The Atlantic Hurricane season is currently going slow. Only one area of interest while the Eastern Pacific is busy with two named storms and a possible third on the way. We share some exciting news as the hosts of B Squared are headed back to school.

The tropics are somewhat active this week. The National Hurricane Center in Miami is watching two areas for development. One is off the east coast of Florida and the other is about a thousand miles from Hilo, Hawaii. Both are expected to form into the tropical depressions in the next few days. The Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon has burned over 400,000 acres. Containment isn't expected until October 1st.

Happy Birthday B Squared! We celebrate our third year starting this week and looking forward to our 156th episode next weekend. Major Hurricane Felicia is churning away in the Pacific Ocean, she will not impact any land before dying out later this week. Currently, the bootleg fire in Southern Oregon is nearing 300,000 acres burned. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Bonnie is frustrated by the invisible dome that sits over her house, storms split around it and reform later.

After a brief break, we are back with a brand new episode. The Atlantic tropical season was quiet until Hurricane Elsa made an appearance. Elsa came ashore as a tropical storm on the Florida gulf coast. As she was skirting the coast line, she achieved hurricane status for a few hours. Elsa brought wind, rain, and storm surge. The 2020 hurricane season was record breaking, but maybe not as much as we thought. Back on the plains, one storm chaser has an idea for ranking chasers and we will explore that idea. The month of June was very quiet in terms of tornado watches. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma only issued ten for the month, now tied for third lowest amount.

The Pacific Northwest is roasting. All time high temperatures are falling across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Northern California. Portland, Oregon set their all time high time high yesterday and it will be shattered today. Hurricane Enrique is churning off the Mexico coast line making its way toward the Baja. It is forecast to come ashore as a tropical storm.

All is quiet in the Atlantic Ocean with tropical systems. Two areas that the NHC are watching, but not expecting them to form into any systems. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Carlos is churning away and will die out in the next few days.

We look back eight years ago at the El Reno tornado that changed how storms are researched, chased, and analyzed. The storm claimed the lives of three very well chasers, men who had made their careers out of keeping others safe. The El Reno tornado was a record setting storm in terms of wind speeds, width, and structure. The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season has started and all is quiet (for now) while TS Blanca is churning away in the Eastern Pacific.

This week has started off with a bang in the Central Plains. Kansas had over fifteen tornadoes reported on Monday and it's only going to get more active as the week goes along. In the NW on Monday, the SPC general thunderstorm outlook created a certain character and Bobby played it up as best as he could. Oklahoma gets into the action on Wednesday as all the severe ingredients looks to come together.

The last few days was an epic showing of what the atmosphere can do when the ingredients come together. However, the storms didn't make it to Oklahoma and that has Bonnie feeling sad. The storms that hit Texas were amazing. Large hail stones including one really large stone stole the show. Several pictures and videos showed text book supercells doting the landscape. NOAA/CPC/NHC has released the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season outlook today. Based on the new averages, they are calling for a 60% likelihood of an above average hurricane season. It's May 20th and we look back at the events of 2013 and 2019, a good time to remind ourselves about having a plan and being prepared. The NWS Portland office seems a little hyped up on the potential for some fun weather as we look at the morning AFD and the midmorning update.

It's been a semi active week on the plains and up the east coast for severe weather but some are beginning to question if the Central United States will have a decent "chase season" or an active severe spring season. In the Eastern Pacific ocean, we have our first named tropical system that is coming a few days before that season officially kicks off. Tropical Storm Andres is moving the NW and will begin to die off as it makes its way west. The Atlantic season starts June 1st. NOAA released its updated climate snapshots for the last 30 years. Most of the US saw an increase in temperature and the average decade over decade total increased .13 degrees Fahrenheit, while the century average was up around 1 degree Fahrenheit. We celebrate Bonnie's 30 and 1 birthday and wish a Happy Mothers Day to all Mom's out there!