The cold temperatures and miserable mixture of snow and rain had people longing for more agreeable weather.

WSJ: Storm blasts East with snow, cold; warmer Tuesday

Firefighters said the flooding was caused by a mixture of heavy rain and rising temperatures thawing snow and ice, and have warned people to listen to forecasts.

BBC: Wales weather: Floods possible as heavy rain forecast

His idea: a better molten salt mixture that would store heat at higher temperatures to boost electricity production but that would remain liquid at lower temperatures so less energy would be diverted to keep it from solidifying.

FORBES: Secret Ingredient To Making Solar Energy Work: Salt