Currently in Philadelphia — November 9, 2023: Warmest day of the week

The weather, currently.

The weather is doing its best this week to keep everyone happy — the hardcore, sweater-clad Fall fanatics who thrive in the autumn chill as well as those who prefer it slightly warmer. The temperature has climbed right back up today and will reach a high of 72˚F. The humidity has risen again as well, to about 60% by this afternoon, making for a healthy amount of cloud cover, and a low-pressure system arriving from the Great Lakes to the north of the city will bring along the small chance of rain in the latter half of the day. This looks like the last warm day for a while, so enjoy it!

— Abe Musselman

What you need to know, currently.

According to the latest US drought monitor, California is now entirely drought-free for the first time since early 2020 — thanks to a series of beneficial rains brought in part by Hurricane Hilary and a growing El Niño.

Almost every major lake and reservoir in the state is currently filled higher than normal — a rarity for California in this era of megadrought. Some areas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range are more than 20 inches ahead in 2023 alone. The state also made it through peak wildfire season with hardly any major threats, thanks mostly to the wet soil.

In fact, state officials have begun to release extra capacity from California reservoirs to hold heavy rains that might come with El Niño this winter. The first potential atmospheric river of the season could arrive as early as this weekend.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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