.” Like clockwork, President Trump tweeted - facetiously, obviously -- about global warming a few minutes after that column was published. And, the suggestions to "calm down" about Trump's tweets and snark went out the window faster than a climate scientist can churn out a grant application. From climate scientist Dr. Marshall Shepherd: Vomit?  His  Forbes   online  piece: Not to be outdone, the virtue signaling that exploded about 7pm yesterday has continued up until the present hour as scientists and pseudo-scientists burn up social media: Much more  here ... here ... here ...and, here .  Other note

Question: Is holiday "bark" considered one of the essential food groups?

On its Cactus Bowl victory over UCLA, 35-17.

Take a look at this radar map of the snow falling over eastern Kansas this morning. The forecast last night was for 1/2 to 1" of snow across the area (at least the forecast I saw).  However, if you are living under the dark blue band from Herrington to Paola, chances are you are going to end up with 2-3" inches, maybe more in a couple of spots. The exact position of these sub-county width snow bands is extremely difficult to predict. And, that is a cause for a lot of snow busts in the Great Plains.

Whatever your Christmas Dreams, I hope they come true. May you have a safe and wonderful Christmas.

There are rumors on Twitter and elsewhere about "insane" (an adjective I dislike) cold in the United States on New Year's. Don't be too concerned at this point. The models in winter usually forecast temperatures that are colder than the eventual reality. BTW: No blogging from now until the morning of the 26th. 

Eastern Storm Western Storm

This is a scene from the 1949 movie Holiday Affair.  People have always been worried about all kinds of things changing earth's climate -- and, yes, it was the atomic bomb that was supposed to be causing  climate change when I was a kid.

Updated Information as of 10:40am Friday. One of our short-term models shows torrential  and possibly flooding rains in the vicinity of I-40 from east of Little Rock through and just east of Memphis and on I-55 from Memphis north to the Missouri Bootheel through 2am CST Saturday. This heavy rain could shift a little north or south but please use extreme caution. If the road is flooded ahead remember Turn Around, Don't Drown!! --- Original Posting--  So that you will have chronological forecasts (Saturday to Christmas is the post below), here is the area of hazardous through early Saturday morning. Forecast Radar for 5pm CDT Medium risk of flooding in the red area -- use caution through sunrise Saturday. Forecast for 1am Saturday  Please note the area of freezing rain (icy roads!) forecast in the Ozarks.

Thanks to AccuWeather , here is the latest travel weather. Click to enlarge any graphic

Via Twitter Lightning striking near the Sydney Opera House. It is the meteorological equivalent of our June.

This time it was in Brazil, at the ironically named Atmosphere Festival. Details here .

AccuWeather has details on the windy snow system for Thursday and Thursday night. More holiday weather later today.

So said Dr. Roger Pielke, Sr. in his review of Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather.  He also said, I did not expect, however, that I would be riveted to such a truly outstanding contribution to the history of meteorology! Still time to get a copy for Christmas. Click here .

Longtime readers know I have a special place in my heart for the Flint Hills of Kansas. I'm happy to report so does Southwest Airlines. A great article from its inflight magazine .

We'll have their full review next week. More reviews here .

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The New Normal® -- a now-tiresome phrase trotted out by Big Climate whenever a major natural disaster occurs. I'm sure it was focus-grouped by one of the many organizations that makes big dollars by scaring people about climate change.  This latest example comes from the Los Angeles Times  quoting Governor Jerry Brown's comments about the recent wildfires: Gov. Jerry Brown surveyed the devastation Saturday in Ventura — the area hardest hit by firestorms that have displaced nearly 90,000 people in Southern California — calling it “the new normal.” The visit came four days after Brown declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires. In all, blazes from Ojai to Oceanside have destroyed more than 790 structures and burned 175,000 acres.   But, is his assertion the truth? Answer? No. Click to enlarge. There is more on wild fire frequency here . Is global warming an issue? Yes. But, be very skeptical whenever you hear the phrase The New Normal. 

