Tracy Campbell, PhD

Attention folks in the weather, climate, disaster, wildfire, and Earth science communities: NSF has just published a new "Dear Colleague" letter inviting feedback (by Mar 13) on the proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). www.nsf.gov/funding/...

Map showing a winter weather advisory for northwestern Wisconsin on Thursday December 18.

Map showing the barometric pressure across Wisconsin.

Map showing how quickly the barometric pressure is falling over the last 3 hours across Wisconsin.

Map showing the forecast wind gusts for December 18 across Wisconsin.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in place over northwestern Wisconsin today. Light snow and ice accumulations will make roads slick.

The low pressure system and cold front moving across the state will also bring gusty winds of 30-40 mph today. Hold onto your hats!

Another example - from just today - of excellent and essential climate and weather research from @ncar-ucar.bsky.social with clear impacts on flood-prone communities
doi.org/10.1038/s432... #NCAR

Map showing a Winter Storm Watch for the weekend in southern Wisconsin.

Map showing the chance of at least 8” of snow for southern Wisconsin this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We’ve got one winter storm moving out and another winter storm getting ready to move in.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for southern Wisconsin this weekend and it could be a whopper, with at least 90% chance of more than 8” for most of southern Wisconsin!

Weather map showing all of the warnings and advisories across Wisconsin the morning of November 25.

A major winter storm will bring widespread 8-18” snowfall across northern Wisconsin.

Big weather changes are in store today.

This AM: Dense fog over southern Wisconsin.

This PM - Thanksgiving: A windy winter storm will bring heavy snow to northern Wisconsin.

Widespread 12”+ totals and blizzard conditions possible. Parts of Ashland and Iron Counties could see 20-30” of snow!

Weather story showing potential impacts from the Pre-Thanksgiving Winter Storm affecting Wisconsin the next couple days. Winter Storm Warning: Widespread 8-12” totals. 12-24” closer to Lake Superior. Portions of Ashland and Iron Counties could see 30-40”. Blizzard conditions possible. Winter Weather Advisory: 3-8” of snow, heavier north. Very gusty winds to 45 miles per hour. Blizzard conditions possible. Wind Advisory: Strong winds of 20-30 miles per hour with gusts to 45 miles per hour expected. Less than 3” of snow expected. Brief white out conditions possible.

Lots happening in the next 24-36 hours across the state.

Figured it was easier to put together a full graphic than try to type it out in a couple hundred characters.

Drought Monitor for November 13.

Abnormally dry and drought conditions continue to spread across Wisconsin, with more than 75% of the state now highlighted on the Drought Monitor.

If I’m reading the senate deal correctly, they’re planning to get rid of payment limits on USDA conservation programs like EQIP.

When thousands of farmers get turned away from EQIP each year, this change would funnel even more federal money to the biggest farms while turning away small farms.

Gotta say, finding out that our funding is cut, and that on-top of that, researchers in my field who I admire, don't respect the work I do (going as far to imply that it is embarrassing and timid), is really disheartening.

Someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, but did the Senate walk back their original FY 26 ag appropriations bill, and now propose defunding the USDA Climate Hubs? www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majorit...

Full FoodShare payments should be made to nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites who depend on them. FoodShare members should see the full November amount on their QUEST card.

Folks can check their benefit balances by calling 877-415-5164.

New: Conde Nast fired four employees who were among a group that confronted the company's head of human resources on Wednesday over the decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue/recent cuts. Employees who were fired included journalists from the New Yorker, Wired, and Bon Appétit.

...CATEGORY 5 MELISSA MAKES LANDFALL IN JAMAICA... ...ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE LANDFALLS ON RECORD IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN... Melissa has made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 892 mb (26.34 inches). THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! DO not leave your shelter as the eye passes over, as winds will quickly, and rapidly increase on the other side of the eye. Residents should remain in place through the passage of these life-threatening conditions. To protect yourself from wind, the best thing you can do is put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. An interior room without windows, ideally one where you can also avoid falling trees, is the safest place you can be in a building. You can cover yourself with a mattress and wear a helmet for added protection. The next position update will be provided with the intermediate advisory at 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC) . SUMMARY OF 100 PM EDT...1700 UTC...INFORMATION LocatIoN..18.1N 78.0W ABOUT 25 MI...40 KM SE OF NEGRIL JAMAICA ABOUT 145 MI...235 KM S OF GUANTANAMO CUBA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...185 MPН...295 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT... NNE OR 25 DEGREES AT 9 PH...15 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...892 MB...26.34 INCHES

Visible satellite image of Melissa at 1:01pm EDT, October 28.

#Melissa makes landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope as a powerful category 5 hurricane. For the latest updates visit hurricanes.gov

Food Banks Brace for Overwhelming Demand as SNAP Cutoff Looms

Food Banks Brace for Overwhelming Demand as SNAP Cutoff Looms www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/u...

A banner on the USDA website says SNAP benefits will not go out on November 1.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry.”

An agency memo yesterday said the USDA will not use contingency funds for Nov. benefits: www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...

State troopers in riot gear just plowed into the crowd, started arresting protesters and clergy.

