Category Archives: Meteorology

What is the difference between mist and fog?

Posted on September 12, 2022 by WeatherGuys Editor

Both a mist and a fog are water droplets suspended in the atmosphere in the vicinity the earth’s surface that affect visibility.

They both differ from a cloud only in that the base of a fog or a mist is at the earth’s surface, while a cloud’s is above the surface.

The difference between a mist and a fog is associated with the atmospheric visibility. A fog and a mist are both composed of microscopic water droplets or wet hygroscopic particles suspended in the air. Particles cause light to be refracted and reflected in many directions, reducing visibility. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Weather Dangers

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Does lightning add nitrogen to the soil?

Posted on September 6, 2022 by WeatherGuys Editor

Our bodies need nitrogen to make proteins. The atmosphere’s composition is 78% nitrogen, but the nitrogen in the air is not available to our bodies.

The two atoms in the airborne nitrogen molecule are held together very tightly. For our bodies to process that nitrogen, the two atoms must separate. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Severe Weather

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What is energy’s relationship with rain?

Posted on August 31, 2022 by WeatherGuys Editor

Many locations across the country (and the world) have been experiencing unusually heavy rainfalls this summer.

Though in Madison we have had a relatively benign month of August in terms of temperature and humidity, we have still managed to find ourselves 2.09 inches above normal for rainfall for the month prior to Sunday’s rain. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather

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When does fog mostly occur in Madison?

Posted on August 16, 2022 by WeatherGuys Editor

Fog can occur anytime of the year, depending on the type of fog. In southern Wisconsin, fog is most frequent in the morning, between about 6 and 8 a.m. Fog is a cloud in contact with the ground, and it … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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Can dust from Africa reach the United States?

Posted on August 8, 2022 by WeatherGuys Editor

Yes. Soil-derived aerosols, or dust, are abundant in our atmosphere. One source of dust is sandstorms over the Sahara. These storms whip small pieces of mineral dust from the desert into the atmosphere. Easterly winds then carry large plumes of Saharan dust away from the desert and over the Atlantic Ocean.

This weather system is referred to as a Saharan air layer, or SAL, and at times dust in the SAL has traveled to the Caribbean, Texas and Florida. Desert dust from the Sahara and Gobi deserts has been observed on the ice sheet of Greenland. Ice cores in Greenland provide a history of the dust deposition as it appears as layers in the ice. Continue reading →

Category: Climate, Meteorology, Seasons

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