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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Does the warm winter mean a warm spring and summer?
We have continued to enjoy temperatures well above normal through most of February 2012, making this year’s Dec. 1–Feb. 20 the fifth-warmest on record with an average temperature of 28.3F in Madison. Barring an exceptionally warm last week of the month (which does not appear likely), that is where we will end up — the fifth-warmest winter (defined as December, January, February) of all time in Madison. Continue reading
Who first suggested human activities could change our climate?
Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist, is probably the first scientist to propose that burning of fossil fuels could modify our global temperatures. In 1896, Arrhenius recognized that carbon dioxide, a byproduct of burning carbon substances such as natural gas, gasoline and oil, would act like a greenhouse gas. Continue reading
Just how warm has this winter been?
This winter began much warmer than normal, but where does this year’s mildness rank all-time? You might be surprised to learn that although we are in the top 10 warmest starts to winter, we are not really close to the top. In fact, we are experiencing only the sixth warmest Dec. 1-Feb. 8 in Madison history with an average temperature of 28.3 degrees Fahrenheit during that stretch. Continue reading
Category: Seasons
Tags Climate, Seasons, Temperature, Winter
Comments Off on Just how warm has this winter been?
Tags Climate, Seasons, Temperature, Winter
Comments Off on Just how warm has this winter been?
What is the concept of heating degree-days?
Each degree that the mean temperature is below 65 degrees is one heating degree-day. So, if today’s average temperature is 55 degrees, that is 10 heating degree-days. Continue reading
