You may have heard weathercasters saying that December 1 is the beginning of meteorological winter. However, the calendar says winter starts on December 21. Why are there two dates?
Meteorogical vs Astronomical winter
December 1 is called the beginning of meteorological winter because we often...
Winter precipitation is on its way. Rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all potential types of precipitation. Rain is liquid water, while the other three are frozen at the end of their atmospheric journey.
So, if snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all frozen water, what’s the difference?...
We all have been hearing about the mega-drought occurring in the west. California has been hard hit, with many of its lakes at record lows. Water managers in that area always hope for a good winter precipitation season to replenish some of the water that is sorely needed. While most of the moisture...
Forecasting day-to-day weather and predicting what climate will be five years or 50 years from now have very different outcomes. Both processes use most of the same land, water, and sea parameters, but the range for climate forecasts can also vary due to human activity. For climate forecasts,...
As we move through August, some folks will reference it as being the “dog days.” What are they talking about?
We associate these “dog days” with hot weather. But it does not refer to living dogs being uncomfortable in the heat. Instead, the term is associated with a bright star called Sirius (not...
We tested your knowledge last month. Did you pass the test?
True or False: Due to the Greenhouse Effect, the earth takes in more heat from the sun than it gives off.
FALSE: What greenhouse gases do is slow the release of heat. If the earth really took...
It's scorching outside. Stay inside and take our most recent weather quiz.
T or F: Due to the Greenhouse Effect, the Earth takes in more heat from the sun than it gives off.
An increase in temperature the higher you go in the atmosphere is called a ____ ____.
The eye of a hurricane has calm...
It’s summer. It’s baseball season. Millions of people attend Major League games, just waiting for their favorite hitter to knock one into the seats. Fans contend with afternoon games that may be hot and muggy or just simply hot. I once went to a Rangers game while attending a conference where the...
Earth’s atmosphere, while it appears to go forever, is actually a very thin layer of air. Technically the atmosphere reaches out for thousands of miles, but over half of the atmosphere is within 4 miles of the earth’s surface. Think about driving 4 miles- it’s not very far. By the time you’re 16...
I don’t know about you, but this April was not what I was expecting or hoping for. Many days were 5 to 20 degrees below average, and below freezing temperatures occurred even during the last week of the month. How can we have such a cold spring when we are increasing global temperatures? There are...
When thunderstorms are predicted for your area, weathercasters will often include information on the severity of projected storms. What does this information mean?
What makes a thunderstorm severe?
The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm...
Mississippi and Alabama were recently hammered with severe storms and large-scale tornadoes. The damage that large high-speed tornadoes can cause is phenomenal and life-threatening.
Many have heard of the “F-Scale” or “EF-Scale” of tornado intensity. The F stands for Fujita, last name of the...
If you ever take a few minutes to watch what happens to clouds in the sky, especially in March, you’ll see many puffy shaped clouds form and fall apart. You’ll see these clouds at other times of the year, but they are around a lot in March and April.
What clouds are puffy?
Cumulus clouds form...
The title doesn’t work as well as Beware the Ides of March, but the sentiment is the same. If we experience dew point temperatures in the 50s or 60s in March, just be wary that the chance for severe weather is high.
What is the dew point?
Air can only hold so much water vapor, which is the gas...
A large underwater volcano recently erupted in the South Pacific. Volcanoes can send huge amounts of gases and ash into the atmosphere. Very large eruptions can affect the climate.
In 1815, one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the last several thousand years occurred in the South Pacific...
Ominous clouds and an approaching storm may be accompanied by the wail of a community siren. Other times they can be heard in the morning on what may be a nice day. What do the different blasts of the siren mean?
Sirens are part of the Public Alert System to let those outdoors be aware of a local...
In December, I provided a weather quiz post, the second one I’ve done. Here are the answers. How did you do this time? Let me know! We’ll try another quiz later in the...
If someone is sad that holiday season is over, here is something to celebrate. The earth is the closest it will ever be to the sun for the year!
We all know the earth revolves around the sun. It takes about 365.25 days to do this, or one year.
However, that revolution (or orbit) is not a...
