"weather" news and stories

California has been hit by an unusually bad cold snap this year and the effects of the freezing weather have really taken a toll on crops - and the bad weather isn't even over yet. Some estimates say that at least 75% of the citrus crop has been destroyed and others say even more, drawing from the more than 80% that was ruined the last time the state suffered a severe cold snap. The weather is so bad that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the 10 agricultural counties that have been hardest hit by the weather.

86% of the lemons and 21% of all the oranges sold in the US are grown in California, which makes it the largest citrus-producing state in the country. The loss of crops is devastating to the farmers, but it will also hit consumers hard at the grocery store. Orange and lemon prices are already increasing and the wholesale price has more than doubled in the last seven days alone. Juice prices will increase as well. "The price spike is expected to hit supermarkets in the next two weeks, when the present inventory dwindles."

While citrus is taking the biggest hit, basically every winter crop in California has been damaged, from avocados to lettuce, and consumers across the country will feel the effects of doubling and tripling prices in the produce department, especially if they want to buy US-grown fruits and vegetables.

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Normally, one might expect to turn to the Farmer's Almanac, one of the longest continuously published books you can find, for predictions on the weather and advice about when to plant your crops. Perhaps because fewer people have crops that need planting these days, the newest edition of the Almanac has a lot more than just the crop report. It has your pizza personality.

Based on data from research done by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, where they really love their pizza, you too can determine personality from pizza toppings:

• One meat topping - Irritable, argumentative, procrastinators who "conveniently 'forget' work and home obligations" frequently
• Several Meat toppings - Dramatic extroverts, who are impeccably groomed and crave attention
• One vegetable - Empathetic, understanding, well-adjusted, easy-going and "who make ideal parents"
• Several vegetables - Trustworthy, loyal, dependable, humble introverts
• Non-traditional toppings (not just meat or veg) - Aggressive, achievement-oriented, natural leaders
• Extra cheese - Just about everyone likes extra cheese

If you choose a different tipping every time, does that mean you have multiple personalities?

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Luxist reports that a recent conference on Global Warming and Wines found that traditional wine-making areas may be at risk of losing their wine-making abilities, including the Catalonian regions of Spain and Bordeaux region of France. If current warming trends continue, one speaker at the conference argued, this could be a reality "within the next 40 to 70 years." Grapes in those regions could suffer not only from an increase in temperature, but from a change in the amount of rainfall they receive. Increasingly dry areas may face water-restrictions to conserve water, while other regions may face heavy rains, since many scientists predict changing weather patterns will accompany global warming. On the plus side, some of the areas of the world that are now too cold to successfully cultivate wines on a large, commercial scale will probably be warm enough to grow grapes, leading to new varieties and blends for connoisseurs to enjoy, drowning their sorrows to forget the loss of their favorite Bordeaux.

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Happy Groundhog Day! Today, February 2nd, is the day that people gather to watch a large rodent predict the end of winter. Of course, the only official weather-predicting groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who has been predicting the weather annually from Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for 120 years. Though the average lifespan of a groundhog is only 6-8 years, Phil cheats death by sipping a secret "groundhog punch" every seven years.

It seems inadvisable to eat large rodents when FDA approved sources of meat are readily available, but recipes for groundhog stew and fried groundhog do exist. A better way to celebrate the critters is by making a batch of cookies. Punxsutawney Phil has a favorite recipe for ginger cookies and Hi Monkey's Rock Cakes are adorned with tiny paper groundhogs.