Jack Lee

San Francisco

Weather Science Data Reporter at San Francisco Chronicle

Weather science data reporter @sfchronicle | Previous: intern with @NCIprevention, @theAGU and @ScienceNews | @UCSC_SciCom '20 | he/him

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Articles

Want to see the Lyrid meteor shower? Here’s how to have the best chance in the Bay Area

3 days ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

The Lyrid meteor shower is seen over Burg on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn off Germany in April 2018. Daniel Reinhardt/Associated PressThe Lyrid meteor shower peaks Monday night, providing Bay Area stargazers with an opportunity to spot meteors. Local weather conditions should generally cooperate, though coastal areas are more likely to be foggy. There may be a few passing high clouds along the bay shoreline and inland, but Chronicle meteorologists expect conditions to be clear before midnight.
Extreme ‘thirstwaves’ are an emerging risk in California. Here’s why

5 days ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

The moon seen through soon-to-be-burned dried vegetation in Geyserville on Oct. 24, 2019. Paul Kuroda/Special to The ChronicleCalifornia is a hot spot for “thirstwaves” — multiday stretches when extreme atmospheric conditions can parch landscapes — according to a new scientific study. Among counties across the contiguous United States, those in California averaged some of the most thirstwaves per year, the researchers found.
Bay Area patients among first in U.S. to receive life-changing Parkinson’s treatment

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

At first, Deb Zeyen, 77, had trouble opening and closing her left hand as she spoke with UCSF neurologist Simon Little on March 24. But as a nurse practitioner tapped on a tablet atop a nearby table, Zeyen’s movements sharpened and sped up. Her voice also grew louder. The tablet was wirelessly connected to a medical device implanted near Zeyen’s collarbone.
The La Niña that never truly was, is over. Here’s what comes next

2 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

La Niña has fizzled out, data released Thursday shows. According to the Climate Prediction Center, temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific have returned to near-normal. And, according to a technical definition, La Niña never truly developed. The outlook for La Niña became progressively weaker over the past half year. In October 2024, experts predicted that La Niña would emerge during the fall.
'I have to let people go'

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

In early March, UCSF ophthalmologist and professor Dr. Nisha Acharya received an unexpected email from the university grant office that stated her five-year research award from the National Institutes of Health would be terminated immediately. The multimillion-dollar project studied the effectiveness of the vaccine for shingles, a painful rash caused by the virus that's also behind chickenpox.
Here's where California reservoir levels stand after recent storms

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

Steady storms continued to benefit California in March, with reservoirs across the state gaining 200,000 acre-feet of water from the beginning of the month to Tuesday - that's enough to fill 100,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. Across California, reservoir storage is well above average for this time of year, according to the Department of Water Resources. Statewide storage was 115% of normal, as of Tuesday.
Why California's snowpack is lagging behind average

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee |Vivien Ngo

Snow piled up in the Sierra Nevada this week, with 1 to 2 feet falling at Tahoe ski resorts Wednesday. The cold storm system notably differed from earlier storms this season. "This year has been a year of warm temperatures and rain when we should have had snow," said Andrew Schwartz, director of UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, located at Donner Pass. California's statewide snowpack is running below normal, due to the low amount of water stored in the snow that has fallen.
Hundreds rally in S.F. in support of science as Trump threatens jobs, funding

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee |Roland Li

Hundreds of people gathered at a Stand Up for Science rally outside San Francisco City Hall on Friday, protesting in the face of widespread cuts and layoffs from the Trump administration. Attendees held up signs like "Public Health Over Private Wealth" and "Science for All. Justice for All." They chanted, "This is what democracy looks like" and cheered.
How California scientists are facing attacks on research by Trump and DOGE

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

The Trump administration has held up federal funds, cut university resources, and erased efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion that jeopardize existing grants. Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has also spearheaded firings in science agencies, saying the cuts will reduce fiscal bloat. These sweeping measures have thrown California labs and research institutions into disarray.
California weather has undergone an important shift

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Jack Lee

Spring has warmed across much of the United States over recent decades, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators. Californians across the state felt the impacts, with all 58 counties experiencing warmer springs from 1970 to 2024. Such a shift could stress water supplies, prolong seasonal allergies and worsen wildfire risk.