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Catch Jennifer on Climate Cast,
May 10 at 2:50 & 4 pm on MPR News, with Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner. 

On May 9, we are happy to host Jennifer Francis, Ph.D, research professor with the Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, discussing the relationship between extreme weather events and the rapidly warming Arctic.

Does it seem as though the weather is a little “different” lately? Minnesota’s rainfall amounts and intensity have changed and that has implications for our storm sewers and floodplains. Dr. Francis will explain new research that links increasing extreme weather events with the rapidly melting Arctic. Evidence suggests weather patterns are becoming more persistent, which can lead to extremes such as droughts, cold spells, heat waves, snowy winters, and flood events.

About Jennifer Francis  Jennifer Francis earned a B.S. in meteorology from San Jose State University in 1988 and a PhD in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington in 1994. As a professor at Rutgers University since 1994, she has taught courses in satellite remote sensing and climate-change issues, and also co-founded and co-directed the Rutgers Climate and Environmental Change Initiative. Presently she is a research professor with the Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences where she studies connections between climate change and extreme weather. Read more about Dr. Francis.