Science & Earth

Olympians and scientists say snow affects winter sports, water supplies and wildlife, and experts study snowpack, crystal types and melting behavior to improve forecasts.

Average temperatures in Colorado have risen about 2 degrees since 1980, and scientists report warmer fall and spring temperatures are already bringing more rain instead of snow and earlier spring melt that shortens late-season ski days.

The state announced $9.5 million in water and sewer grants for McDowell and Mingo counties and proposed a $10 million SENTRY flood-warning pilot ahead of the one-year anniversary of a fatal flood.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 entered the International Space Station about 36 hours after liftoff on Feb. 14, restoring the station to its normal crew capacity; the four will remain for an eight-month mission.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying four astronauts docked at the International Space Station on Feb. 14, restoring the station's crew to seven after four members returned early last month because of a medical issue.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station, restoring the station to its normal seven-person crew after a January medical evacuation; the crew launched from Cape Canaveral and are expected to stay eight to nine months.

The EPA under the Trump administration has proposed rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding that provided the legal basis for many federal greenhouse gas rules, with a formal announcement scheduled for Feb. 12; legal challenges are expected.

A 68-year-old woman lost a waterproof titanium prosthetic leg at Bridlington beach last April; a fossil hunter found the prosthesis about 10 months later on a nearby shore and it was returned to her.

Several storms will bring heavy rain and mountain snow to the western United States beginning this weekend, with a main low expected to come ashore near the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday.

A Nature Communications study reports that great whales move thousands of tons of nitrogen each year from polar feeding zones to tropical waters, mainly as urea-rich urine, a process researchers call the "great whale pee funnel".

A Feb. 14 deadline asks seven Western states to agree on cuts to Colorado River use amid a multi-decade drought, and officials say the outcome could influence Northern California water transfers.

A woman in China built an elaborate outdoor "cat apartment" with multiple rooms, cushy blankets and a temperature-controlled water source for local stray cats; she posted videos on TikTok but her account appears to be deactivated.

A research team identified a 45-base ribozyme, QT-45, that can assemble copies of RNA strands and—rarely and slowly—produce a copy of its own sequence; the enzyme works by joining short RNA fragments and copies with about 95% fidelity.

The California Fish and Game Commission approved threatened-species protections for mountain lions across multiple coastal and mountain ranges, making it illegal to harm them and requiring habitat safeguards. The move follows a 2019 petition by conservation groups and a formal recommendation from the Department of Fish and Wildlife in December 2025.

Snowpack across much of the Western US is well below normal this winter, and officials say that shortfalls threaten spring runoff for the Colorado River Basin — used by about 40 million people — while raising wildfire concerns as states try to agree on water-sharing terms.

After three South Pole field seasons, IceCube completed its first major upgrade in 15 years, installing more sensitive light sensors and calibration devices deep in Antarctic ice to improve neutrino measurements.

A replacement crew launched to the International Space Station after NASA's first mission medical evacuation and is expected to arrive Saturday, restoring the station to full staffing for an eight- to nine-month mission.

Researchers report two small elk-hide fragments stitched with fiber cordage and dated to about 12,400 years, recovered from Cougar Mountain Cave and Paisley Caves; the items are part of a larger cache of perishable artifacts studied by teams from the University of Nevada and the University of Oregon. The collection also includes 14 eyed bone needles and a variety of fiber, wood, hide, and osseous tools that point to advanced stitch-and-sew technologies in the Late Pleistocene.

Snow acts as an insulating layer that stabilizes soil temperatures and delivers slow spring moisture, and deep, clean snow can also reduce winter stress and limit some pests. Heavy snow loads remain a risk to branches, and the article notes proactive tree and shrub care as a way to reduce structural damage.

Four astronauts launched from Cape Canaveral early Friday aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon and are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station Saturday to restore the station's crew to seven after an earlier early return.

The White House and EPA announced a formal revocation of the 2009 endangerment finding that provided the legal basis for federal regulation of greenhouse gases; the administration framed the change as a cost-saving deregulation while legal experts and environmental groups say litigation is likely.

Organizers and volunteers have spent about four years planting native bald cypress and water tupelo saplings near Meraux, Louisiana, aiming to establish 30,000 trees to restore wetlands lost after Hurricane Katrina.

The government has proposed London's first designated bathing site on the River Thames between Kingston town centre and Ham. Designation would bring regular water testing and facilities and is being advanced alongside 12 other proposed sites that will go out for consultation.

The California Fish and Game Commission classified mountain lions from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Southern California as threatened under the state's Endangered Species Act, creating expanded habitat protections. Officials and conservationists cited genetic isolation and inbreeding concerns, and some builders and ranchers raised concerns about potential effects on development and livestock.

The White House confirmed the EPA will issue a final rule rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding that said greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare; the agency says it is finalizing a new rule but gave no timeline.

Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that Sandy Steers, 73, the group's executive director and a longtime eagle advocate, has died; she helped establish a 24-hour webcam monitoring a local bald eagle nest.

Researchers using AI and custom machine learning analyzed more than 1,000 sperm whale recordings and report that click sequences resemble very slow vowels and show dialect-like variation.

Hubble image analysis and lightcurve measurements indicate that Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák's small nucleus likely reversed its rotation between April and December 2017 after a dramatic slowdown was observed earlier that year.

A widespread snow drought and unusually warm winter have left snow cover and mountain snowpack at decades-low levels across much of the American West, reducing the water stored for spring and summer. Meteorologists expect some cooler, wetter weather this week, but scientists say deficits are likely to remain.

UCLA announced the SoCal Quantum Alliance, a regional coalition of universities, research centers and companies focused on coordinating quantum research, workforce development and industry engagement. The alliance builds on UCLA's Center for Quantum Science and Engineering and the statewide Quantum California initiative.