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Which is older: rock ’n’roll or computerized weather forecasting?
Rock ’n’ roll is older, although not by much.
On May 6, 1955, a revolution that continues to this day began with little fanfare: the first daily weather forecasts made by a computer were issued. This was the result of nearly a year of collaborative effort between the United States Weather Bureau, the Air Force and the Navy in what was called the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit, or JNWPU. Continue reading
Can humans control the weather?
We are not sure we can, but we have always wanted to do so! In the past, people rang bells or fired cannons to prevent lightning or cause rain — producing sound and fury but nothing in the way of success.
The scientific era of weather modification took hold in the 1940s and ’50s with the advent of cloud-seeding experiments. In cloud seeding, airplanes drop particles of dry ice or silver iodide into clouds with temperatures below freezing. These particles are very effective in generating ice particles, with the hope of increasing the amount of rainfall or snowfall. Continue reading
Has 2013 gotten off to a wet start?
If you’ve had any lingering suspicion that 2013 has gotten off to an amazingly wet start, that suspicion can now be confirmed. As of April 24, both Madison and Milwaukee have recorded the wettest start to a calendar year ever. Continue reading
How cold and wet has Spring been in Madison?
An incredible late winter/early spring of colder-than-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation continued unabated last week.
Through April 17, Madison had recorded 12.95 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation for the calendar year. That means that 2013 has gotten off to the third wettest start in Madison history. Milwaukee has received 13.15 inches of liquid equivalent this year, also making it the third wettest start to a year. Continue reading
What is the jet stream all about?
The jet stream is a ribbon of high wind speeds near the top of the troposphere (about 6 miles above the surface of the Earth). The major jet streams flow west to east. The existence of fast winds moving from west to east was long suspected because of the movement of storms, cloud systems and volcanic debris high in the atmosphere. Continue reading