One that covers the real  issues in an easy-to-read manner. Keep in mind that seven years ago net neutrality (a misnomer) did not exist and the internet was growing fine. That said, I agree there are some arguments for keeping it.

With the recent California wildfires and the recent run of hurricanes, I have heard C-level business executives bemoan that what they perceive to be an intractable problem: mitigating the effects of these mega-storms on their enterprise in a meaningful way. As someone who has specialized in storm communication, warning and mitigation for four decades, please allow me to assure you: It can be done! And, it can be done with experts that protect your specific enterprises' people, property and profits. Give yourself a wonderful holiday gift: Peace of mind .  That when a natural disaster threatens, you don't worry because your company has the best protection possible. Just start here:  sales@accuweather.com  .

The world has grieved over a video (screen grab below) of an obviously suffering polar bear. Some are, unfortunately, attributing the condition of the polar bear to global warming. However, it is likely global warming is not the cause of that polar bear's unfortunate condition. Below is a portion of a series of tweets from Dr. Jeff Higdon, a wildlife biologist. While he believes human-caused global warming is a serious issue, he emphatically believes that is not an issue with this polar bear. Via Twitter It is a shame that atmospheric science has been corrupted by the impulse to make everything about global warming.

At long, long last: Amazon has Warnings  fully back in stock in time for Christmas sales. Bookloons Review If you enjoy reading this blog, you'll enjoy reading Warnings. Please note that this blog has no advertising other than for my books. If you enjoy reading this blog, you will certainly enjoy Warnings. Click here for more.

A detailed analysis of the California wildfires and a respected university meteorologist's conclusion they are not related to global warming. BTW: I agree.

The title of this post is what Publishers Weekly  had to say about Warnings . Below is their entire review: Click to enlarge.  Your family member or friend who enjoys reading about weather or is a weather buff will love the book. There are three ways to order it. Barnes & Noble, click here . Amazon, click here . Watermark Books*, click here . *Watermark is an independent bookseller. You can purchase Warnings  in person (Wichita) or via mail order. There are many who wish to support independent booksellers. This would be an opportunity. You can also purchase it at your local bookstore. If they do not have it in stock, it is easy for them to order.

The light bulb illuminates : It finally occurred to someone in the global warming community that jetting off the Bali, Copenhagen, Cancun, Paris (all locations of recent climate conferences) and now New Orleans is not the best way to convince the rest of us to cut our "carbon footprints."

H/t: Instapundit.

A story about a UCLA professor and his seminar .

At long last, Amazon has Warnings  back in stock.  As I understand it, they actually have six copies in their warehouse but, for some reason, are only displaying two on its web page. If you are not familiar with Warnings , here is an unsolicited review: click to enlarge There are two options for purchasing. To order from Amazon, click here . To order from Watermark Books (5 copies in stock), click here .  To purchase in-person at Watermark, their home page is here . Watermark is the leading book seller in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.  BTW: Watermark is a nationally-known bookseller based in Wichita. They bring many outstanding authors into Wichita on their book tours. Below are Dave Barry, Kathleen and myself when we was recently in town to promote Best. State. Ever .   If you inclined to purchase your books from an independent bookseller, I highly recommend Watermark. They will take great care of your order. 

Meanwhile, the effects of the wildfires continues in California. Here is a summary .

Traveling, you'll want to check with your airline or ground transportation provider to see if they are on time or cancelled. Below is the latest model forecast of snowfall . It does not forecast the snow accumulation (warm ground may melt some of the snow that falls).

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Tornado Risk in Florida. The area with brown tinting has a signifiant risk of tornadoes. This includes the Tampa and Orlando areas. Heavy Snow. The outlined area, which includes Birmingham and parts of the Atlanta Metro will have heavy snow at times. This will cause serious traffic difficulties.

This photo from the DrudgeReport  shows what it looks like to be in Southern California today, even if you are not in a fire area. As to the latest fire coverage, just go to AccuWeather . 1pm: Another update from AccuWeather , especially important if you are planning to travel to the Southland this weekend.