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Environment

Glowing sun behind trees spilling rays of light over a grassy late summer meadow

What are the Dog Days of Summer?

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...
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Rays of light from the sun above a layer of clouds over the earth.

Ozone, protector of life on earth

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...
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hazy sky

What is that lazy, crazy haze?

Growing up, we would listen to the local radio station at breakfast. In addition to the news, they would play songs from the great crooners of the time, including Nat King Cole. One of his songs is The Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer. As I look out my window, the sky has a milky...
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weather chart

Are average temperatures 'normal'?

You’re watching a local weather forecast or checking it online when you notice it says temperatures will be 'above normal or below normal.' But what does this actually mean? Normal is Average In most cases, the word 'normal' is used in place of 'average.' Average Daily Temperature...
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