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Category Archives: Weather Dangers
Why was the sky hazy on Thursday and Friday?
There have been large forest fires in northern Alberta, Canada, and the smoke has drifted over the Midwest, including Wisconsin.
Smoke can cause the sky to appear hazy, even if the smoke is high above the ground. The smoke scatters sunlight to make the sunlight diffuse and grayish. When the smoke is thick, it can cause brilliant red sunsets and sunrises, as it did on Thursday. When light beams interact with particles suspended in air, the light can be scattered or absorbed. Continue reading
Is there a windiest time of year in Madison?
Given our recent weather, and with the pollen season dawning in southern Wisconsin, one may wonder if there actually is a windiest time of year in Madison.
Of course, a windy day can come along just about any time of year (the record gust of 83 mph in Madison occurred in June 1975) but the climatology suggests that March and April are the windiest months of the year with average wind speeds of 11.3 and 11.4 mph, respectively. November through February are not far behind, logging a four-month average of 10.5 mph. Continue reading
Category: Climate, Seasons, Weather Dangers
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What weather is hazardous to flying?
While there are weather hazards, flying is pretty safe.
Thunderstorms are a potential hazard, and aircraft avoid thunderstorms to avoid any potential threats or dangers. Continue reading
Why is ice different colors?
Some ice is called “black ice,” which refers to one of two conditions: A new layer of clear ice on water, which appears dark in color because the ice is transparent and so we see the deep water below; or a layer of clear ice on a roadway, which makes for hazardous driving conditions.
In both of these cases, the ice is not actually black but is transparent and therefore shows the color of the underlying surface. Continue reading
How accurate was the forecast for Hurricane Michael?
Five days in advance of Hurricane Michael’s landfall, the National Hurricane Center forecast showed the storm making landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, with 80 mph winds, just above Category 1 hurricane force.
As we all know by now, the storm lashed the coast with winds in the 155-mph range, or strong Category 4 intensity. Continue reading
Category: Severe Weather, Tropical, Weather Dangers
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