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Category Archives: Climate
How does this winter measure up so far?
Two of the more popular (and telling) measures of the severity of a winter are extremes of cold and the presence of snow.
One reasonable way to consider extremes of cold might be to count the number of mornings on which the temperature drops below zero. So far this winter (defined as beginning on Dec. 1), we have had just five such mornings here in Madison. Continue reading
Is permafrost permanent?
Permafrost is ground that has a temperature below freezing for at least two consecutive years.
Permafrost varies in thickness from less than a couple of feet to more than 4,000 feet thick. Permafrost is mostly located in polar regions, although it also occurs in some high mountains where it is called alpine permafrost. Much of the permafrost in Alaska is tens of thousands of years old. Continue reading
Is our recent cold snap a harbinger of things to come?
Our recent cold snap has brought the November average to just 0.5 degrees above normal through the first 17 days of November after a relatively warm October in Madison, where the average temperature was 5.9 degrees above normal. It is … Continue reading
Category: Climate, Meteorology, Seasons
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What is La Niña and the impact on Wisconsin’s coming winter weather?
La Niña refers to a departure from normal in the sea-surface temperature across much of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
The water temperatures off the west coast of South America are typically 60 to 70 degrees. During a La Niña these waters get as much as 7 degrees colder than normal. La Niña conditions recur every few years and last nine to 12 months, though some events have lingered for as many as two years. This cooling results from a strengthening of the winds over the tropical Pacific and its interaction with the underlying ocean waters. Continue reading
Category: Climate, Meteorology, Seasons
Comments Off on What is La Niña and the impact on Wisconsin’s coming winter weather?
Comments Off on What is La Niña and the impact on Wisconsin’s coming winter weather?
How is the Artic Sea ice situation?
The sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is one of the key components of our climate system.
The brightness of the sea ice reflects more solar energy to space than open water. Global warming is amplified in the Arctic as the ice cover decreases. This is referred to as the ice-albedo feedback. Continue reading
