Author Archives: WeatherGuys Editor

What were those flying saucer-shaped clouds?

Thunderstorms rolled through Madison between 8:30 and 9 a.m. Thursday May 16th. Stunning “flying-saucer” clouds accompanied the dark skies of the leading edge of the storm. These dark, protruding clouds are “shelf clouds.” The clouds look like a shelf and … Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Uncategorized

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Ask the Weather Guys: What causes cold air outbreaks?

Almost no one in the Midwest will be unaffected by the remarkable cold air outbreak that occurred over the past weekend. And if you think that we were paid a rather early visit by such air this year, you are … Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Seasons

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Is the number of tornadoes increasing?

Tornadoes are sometimes not seen and thus sometimes not counted. Particularly early in the record keeping. But scientists interested in this question have studied the change in the key ingredients that form tornadoes, such as wind shear, atmospheric stability and … Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather

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Is climate change caused by human activity?

In a recent television interview, President Trump made the claim that climate scientists who conclude that climate change is a result of human influence on the atmosphere have a “very big political agenda.” The president went on to state, in … Continue reading

Category: Climate

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What is a 100-year storm?

The phrase “100-year storm” refers to the estimated probability of a storm event happening in any given year. A 100-year event has a 1 percent chance (or 1-in-a-100 chance) of occurring in any given year. The term “100-year flood” allows … Continue reading

Category: Uncategorized

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