Tag Archives: Wind

How often do the ‘gales of November’ come early?

Some historic storms have occurred around Veterans Day (formally known as Armistice Day). Friday marks the centennial of a winter storm that blew across the Midwest on “11-11-11.” Continue reading

Category: Climate
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Why was it so windy last week?

The wind is air in motion. Moving anything requires a force. Violent destructive winds, as well as gentle summer breezes, result from a complex interplay of different forces. One of these forces results from a pressure gradient, or how fast pressure changes over distance. Strong winds almost always result from large pressure gradients. Recently, southern Wisconsin has been under the influence of a weather pattern that has strong pressure gradients, and thus strong winds. Continue reading

Category: Phenomena
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How is Smoke from a Wildfire in Minnesota Affecting Wisconsin Weather?

On Tuesday a large part of our state either saw or smelled smoke from a raging wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. The smoke was particularly easy to detect in the northern parts of Wisconsin . . . Continue reading

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What are Straight-line Winds?

The term “straight-line winds” is used to describe ground-level winds that come out of a thunderstorm and do not have rotation. If these winds travel at speeds that exceed . . . Continue reading

Category: Severe Weather
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What is the Coldest Wind-Chill Temperature Ever Recorded in Madison?

The wind-chill temperature describes the increased loss of heat by the movement of the air. The wind-chill is relevant to humans and other animals that need to maintain a constant temperature that is higher than their surroundings. Continue reading

Category: Weather Dangers
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