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Category Archives: Climate
Was April colder and gloomier than normal this year?
The recent month of April here in Madison was noteworthy on a number of levels.
First of all, we had snow on seven different days during the month, not quite the record of 13 from April 1950, but substantially above the average of about four days over the last 70-plus years. Continue reading
Category: Climate, Meteorology, Seasons
Comments Off on Was April colder and gloomier than normal this year?
Comments Off on Was April colder and gloomier than normal this year?
Is it Spring Time?
Spring marks the transition from winter to summer. In astronomical terms, the date that marks the spring in the Northern Hemisphere is the vernal equinox. This year the spring equinox occurred on at 10:33 a.m. Sunday. This is the first … Continue reading
Is Wisconsin getting windier?
Before we delve into the question of whether Wisconsin is getting windier, let’s review some basics regarding wind.
Wind is moving air. Weather reports include observations of wind speed and direction measured at the height of approximately 1.5 meters (about 4.9 feet) above the surface. If the wind speed is strong — greater than 17 mph — and highly variable, the weather report will include the wind gust, which is the maximum observed wind speed. Continue reading
How are we doing for snowfall this season?
Despite the persistence of snow and ice on the ground this winter, since our first real covering appeared just after Christmas Day, it has been a remarkably snowless winter thus far.
After Thursday night’s 2.7-inch snowfall, the season total for Madison rose to a paltry 21.4 inches, which places us well behind the average for the season to this point, which is 41.3 inches. Continue reading
How did the Tonga eruption affect the atmosphere?
Hunga Tonga erupted on Jan. 15 and lasted 11 hours.
It devastated the region, covering the land in a layer of ash. The eruption blasted a plume of ash and water vapor 34 miles into the atmosphere — into the mesosphere.
The Hunga Tonga plume contained only a very small amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Sulfur dioxide from volcanic mega-eruptions that reach high in the atmosphere can have an impact on global temperature. The mega-eruption of Pinatubo in 1991 released enough sulfur dioxide to cool the Earth’s surface for three years. The Tonga eruption will not have that kind of impact. Continue reading
