Monthly Archives: August 2015

How was our summer weather?

The average global temperature of July set highs — it was the warmest month on record since record keeping began in 1880.

The observed ocean surface temperature was the highest for any month in the 1880-2015 record period. The average temperatures over land were also above the average for the 20th century, ranking as the sixth-warmest July since 1880. Continue reading

Category: Climate, Seasons

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What caused the recent weather extremes?

The National Weather Service in Milwaukee confirms that three separate tornadoes occurred in our state on Tuesday.

EF-1 tornadoes, with winds estimated at up to 110 mph, struck Lake Geneva and a location just outside of Big Bend. An EF-0 tornado, with winds estimated at up to 80 mph, struck southwest Waukesha. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Seasons, Severe Weather

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Are presidential candidates’ views on climate change correct?

The observational evidence that the Earth is warming is overwhelming and unmistakable.

Surface observations of temperature over land and ocean have shown that all but one of the 15 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000. the average length of the ice season on a collection of widely distributed Northern Hemisphere lakes, each with at least 150 years of continuous record, has decreased by over two weeks. The areal extent of the Northern Hemisphere’s wintertime cold pool has systematically shrunk in the last two winters recording the smallest seasonal average cold pool areas since records began in 1948-1949. Continue reading

Category: Climate, Uncategorized

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Are thunderstorms dangerous to aircraft?

Aircraft avoid thunderstorms to avoid potential threats or dangers. But encountering severe weather occasionally happens.

Jet aircraft carry weather radars to detect and thus avoid the violent updrafts of storms. These updrafts have strong, turbulent winds and can carry hail. You probably have experiences with hail falling on the ground, but hail can also cause damage to planes flying at 10,000 or even 30,000 feet. Continue reading

Category: Uncategorized

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What is the hydrologic cycle?

Sitting nearly in the middle of the vast North American continent, Madison has what is known as a continental climate.

Continental climates are characterized by large annual extremes in temperature and humidity as well as very distinct seasons. The continental nature of Madison’s climate is what makes a year’s worth of weather in Madison usually a lot more varied than a year’s worth in Seattle, for instance. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Seasons

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