What is the shoulder season in electricity markets?
Electricity consumption in the U.S. Lower 48 states is highly seasonal; the demand for electricity peaks in the summer and the winter in response to more extreme temperatures and decreases in the spring and fall, in the so-called shoulder seasons, when weather is generally milder. Electric utilities and owners of power-generating assets perform maintenance on power plants during shoulder seasons because of less electricity demand that means that the system generally doesn't need to be operating at full capacity.
Maintain Your Focus on Safety During the Holiday Season
Maintain Your Focus on Safety During the Holiday Season U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – From traditions such as decorating a dried century plant, to stringing ornaments and lights around an inkberry tree or a modern flair to dazzling decorations on an imported North American pine – many of us enjoy the glow of the holidays. It’s a festive time of year. Whether listening to “Ma Ma bake your Johnny Cake” by Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights or gathering with family for an Old Time Crucian Christmas, the holidays present a great time to unwind from everyday life. Though we must not
Atlantic hurricane season races to finish within range of predicted number of named storms
RESOURCES The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Nov. 30, showcased above-average activity, with a record-breaking ramp up following a peak-season lull. The Atlantic basin saw 18 named storms in 2024 (winds of 39 mph or greater). Eleven of those were hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater) and five intensified to major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). Five hurricanes made landfall in the continental U.S., with two storms making landfall as major hurricanes. The Atlantic seasonal activity fell within the predicted ranges for named storms and hurricanes issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center in the
Preparedness Month Marks Call to Vigilance During Peak of Hurricane Season
Preparedness Month Marks Call to Vigilance During Peak of Hurricane Season U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – The arrival of peak activity in the Atlantic hurricane season and the recent passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto through the U.S. Virgin Islands both underscore the importance of being ready for cyclonic events that could affect you and your family. Virgin Islanders have showcased their resilience through multiple emergencies and a pandemic since the 2017 twin hurricanes, and this hurricane season provides another opportunity to mitigate your risk and better prepare your loved ones for any disaster. Assess your needs today and see what items
NOAA Incident Meteorologists prepare for wildfire season
IMETs practice launching a weather balloon during 2023 IMET training. Meteorologists use upper air observations from weather balloons to develop a forecast. (Image credit: NOAA) NOAA National Weather Service Incident Meteorologists (IMETs) offsite link will gather in Boise, Idaho, March 11-15 to complete specialized, intensive training to help keep first responders and firefighters safe during the upcoming wildfire season. Media are invited to observe this training and interview the IMETs — key members of incident command teams who provide continuous weather forecast support during a wildfire battle. Seventy meteorologists will participate in the training, which will prepare them to deliver fire
U.S. propane inventories are well stocked heading into the winter heating season
The United States is well stocked with propane heading into the winter heating season, which runs from November through March, with U.S. propane inventories at the top of the five-year range spanning the winter of 2019–20 to the winter of 2023–24.