Gas prices drop

Consumers debate hitting the road

Father Roger LaChance: One last Easter in Coeur d'Alene

The Great Winter of 1949 was devastating southern Idaho when a very young Father Roger LaChance made his Gem State entrance.

Blame our long-term 'cycle of wide extremes' for all the wild weather

Weather Gems

The 'Flood of 2011' along the Mighty Mississippi River and its many tributaries is being compared to the so-called '500-Year Midwest Flood' of the spring and early summer of 1993.

A warmer-than-normal August and September could help our gardens ripen

Weather Gems

Dozens of Press subscribers have complained lately that their gardens are "weeks behind schedule" in some cases following the third coldest spring on record in North Idaho and a generally cooler than normal month of July thus far in the region.

Will the wettest June ever be followed by a hotter- and drier-than-normal summer?

Weather Gems

Below, I've listed the 10 wettest Junes on record in Coeur d'Alene since 1895 and a description of the following summer months of July and August, precipitationwise and otherwise.

'Punxsutawney Phil' predicts a longer winter season

Weather Gems

By special request, I waited until Sunday morning to write this Groundhog Day, 'Super Bowl' update for 'Punxsutawney Phil's' predictions on both the weather for the next six weeks and who will win the big game later this afternoon at MetLife Stadium in chilly New Jersey.

Ice cores reveal frequent natural climate changes

Slices of ice cores drilled from the Earth's depths in Antarctica and Greenland reveal details of our planet's climate history.

Those aren't just 'raindrops falling on our heads' (Part I)

Weather Gems

About a week ago, a concerned reader of my column named Bob (no last name given) dropped off a DVD entitled, "What in the World are They Spraying?" It was produced by G. Edward Griffin and narrated by journalist Michael J. Murphy.

Imagine, subzero temperatures in Arkansas ... colder than us!

Weather Gems

It's certainly hard to believe that parts of the Deep South observed subzero readings earlier this week, several degrees colder than our Dec. 7 low of 1 degree above zero in Coeur d'Alene.

There's still hope for our 'green tomatoes' in the garden

Weather Gems

With most of our 'green as grass' tomatoes still at least two to three weeks behind schedule as far as ripening is concerned, many of our subscribers have asked me lately about the chances of a KILLER-TYPE FREEZE arriving later this already chilly September of 2010. There's still HOPE, folks.

The 10 wettest and driest cities in the U.S.

Weather Gems

Ever since we smashed our all-time annual precipitation record in 2012 in Coeur d'Alene since at least 1895 with a whopping 43.27 inches of rain, I've often been asked to list the wettest and driest cities in the U.S.

The Farmers' Almanac is out, but I'm in doubt

Weather Gems

For the 'winter haters' in the mid-Atlantic states, where the winter of 2009-10 was the snowiest on record in places like Norfolk, Virginia, Wash-ington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland and Phila-delphia, Penn-sylvania, the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a "kinder and gentler winter" this time around in 2010-11.

The summers of 1939, 1961 and 1967 were the hottest ever in Coeur d'Alene

Weather Gems

We saw the longest early May warm spell across North Idaho since the same period in 1949 this May 5-12, a full week of 80 degree plus temperatures in Coeur d'Alene.

Just 5,000 years ago the Sahara Desert was lush with wildlife

Weather Gems

Many climate scientists contend that 5,000 years ago or so, as rainfall suddenly declined across North Africa, the verdant grasslands that supported vast herds of wildlife became "lifeless sand" in a mere century or two.

A stormy winter season likely across the northern U.S. and southern Canada

Weather Gems

Last week, we gave our area snowfall predictions for the upcoming winter of 2012-13. This week, we'll issue our general winter zonal outlooks for the U.S., Canada and northern Mexico.

OPINION: Idaho at the epicenter of American Redoubt, white Christian nationalism movement

It’s not often I read a book about our challenging times and find Idaho prominently featured, but that’s how things turned out when I read “Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism and What Comes Next,” by Bradley Onishi. The author, a former white Christian nationalist with nine years in the evangelical movement, including six years in ministry, left the church, earned a doctorate in religious studies and assumed a teaching position at the University of San Francisco.

Winter of 2012-13 area snowfall predictions

Weather Gems

Every year in late October or early November, I issue my annual city-by-city winter snowfall predictions for our part of the country. In late December, shortly after Christmas, I'll update these seasonal snowfall outlooks as weather patterns dictate.

St. Maries' repeat bid foiled by Snake River

Post Falls places fourth in 5A tourney

WENDELL - The St. Maries Lumberjacks came up short in their bid for a second straight state 3A championship, falling to Snake River 17-25, 26-24, 25-22, 26-24 at Wendell High on Saturday night.

Steve Cameron: WE ALL NEED A CUTE CAPYBARA

Still here.

Gem State terminator

Activist on personal crusade to kill amendments

BOISE - A vocal gadfly who convinced the Idaho Supreme Court to stop Boise from building an airport parking garage is now fighting to kill three proposed constitutional amendments aimed at undermining his efforts.