If you’re used to checking your phone every morning to see what the weather is, that might change in the future due to bandwidth issues, according to the National Weather Service. In a recent statement, the NWS shared that as their data budget is hitting a ceiling, and demand for access continues to grow, they may have to consider throttling the amount of users who can access their essential forecast data.

According to their statement: “As demand for data continues to grow across NCEP websites, we are proposing to put new limits into place to safeguard our web services. The frequency of how often these websites are accessed by the public has created limitations and infrastructure constraints.”

For the past decade, the National Weather Service has been struggling to find the best and most efficient ways to disseminate critical forecast and warning information. According to an in-depth look at this problem by the Washington Post, the combination of increased data collection and demand for access from private companies and hobbyists has created a bottleneck that at times has crashed NWS websites.

If you’ve been sheltering at home during the pandemic but are now planning to travel for the holiday season, things have changed a lot. COVID-19 restrictions and safety precautions vary from place to place. Whether you’re visiting family members just a few towns away, or making flight plans for travels far away, there’s always been a risk of getting sick, but this year is extra risky due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One upside is that the number of people traveling this season will probably be considerably less than last year. While airlines are still operating, and the number of people traveling is slowly increasing, many people are choosing to stay home out of an abundance of caution this year. Transportation companies such as airlines have also set in place rigorous cleaning protocols that make it cleaner than ever to use their facilities.

Just like the rest of this year, the holidays are lining up to be very different than in the past. Socially-distanced celebrations might be hard to get used to, but what we can rely on is the spirit of the season. Gift giving is always nice, and we’ve created a list of ideas that we think uniquely fit the new challenges and lifestyles that the pandemic has created. Another holiday favorite, volunteering, doesn’t have to take a back seat due to COVID-19 restriction. Virtual volunteering is alive and well and there are a lot of options to spread holiday cheer.

Giving Back / Volunteering

#VirtualVolunteering is trending on social media these days, showing that the idea of giving back during the holidays is just as alive as well as always. If you have a favorite charity or organization that you usually volunteer for, give them a call to find out how you can help. Even though in-person volunteering might not be an option, most organizations still need equipment, funds and resources to continue their work. Much of this can be done from home and is a great way to bring close family together.