CUOMO: I'm not used to seeing naked propaganda on a government website. Are you worried about violating the Hatch Act?

TURNER: We're not worried at all. This is about letting the American people know what's going on.

C: It's not true. That's why I'm bringing it up. That's why it's propaganda.

The Menomonee River at Wauwatosa, with a much larger basin, jumped from 10.4 cubic ft per second at 7:25pm last night to 4790 cfs at 9:20 pm, and peaked at over 9000 cfs early this morning.

Chart showing rainfall accumulation at New Berlin between August 9 and August 10.

Average recurrence interval for different precipitation amounts across different time spans in New Berlin.

Our weather station in New Berlin received 7.27” of rain between 7:30 pm and 1:30 am.

This type of rainfall has a 0.1-0.5% probability of occurrence in any given year.

Why Did National Geographic Disappear Its Own Documentary About A Queer Climate Scientist? | Defector If you’re not a particular kind of mountain sports nerd, you might not be familiar with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. But for people who live their lives in the overlapping circl...

Last fall, I attended the premiere of a film that meant a lot to me. In late January, all of its hundreds of planned screenings were canceled without explanation. For @defector.com, I went digging:

Trump administration shuts down EPA's scientific research arm The agency is closing the Office of Research and Development, which analyzes dangers posed by hazards including toxic chemicals, climate change, smog, wildfires, water pollution and more.

The agency is closing the Office of Research and Development, which analyzes dangers posed by hazards including toxic chemicals, climate change, smog, wildfires, water pollution and more.

A map of the US with the states the republican senators are from marked in red and states the democratic senators are from marked in blue: Senator Susan Collins (Republican - Maine) Senator Mitch McConnell(Republican - Kentucky) Senator Lisa Murkowski(Republican - Alaska) Senator Lindsey Graham(Republican - South Carolina) Senator Jerry Moran(Republican - Kansas) Senator John Hoeven(Republican - North Dakota) Senator John Boozman(Republican - Arkansas) Senator Shelley Moore Capito(Republican - West Virginia) Senator John Kennedy(Republican - Louisiana) Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith(Republican - Mississippi) Senator Bill Hagerty(Republican - Tennessee) Senator Katie Britt(Republican - Alabama) Senator Markwayne Mullin(Republican - Oklahoma) Senator Deb Fischer(Republican - Nebraska) Senator Mike Rounds(Republican - South Dakota) Patty Murray(Democrat - Washington) Richard Durbin(Democrat - Illinois) Jack Reed(Democrat - Rhode Island) Jeanne Shaheen(Democrat - New Hampshire) Jeff Merkley(Democrat - Oregon) Christopher Coons(Democrat - Delaware) Brian Schatz(Democrat - Hawaii) Tammy Baldwin(Democrat - Wisconsin) Chris Murphy(Democrat - Connecticut) Chris Van Hollen(Democrat - Maryland) Martin Heinrich(Democrat - New Mexico) Gary Peters(Democrat - Michigan) Kirsten Gillibrand(Democrat - New York) Jon Ossoff(Democrat - Georgia)

Are you from one of these states? Then we need your help to save American science!

The Senate Appropriations Committee will be marking up the President's Budget Request for science on Wednesday. People have been saying the proposed cuts "decimated" US science, but that's wrong: they are apocalyptic

republicans keep making life worse for working people and better for the rich and then we have elections and they’re like no that’s not true! and people believe them and then they just do it all again and it’s enough to make a rational person feel absolutely fucking insane

Congress plans to scrap USDA Climate Hubs, following Trump guidance  • Iowa Capital Dispatch The Ames-based Midwest Climate Hub, along with 10 regional climate hubs under USDA , is slated to be cut from the federal agriculture budget.

The current budget bill would eliminate the USDA Climate Hubs, a resource that helps farmers plan for the future and respond to risk. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/02/c...

It’s a terrible bill. It will literally kill people. The most vulnerable among us will suffer as the wealthiest benefit. It’s perverse. I wish there were something I could do. But alas, I am only a U.S. Senator from Alaska whose “no” vote would kill the bill. So I voted yes. You get it.

Tim Walz eulogizes slain lawmaker as a historic Minnesotan — and friend After a hug with Kamala Harris, Gov. Tim Walz eulogized slain state Rep. Melissa Hortman as “the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history.”

It's incredible that neither the president nor VP was here. The politicization of all facets of American life is coming from the White House. No other American president would have failed to pay their respects. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Waking up Sunday with renewed motivation to flip Ron Johnson's seat.

H2Ohio cuts raise concerns about rollback of progress on reducing phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie It's been 10 years since Ohio, Michigan and Ontario agreed to reduce phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie by 40%, and advocates are raising concerns about funding cuts to Ohio's water conservation initiat...

"If you want an economically vibrant agriculture system to thrive, you better be able to produce safe and clean water as part of that system.

That is gonna cost money. And it's gonna require smart regulation, and it is gonna require a lot of collaboration."

Sad to see that leadership didn’t approve of my suggested post language (assuming since this is what is posted) that I submitted on my last day in May as the social media manager.

Allow me share some of our team’s kind words here instead: