Monthly Archives: January 2012

What is Groundhog Day and do the forecasts work?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

Long before computers, the Weather Channel and the Internet, humans needed weather forecasts. Farmers and sailors particularly needed to know if storms were approaching. Over time, various folklore forecasts, often in the form of short rhymes, were devised and passed down through the generations. Although memorable, the folklore forecasts are of uneven quality — some good, others bad. Continue reading →

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How do you measure snow accumulation in high winds?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

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 →

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Do the tropics influence the weather in Madison?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

It may seem implausible at first glance, but current research in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UW-Madison is exploring connections between tropical cyclones (hurricanes) near the Philippines and extreme weather events in southern Wisconsin. Continue reading →

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What causes wind gusts?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

A wind gust is a sudden, brief increase in the speed of the wind followed by a lull. According to National Weather Service observing practice, gusts are reported when the peak wind speed reaches at least 18 mph and the variation in wind speed between the peaks and lulls is at least about 10 mph. The strongest wind gust recorded occurred at Australia’s Barrow Island, with a gust of 253 mph that occurred during tropical cyclone Olivia on April 10, 1996. Continue reading →

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What were the top Wisconsin Weather Events for 2011?

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

Each season in 2011 had a memorable weather event, some with negative impacts. There were two good snow storms in February. The Groundhog Day blizzard had wind gusts of up to 60 mph and snowfall depths ranging from 1 to 2 feet. That resulted in snow drifts of 6 to 10 feet. The second storm occurred on February 20-21 with snow accumulations between 8 and 15 inches. Freezing rain and sleet also fell across southern Wisconsin. Continue reading →

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