Cold winter air is one reason that we have highly productive soil in Illinois and the Midwest. Temperature plays a major role in how much organic matter is present in soils. Soil organic matter is carbon-based material, such as organic substances given off by plant roots, that has been broken...

We have all heard the story of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620 and the harsh conditions endured during the winter. The following year, they learned, with the help of indigenous people, how to survive at this location.  We probably also relate what they went through to what we see...

Labor Day weekend is usually considered the last holiday of summer. It’s one last chance to gather with friends and family for a cookout, games, or beach time. On beaches along the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic Seaboard, this is also a time when people are wary of the weather. Several major...

When I do weather talks, I usually get a question like, “Why do we see storms split apart and come back together after they pass by?” Unfortunately, I must tell folks that most of the time, what they’re observing is all in the eyes of the beholder. If it were true from every location I have gotten...

As we get closer to this year’s growing season, it’s important to remember that the changes to the climate are also affecting local weather patterns and planting dates. There are many climate tools available for anyone growing gardens, crops, specialty crops, and landscapes through the...

Winter is here, and probably by the time you read this, we will have had one or more significant snow events. When it gets really cold, you may hear someone say “it’s too cold to snow.” But is that true? Air temperature, water vapor and humidity work together The first thing to know is that the...

Growing seasons are shifting — storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires are becoming more common. As the climate changes, we at Extension are working to meet the new challenges facing agriculture. A team of multi-university Extension personnel, in partnership with the USDA Midwest Climate Hub, is...

Here in the Midwest, we usually look toward our western skies to see what may be coming our way.  That’s because the winds several thousand feet up that drive our weather are mostly coming from the west. Why this direction? There are three steps. 1. Air pressure and wind “...

Much of the southwestern and western U.S. have been suffering extremely high temperatures this summer. Some of that heat crept into the Midwest. Many weather reports are talking about a “heat dome” causing dangerously high temperatures. How is a heat dome created? A heat dome can be created in...

We tested your climate knowledge. How did you do? In what century were the processes that created the greenhouse effect discovered? ANSWER: The 19th century, which would be the 1800s! John Tyndall published his results of several experiments that showed...

Much of the Midwest has experienced very hazy and smoky conditions the past few days. This is caused by a combination of several atmospheric conditions along with an extreme natural event at the same time. What is the atmosphere doing? Currently, the U.S. is being affected by...

How much do you know about climate? Like the weather, let's change it up. It's All About Weather quiz time! 10 questions to test your knowledge of anything and everything climate. From greenhouse gas emissions to warming effects, how much do you already know? Read the questions and see what...

While I was home from college one summer, an early morning thunderstorm passed over our farmhouse. I was in my room, trying to sleep through the storm, while my parents were in the living room. At the peak of the storm, a tremendous boom rattled the house. I then heard my parents frantically moving...

As I reflect, it was Severe Weather Preparedness Week— March 6-10, 2023. We have already had severe weather this year, but it will become more frequent now that spring is around the corner. Sometimes when thunderstorms are forecast, you will hear weathercasters talking about the atmosphere being...

We are bound to have fog from time to time. I still remember when I was in my late teens and insisted on going to see some friends when I could barely see the edge of the road. My parents were not happy. Some areas, such as San Francisco or London, have fog more often. The cause of fog can depend...

California has recently been slammed with extreme rainfall and snow in the high elevations, along with high winds. Media have attributed these events to an atmospheric river, but what does that mean? What is an atmospheric river? The ones that affect California occur when the polar jet stream...

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?...

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,...

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...

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...

You’ve probably heard these weather terms many times - El Nino and La Nina. They seem to affect our weather and they come and go. Are they normal to occur? Where do they occur? Why does it affect our weather? What is La Nina? In this post, I’ll focus on La Nina since that is what...

As I write this article, corn has tasseled on about 80% of fields in Central Illinois. Apologies to those with corn pollen allergies! Corn, just like other plants, experiences evapotranspiration (ET). Evapotranspiration is when water is taken up by corn...

Early spring in Illinois can be a battle between the last of cold winter weather and the mild air of spring. On relatively rare occasions in March, we can experience warm, muggy air that normally doesn’t reach us until April or May. When this occurs early in spring, it’s best to be on guard...

Many people have heard of Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel. He is even more of a weather geek than I am. In February 2011, the Midwest was hit with a very strong winter storm, and Cantore was in in Chicago reporting on its effects there....

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...

Two words people have learned to dread in the past few years is "polar vortex."  People may not know a lot about what that is, other than it usually means we may be in for some bitterly cold temperatures.  The worst outbreak in my experience was December 23, 1983. I had just finished my...