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Monthly Archives: March 2014
What else can we say about the past winter?
What else can we say about the past winter? As our remarkable winter winds down, (though it will remain cold through the end of March, according to most recent forecasts), a few of its additional characteristics are worthy of mention. … Continue reading
How do potholes form?
Potholes result from a combination of traffic and water.
Roadways are constructed in layers. The top layer is water resistant and curved to drain water off the road and onto the shoulder. Continue reading
How do I prepare for severe weather?
Severe weather can happen at any time and anywhere. Your best protection is to be prepared.
Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sponsored the National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Throughout the week, they organized groups and activities that highlighted the importance of preparing for severe weather before it strikes. They pointed out that being prepared for severe weather doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The most important step is to have a plan for what you and your family will do when severe weather strikes. Continue reading
How is the wind measured?
Wind has both speed and direction. Anemometers measure wind speed and wind vanes measure wind direction.
A typical wind vane has a pointer in front and fins in back. When the wind is blowing, the wind vane points into the wind. For example, in a north wind, the wind vane points northward. Continue reading
Does the jet stream have something to do with our winter?
Our exceptionally cold winter has been the subject of this column a couple of times in the past few months. Some readers have asked how the jet stream might be related to cold air outbreaks.
As we have mentioned before, the jet stream is a ribbon of strong west-to-east winds located approximately 6 miles above the ground. The jet exists as a result of a pole-to-equator temperature difference throughout the entire depth of the lowest 6 or so miles of the atmosphere. Continue reading
