Dr Roberto J. Mera

We welcome our newest Climate Change and Society class. What a great group!

It's been the warmest start to March on record across the United States, in terms of high temperatures, with an average of 60 degrees. That's *7.6 degrees* above-average for March, month-to-date! March 2026 is tracking to become one of the most anomalously warm months on record for the country. Here's a list of statewide temperatures compared to average: California: +9.5˚F Arizona: +9.1˚F Nevada: +9.0˚F Kentucky: +8.9˚F West Virginia: +8.6˚F Tennessee: +8.6˚F Arkansas: +8.5˚F Ohio: +8.3˚F New Mexico: +7.7˚F Oklahoma: +7.6˚F Texas: +7.5˚F Indiana: +7.5˚F Colorado: +7.4˚F Wyoming: +7.2˚F Mississippi: +7.2˚F Utah: +7.2˚F North Carolina: +7.0˚F Missouri: +6.8˚F Virginia: +6.8˚F Pennsylvania: +6.7˚F Illinois: +6.4˚F Nebraska: +6.0˚F Oregon: +5.9˚F Alabama: +5.9˚F Idaho: +5.9˚F Kansas: +5.9˚F South Carolina: +5.8˚F Louisiana: +5.7˚F Georgia: +5.5˚F South Dakota: +5.5˚F Montana: +5.5˚F District of Columbia: +5.3˚F New York: +5.0˚F Iowa: +4.9˚F Vermont: +4.9˚F Maine: +4.8˚F Delaware: +4.6˚F Maryland: +4.6˚F New Hampshire: +4.6˚F Florida: +4.4˚F New Jersey: +3.8˚F Michigan: +3.7˚F Wisconsin: +3.7˚F Connecticut: +3.3˚F Massachusetts: +3.3˚F Washington: +3.2˚F North Dakota: +2.8˚F Minnesota: +2.3˚F Rhode Island: +1.9˚F

Impressive snow for a bit this afternoon in North Raleigh #ncwx

Snowing in North Raleigh #ncwx

@WeatherProf Let’s switch places

I’ll tell you one thing… glad to be on the south side of this front! Sharp cold front with a 50° temperature contrast today between Florida and North Carolina today. #summer #winter

Thais everyone for an awesome semester in our Climate Change Science class! #climatescience #climateaction

@WeatherProf Great to see this. Insight appreciated.

Before you say anything. I agree, it’s not a fair comparison. But in reference to a recent post I made, I was asked over and over about the more active AMO (natural cycle) in the Atlantic. The most recent b4 our current era, as per NOAA, was 1940-1970. So I looked at two 30 year periods for the most extreme hurricanes, then and now. The results are below. Now has ~2X more. BUT it’s not fair. Then was before the satellite era and we know many storms were missed. Bottom line… the best data we have to go with in making intensity comparisons is 1970 onward, and if the AMO cycle is indeed robust and not an artifact of aerosol forcing, then the record is simply not long enough to make an apples to apples comparison on global warming vs natural oscillation.

@WeatherProf Accounting for AMO impacts?

Updated image to include Andrew and two others. I inadvertendly left out A and B's when I added the database in. Doesn't change the message BUT I am sorry about that. Very annoyed at myself!

This is #Melissa prior to Landfall. It is terrifying to see such a powerful Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 mph and 220+ mph wind gusts and 892 mb pressure at landfall. One of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic has made landfall.

Jenny Agnew earned her BS in Media and Entertainment from Kennesaw State University. She joined the program to help at the local scale by building community resilience and to raise awareness about the importance of nature based solutions. #ClimateAction

A chance to support Middle School education in Wilmington, NC sapaynow.com/289915/51057

Caden Robinette earned his BS in Animal Science at NC State. He joined the program to translate rigorous science into tools rural producers can use now to improve both human and animal health while strengthening rural livelihoods. #ClimateAction

Esther Cai earned her BS in Environmental Science at the Univ. of Miami. She joined the program to study natural disaster management and resilience. #ClimateAction

Zavier Avery earned his BS in Environmental Studies rom NCA&T Univ. He joined the program to explore how climate change affects human communities and systems. #ClimateAction

Check out our international work: meas.sciences.ncsu.edu/2025/09/12/glo…

Alex Shaller earned his BS in Applied Mathematics at Univ. of Chicago, an MS in Actuarial Science from Univ. of Iowa and an MS in GIS from Clark University. He joined the program to study long-range climate projections to solve the challenges of climate change. #ClimateAction

Sydney Morgan earned her BS in Global Studies and Communications from the UNC-Chapel Hill. She joined the program to work in the sustainability side of the beauty and cosmetics industry, finding alternative solutions to waste and encourage responsible consumption. #ClimateAction

Donna Blekfeld-Sztraky earned her BS in Public Health from UNC Charlotte. She joined the program to examine the intersections of health justice, climate resilience and sustainable urban planning. #ClimateAction

Amelia Brady earned her BA in Literature at American University, where she also studied Public Policy. She joined the program to learn about climate adaptation policy at the city and state levels. #ClimateAction

Nicole Rosales-Garcia earned her BS in Environmental Science from NCSU. She joined the program to expand her realm of knowledge in environmental education and focus on climate science. #ClimateAction

Vernon Turner earned his BS in Meteorology from NCSU. He joined the program to expand his knowledge and tone his effective communication of weather and climate information, which he will share with his viewers on air, students at school visits and community groups. #ClimateAction