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Category Archives: Climate
Is there scientific consensus on global warming?
Global warming refers to the recent rise in Earth’s average temperature caused by human activities that emit higher levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Scientists understand the physics and chemistry of how these gases warm the atmosphere.
The global average temperature has increased about 1.7°F since 1970. During this same period, temperatures have risen around 2.5°F in the contiguous United States and 4.2°F in Alaska. The 10-year period 2014–2023 was the warmest decade on record. Such warming has, of course, altered average weather conditions, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind patterns, atmospheric pressure, and ocean temperatures and so global warming is nearly synonymous with climate change. Although it is difficult to directly attribute specific weather events to global warming/climate change, data analysis indicates that global warming is linked to more extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. There has also been an increase in days with temperatures above 90°F and heat waves. Heat waves, defined as periods of unusually hot weather lasting two or more days, have become more frequent in major cities across the United States, rising from an average of two heat waves per year in the 1960s to over six per year in the 2020s. Continue reading
What is the status of the ozone hole?
This year is the 40th anniversary of the discovery of ozone hole. On 16 May 1985, British Antarctic Survey scientists published research that revealed a significant drop in ozone levels above Antarctica, referred to as the “ozone hole.” Stratospheric ozone loss has also been observed over the Arctic.
Ozone (O3) is a molecule formed by three oxygen atoms. In the lower troposphere O3 is considered a pollutant, as it can cause respiratory problems when breathed. Ozone in the stratosphere absorbs UV rays from the sun, protecting life on Earth from harmful radiation that can cause skin cancer and other health problems.
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Is there a windiest time of year in Madison?
With the pollen season peaking in southern Wisconsin one may wonder if there actually is a windiest time of year in Madison. Of course, a windy day can come along just about any time of year (the record gust of 83 mph in Madison occurred in June 1975) but the climatology suggests that March and April are the windiest months of the year with average wind speeds of 11.3 and 11.4 mph, respectively. November through February are not far behind logging a four-month average of 10.5 mph.
The fact that it’s windier during the cold season is not surprising as that time of year is characterized by the highest frequency of mid-latitude cyclone activity. Mid-latitude cyclones are large in scale, covering several states simultaneously, and are often associated with very large differences in sea-level pressure over small distances. It is these pressure differences that drive the wind. Continue reading
Category: Climate, Seasons, Severe Weather
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When will we have our last spring frost?
The latest frost in spring is important to gardeners as we seek to protect our garden plants from freezing temperatures. For Madison, based on temperature observations between 1940 and 2024, the latest frost occurred on 10 June 1972 and the earliest final frost occurred on 7 April 1955. The last frost date varies from year to year as it is strongly dependent on current weather conditions. To best estimate the last frost is to use statistics over a given time period. The median date for the last frost in Madison is May 5. Giving the median date of last frost means that there is still a 50% chance that a frost will occur after this date.
An analysis of Madison’s last frost date from 1940 – 2024 shows a trend consistent with the scientific expectations of global warming, that the last frost date now occurs earlier in the spring. Our nighttime minimum temperatures have been getting warmer and that too is consistent with the last frost date moving earlier. Continue reading
Should we stop climate research?
Scientific evidence for slow, ongoing, systematic warming of Earth’s atmosphere is unequivocal. This conclusion comes from evidence-based science and a physical understanding of that evidence. Regular scientific assessments of global and regional climate began in the 1970s. These assessments, along with a physical understanding of the atmosphere, show that the impact of human activities on this warming has evolved from theory to established fact. This is not a radical political statement; it is a firm conclusion based on the analysis of carefully considered observations.
Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases, which are transparent to solar radiation but absorb large amounts of terrestrial infrared radiation that results in warming the atmosphere. The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Most of that warming has occurred in the past 40 years. Continue reading
