Northern Kentucky prepares for winter storm, new chemical mix to melt snow quicker

WCPO - Cincinnati Scripps

This year, Boone County Public Works will be using a newer chemical mix of calcium chloride with salt to help keep roads safe in these colder temperatures.

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  • How to survive Canada’s winter: Just move to this frost-free city

    While much of Canada battles sub-zero temperatures and endless snowfall, this city remains an anomaly—a mild oasis amid the country's frozen winter landscape.

  • B.C. facing the coldest air mass of the season, thanks to polar vortex

    As polar air pushes across the Prairies, some cold air is nudging into British Columbia, bringing frigid temperatures for the province. Meteorologist Rhythm Reet from The Weather Network breaks down the details.

  • Parts of Canada will be bitterly cold this weekend — but don't call it a polar vortex

    A rush of Arctic air will plunge parts of North America into bitter cold this weekend, bringing heavy snow, strong winds and frigid temperatures to parts of Canada.Meteorologists say temperatures could plunge by as much as 30 C in parts of the country over the coming days — so if the temperature in your neighbourhood has typically been hovering around 5 C, it could plummet to a shocking –25 C."For many places this will be the coldest weekend of the season so far," said CBC climate specialist Dar

  • We built an AI model that analysed millions of images of retreating glaciers – what it found is alarming

    Scientists have tracked decades of glacier retreat in the fast-warming Arctic islands of Svalbard.

  • L.A. Wildfires: Firefighters Extend Containment Amid Calmer Weather; Additional Evacuation Orders Lifted; LA Mayor Appoints Rebuilding Czar – Update

    UPDATED with latest: More evacuation orders were lifted today as containment of the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire has risen overnight due to firefighting efforts working in tandem with breaks in weather, including better humidity levels and lower winds. Containment of the Eaton blaze grew to 73%, up overnight from 65%, with helicopters providing water-dropping …

  • Southern California faces renewed fire threat due to expected increase in Santa Ana winds

    National Weather Service offices across Southern California are warning residents of an increase in weather conditions that are conducive to rapid fire growth. Meteorologists are most concerned about conditions from Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning when winds will be at their peak and relative humidity will be low. The combination of low humidity, dry vegetation, and strong winds is expected to create an elevated fire risk, which could pose threats to life and property if wildfires dev

  • Chiefs vs Texans weather updates: Kansas City will be cold for playoff game Saturday

    The Chiefs vs. Texans divisional round playoff game won't be quite as cold as Kansas City's playoff opener last year, but it will be below freezing.

  • On LA fire lines, inmates shoulder heavy packs and tackle dangerous work for less than $30 a day

    PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Sal Almanza has worked 24-hour shifts in grueling terrain, cutting fire lines and hauling away brush trying to keep ahead of fires that have devastated several Los Angeles neighborhoods. But when the fires are finally out, he won't be going back to his family: He'll be returning to the prison “fire camp” where he's serving time for drunken driving that injured someone.

  • Opinion - Why the climate and sustainability economy will thrive in a Trump presidency

    To maintain his electoral mandate, incoming President Trump will have to deliver the economic goods — but he will not be able to achieve any of these political objectives without continued investment in industries that have a positive impact on climate.

  • L.A. Isn’t Ready for What’s Next

    Sooner or later, a winter storm will hit, and deadly mudslides and debris flows will likely follow.

  • Scientists say they found oxygen where it shouldn’t be. Now, the hunt is on for more answers

    A project is underway to investigate the production of “dark” oxygen further. Understanding the phenomenon better could help space scientists find life beyond Earth

  • Water back for most but thousands still without

    Businesses have been forced to shut and events cancelled as disruption enters a third day.

  • NASA satellite captures rare sight of 'sea smoke' at Antarctica's Pine Island glacier

    A satellite hundreds of miles above Earth captured rare images of an atmospheric phenomenon that makes Antarctica glaciers appear to be smoking.

  • Below-seasonal temperatures coming to B.C., but warmer than 2024 cold snap

    VANCOUVER — Below-seasonal temperatures are expected in parts of British Columbia this weekend, a year after a bitter cold snap that sent wind-chill temperatures plummeting to -20 C in Metro Vancouver and as low as -50 C in other parts of the province.

  • A home destroyed by the Eaton Fire stands in front a home that survived in Altadena, Calif., on Monday. Researchers say that because of the types of structures burning in these wildfires, people returning to unburned homes can still face health concerns from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke.

