Category Archives: Meteorology

What’s up with all the wild weather?

Posted on September 27, 2017 by WeatherGuys Editor

Another week of destructive weather around our country culminated in the passage of Hurricane Maria over the island of Puerto Rico on Wednesday of last week. Some of the rainfall totals from automated stations on the island were of truly biblical proportions.

Though still subject to verification and a check on accuracy, 12.20 inches of rain fell in one hour at Gurabo Abajo, one of several stations on the southwest side of El Yunque, the high mountainous area in the northeast. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Seasons, Tropical

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When does fall begin?

Posted on September 18, 2017 by WeatherGuys Editor

Even the least observant person has probably recognized by now that the days are growing shorter.

In fact, on Friday at 3:02 p.m., we will reach the autumnal equinox and the night will be as long as the day for the first time since late March. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Seasons

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Why is lightning white?

Posted on September 5, 2017 by WeatherGuys Editor

Lightning is a huge electrical discharge.

Static charges form in a storm composed of ice crystals and liquid water drops. Turbulent winds inside the storm cause particles to rub against one another, causing electrons to be stripped off, making the particles either negatively or positively charged. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Severe Weather

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Is UW-Madison involved in hurricane forecasting?

Posted on August 29, 2017 by WeatherGuys Editor

Hurricane Harvey is the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma hit Florida in October 2005.

Harvey made landfall early Saturday morning as a Category 4 storm with estimated sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts to 150 mph. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather, Tropical

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Why is the sky blue?

Posted on August 25, 2017 by WeatherGuys Editor

All the attention of today’s eclipse has raised interest in the sky’s color.

To understand why the sky is blue, we need to understand a little about light. Light is a form of electromagnetic energy. This form of energy does not need matter to propagate. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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