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What is a nor’easter?
A nor’easter is an extratropical cyclone that affects the northeastern United States and extreme eastern Canada. An extratropical cyclone is a low-pressure system that forms outside of the tropics and is usually associated with fronts, unlike a tropical cyclone. A nor’easter is named for the strong northeasterly winds that blow across this region as the path of the low pressure moves northeastward, slightly to the east of the North American coastline. Continue reading
Category: Severe Weather
Tags Dangers, precipitation, Severe Weather, Snow, Winter
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Tags Dangers, precipitation, Severe Weather, Snow, Winter
Comments Off on What is a nor’easter?
How do large snowflakes form?
There are four basic shapes of ice crystals: the hexagonal plate, the needle, the column and the dendrite. The dendrites are hexagonal with elongated branches, or fingers, of ice; they most closely resemble what we think of as snowflakes. The temperature at which the crystal grows determines the particular shape. A snowflake is an individual ice crystal or an aggregate of ice crystals. Large snowflakes are aggregates of ice crystals. Continue reading
How do you measure snow accumulation in high winds?
Accurate and precise measurement of snow accumulation is a difficult task. The measurement tools are simple: a ruler or yardstick that measures in inches and tenths of an inch. Continue reading
Category: Meteorology
Tags Measurement, Snow, Winter
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Tags Measurement, Snow, Winter
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How do snowflakes grow?
A snowflake can be an individual ice crystal or an aggregate of ice crystals. Ice crystals can grow by water vapor deposition on the crystal or by collisions with other cloud particles.
An ice crystal can grow if the air around it has a relative humidity near 100 percent. The ice particle grows by water vapor deposition. Growth by deposition is generally slow. If you find nicely shaped snowflakes, they likely were produced by vapor deposition. Continue reading
What is the outlook for Wisconsin’s winter?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center issues seasonal climate outlook maps for the nation. The organization’s forecast for Wisconsin’s 2011-12 meteorological winter (which started Thursday and runs through Feb. 29) is for below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. Continue reading