    When Kate Gammon and her family fled their Santa Monica, Calif., home during the recent wildfires, she wasn't sure what they would find when they returned. Though they weren't under an evacuation order, Gammon, who has asthma, told CBC News that the air quality was quickly worsening and the fires were volatile, so they left on Jan. 8, when the fires were about six kilometres away. Four days later, she returned to find that the house had been spared from the flames, but was alarmed to see a layer of ash dotting everything in her yard."It's just raining down on us at night," she said. "They're sort of like big, white, chunky pieces of ash."Researchers now say that because of the massive scale of these wildfires and the types of structures that are burning, people returning home when the initial fire hazard is over can still face health concerns from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke. Firefighters in the state are still working to put out the two largest fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures including homes, schools and banks. On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Health Officer prohibited any cleanup or removal of fire debris until hazardous materials inspections are completed.Ash and dirt in debris from residential and structural fires may contain asbestos, heavy metals and other hazardous substances, the health officer said, noting that people can be exposed to the toxic substances by inhaling ash or particles of fire dust, or through contact with the skin or contaminated drinking water supplies. Kate Gammon took this photo from Santa Monica college around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2025 to show how close the fire was. (Kate Gammon/CBC)As an environmental journalist, Gammon has previously reported on the health hazards posed by ash, not only from brush, but also from thousands of charred structures. That's why she says she avoids touching the ash and wears a mask outdoors.Earlier this week, scientists published their findings about how wildfires that burn both wildland and urban areas can impact indoor air. They studied the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colo., where about 1,000 structures burned in eight hours, which could help shed light on urban fires like those in L.A. Post fire headaches, itchy eyes Colleen Reid, a professor at the University of Colorado, studied the health effects among people who returned to unburned homes after that fire. She and her colleagues surveyed residents living near burned structures.Over about five weeks, they also measured levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at one home that survived the fires, but was heavily impacted by the smoke.They found higher-than-normal levels of VOCs persisted for nearly a month inside the home before returning to typical indoor levels. "People who said that their home smelled differently after the fire were more likely six months after the fire to have headache, dry cough, itchy, watery eyes, strange taste in their mouth and sneezing," said Reid, an environmental epidemiologist. WATCH | Wildfire ash, smoke stick around in unburned homes:Reid and her team also surveyed people six months after the fire (642 respondents) and again a year later (413 respondents). The results included:61 per cent of respondents reported campfire- or chemical-like smells in their homes one week after the fire, but they said those smells dissipated over time.65 per cent of respondents reported ash in their homes after the fire.Most respondents were less confident about air quality both in their home and neighbourhood six months after the fire. Most regained confidence by one year.Cleaning tips after wildfiresDelphine Farmer, a Canadian scientist with Colorado State University, studies indoor air as part of an experiment at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., where she and her team analyzed the composition of particles inside a home-turned-laboratory after they introduced wildfire smoke.Farmer found that smoke buries itself into painted surfaces, then slowly starts to come back into the air, which means residents are exposed to indoor pollutants for a long time after a fire.WATCH | The science of indoor air after wildfires: To provide a guide for people who need to clean after a fire, the scientists are also studying how different air cleaners work and how surface cleaning impacts air quality. Based on her findings, Farmer's cleaning recommendations include: Opening windows as soon as smoke pollution clears. The sooner you clean out smoke, the better.Wash fabrics like bedsheets, clothing and curtains that may have retained smoke. Vacuum floors. Wear an N95 mask while doing this as it can stir up soot or smoke debris.Mop floors with soap and water and wipe down every surface you reasonably can, including walls if your region got a lot of smoke. Wash ceiling fans and other infrequently-cleaned surfaces. Change the water as it gets dirty.Clean the 'hidden spaces' of your home like attics, basements, closets and garages. If your HVAC system was running, consider getting it professionally cleaned. Change the filters on your home HVAC system or air purifiers and run the fans constantly.Vacuum and wash furniture as soon as possible. If you still smell smoke, consider deep cleaning or replace.

  • Approval of Kings County campground reversed following appeal

    An appeal has brought an end to a plan to open a private campground in a remote Nova Scotia coastal community.On Friday, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board allowed an appeal by neighbouring farmer Lindsay Steele, reversing the Municipality of Kings County's May 2024 decision to OK the campground development in Scots Bay."I'm actually in shock and disbelief," Steele, whose commercial farm is adjacent to the proposed campground site, said in an interview Saturday."It's been three years of st

  • Scientists discover surprising animal ecosystem thriving under the seafloor

    Previously, scientists thought only microbes and viruses could live beneath the seafloor crust where tectonic plates meet.

  • Homes were burning and roads already jammed when Pacific Palisades evacuation order came, AP finds

    The first evacuation order covering neighborhoods closest to the start of the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire didn’t come until about 40 minutes after some of those homes were already burning, according to an Associated Press analysis of emergency communications and interviews with survivors.

  • When and where to watch the peak of the Draconid meteor shower

    The Draconid meteor shower peaks on Monday evening, offering the chance for come fall stargazing.

  • Crews start work to cap historic well leaking methane southwest of Calgary

    Alberta's Orphan Well Association (OWA) started decommissioning a historic well near Diamond Valley, Alta., southwest of Calgary, on Friday.The Katana 06-12 well in Foothills County, just outside Diamond Valley's northwest town boundary, was originally drilled in 1930, but never produced oil or gas.The site leaks a small amount of methane every day — about the same amount of gas a fully powered barbecue uses in an hour, according to the OWA.Two attempts have already been made to decommission the