Monthly Archives: April 2020

Is COVID-19 leading to cleaner air?

Many states have implemented lockdowns and shelter-in-place or “safer at home” orders to help contain the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. In these challenging times, our local businesses need your support. Find out how to get … Continue reading

Category: Uncategorized

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How strong a wind will knock someone over?

We have had some hefty winds this past week.

The wind can displace objects, including people. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather

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What was that stuff that fell on Thursday?

On Thursday, many locations in southern Wisconsin experience snow squalls in which the falling precipitation was momentarily quite intense.

This event was an example of shallow convection – as opposed to the deep convection of summertime thunderstorms. Thursday’s shallow convection was spawned by a conspiracy of circumstances occurring at different levels in the atmosphere. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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Is the reduction in air traffic affecting the weather?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reduction in air traffic. This reduction has had at least two impacts so far, one relating to the exhaust from aircraft engines and the other to weather forecasts.

Exhaust from aircraft engines can be seen sometimes as condensation trails, or contrails. The exhaust of an aircraft contains both gas and tiny particles called aerosols. Both of these are important in the formation of contrails. Contrails form when water vapor condenses and freezes around the small particles that exist in aircraft exhaust. Continue reading

Category: Climate, Phenomena

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