As world leaders gather for a climate summit in Madrid, some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change say they need improved forecasting tools.
Inclement weather sure has a knack for bad timing. On the eve of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, high winds and heavy snow are buffeting places from Oregon to New England.
Forecasters say an estimated 300 cold-weather records are expected to be tied or broken through Wednesday. The "arctic outbreak" is being blamed for four deaths so far.
The webcam at San Francisco State University has been in operation since 1994. Now, its creators say they plan to sunset the Internet landmark by the end of the month.
"Hail more than a meter high, and then we wonder if climate change exists," said Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, the governor of Jalisco state. The Mexican army is helping to dig out the city.
The massive tornado skirted the metropolitan area but struck several towns to the west of Kansas City, Kan., leaving damaged houses "for a mile in every direction."
NOAA forecasts that two to four major hurricanes will form this year in the Atlantic. But even an average year can cause record-breaking damage, as storms get bigger and wetter.
Thousands were without power and multiple people were hurt as a series of storms spawned multiple tornadoes in Missouri late Wednesday and into Thursday.