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Category Archives: Meteorology
How did Madison get a foot of snow on Saturday?
The 12.1 inches of snow that fell over Madison in the first nine hours of Saturday morning was surely a surprise to many residents while setting the all-time monthly record. Forecasts made through the late afternoon on Friday, consistent with … Continue reading
What is the spring equinox?
The spring equinox marks the beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere. Also called the vernal equinox, it is the time of year when the sun rises due east and sets due west, no matter where you live. … Continue reading
How did this year’s winter rank?
Meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere is often defined as the three months of December, January and February. The just-ended winter of 2022-23 was notable in a number of ways.
First, here in Madison we started with a chilly month of December during which we averaged 0.8 degrees below normal. This was also the only month of the season in which we had a day with a high temperature below zero — minus 3 on Dec. 23. Continue reading
How much energy goes into making snow?
Since Dec. 1, Madison and Dane County have received approximately 40 inches of snow — 3 inches above normal for that span.
Snow is a form of solid water, and water is the only substance that occurs naturally in all three phases — solid, liquid and invisible gas — in the Earth’s atmosphere. Continue reading
What is a stratospheric sudden warming?
The region of the atmosphere closest to Earth, where the temperature decreases as you go up, is called the troposphere. The top ranges from about 6 miles over the cold poles to 10 miles over the tropics. Above the tropopause … Continue reading
