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Category Archives: Meteorology
Does the moon affect the weather?
Tides in the ocean are caused by the gravitational force between Earth and the moon. There are also atmospheric tides.
Lunar gravity affects the density of the thermosphere, which is the largest layer of the atmosphere. This is also where many satellites and the International Space Station orbit Earth. This lunar-induced drag is small, but it has to be included in the models used to predict the satellites’ orbits. The moon also affects the pressure at Earth’s surface. Continue reading
What is a waterspout?
There are two types of waterspouts: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.
A fair weather waterspout is a whirlwind that forms beneath a cumulus cloud and over water. It’s generally not associated with thunderstorms.
A fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and moves upward. Before you see the waterspout, you may see a funnel cloud hanging from the bottom of the cumulus cloud. A waterspout forms as the rotating funnel draws up water. Continue reading
Do the Rocky Mountains influence our weather?
Our string of beautiful days at the end of last week were related, believe it or not, to the presence of the Rocky Mountains hundreds of miles to our west. Last week, the atmospheric flow at levels just above the … Continue reading
Why are cold snaps in autumn so short-lived?
Over the past weekend southern Wisconsin experienced its first cold snap of the season with widespread morning lows in the lower 30s on Friday and Sunday mornings.
Very often cold snaps in the autumn are very short-lived as this recent example was, affecting usually one or two nights at most. Continue reading
How accurate were forecasts of Hurricane Laura?
When Hurricane Laura made landfall just south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 2 a.m. Thursday, it did so as the strongest hurricane to strike the state in more than 160 years and one of the top 10 strongest landfalling storms in U.S. history.
By the time the storm came ashore 30 miles south of Lake Charles, it likely packed gusts to over 150 mph. Indeed, the peak gust at Lake Charles was 137 mph — truly incredible considering that the city is 30 miles from the coastline. Continue reading
Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather, Tropical
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