Chris Michaels

6 days ago | wral.com | Chris Michaels

June 1 marks the start of yet another hurricane season in the Atlantic basin. For many, it's almost something you don't want to think about. There have been several major storms to impact the U.S. in recent years, with Helene being the one that lives fresh in our minds daily. Weeks ago, the WRAL Severe Weather Team issued its forecast for the upcoming season. Climatologically speaking, this is considered an "average" number of storms. Is there anything brewing now?

6 days ago | wral.com | Chris Michaels

Aurora forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical InstituteOnce again, we're talking about the Northern Lights!If it seems like we've been mentioning it more in recent years, you're right. The sun is at a solar maximum, in which there's more activity/flares ejected from the sun's surface. Combine that with smart phone cameras that can capture it more easily, and you'll hear more about it.

6 days ago | wral.com | Chris Michaels

This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Sherridon, Manitoba, Canada, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)There are a number of large wildfires ongoing in Canada, including in provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Click here for an interactive map of the ongoing fires. Hot air rises very quickly, which means that the smoke and ash from these fires can reach high heights in the atmosphere.

1 week ago | wral.com | Chris Michaels

This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Sherridon, Manitoba, Canada, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)There are a number of large wildfires ongoing in Canada, including in provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Click here for an interactive map of the ongoing fires. Hot air rises very quickly, which means that the smoke and ash from these fires can reach high heights in the atmosphere.

1 week ago | wral.com | Chris Michaels

Ask the Meteorologist: Are the cool days a sign of things to come this summer? Tuesday was abnormally cool in our part of North Carolina, and we explained what "Cold Air Damming" had to do with that. The official high temperature at RDU was 65°, and that didn't happen until the nighttime. Much of the daylight hours were spent around 60 or 61 degrees. Using the official high number, however, I went back to the late 1800s to see how many times we've been that cool this late in the season.