Category Archives: Meteorology

What is a ‘panhandle hooker,’ and why is it called that?

Posted on December 8, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

A panhandle hooker, also called a Texas hooker, is a name for a storm that forms in the panhandles of Oklahoma or Texas. These storms bring interesting weather to the Midwest and Great Lake regions. The weather system gets its … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Seasons, Severe Weather

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What is the windchill temperature?

Posted on December 1, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

What is the windchill temperature? The windchill describes the increased loss of heat by the movement of the air. The windchill is relevant to humans and other animals that need to maintain a constant temperature that is higher than their … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Seasons

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How unusual was last week’s cold snap?

Posted on November 24, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

Through Friday, Madison experienced 10 straight days with temperatures at or below 32 degrees, or freezing.

And though that streak was interrupted (delightfully) over the weekend, it appears we will experience a return to sub-freezing temperatures by Tuesday. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Seasons

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What kind of winter are we expecting?

Posted on November 17, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

Seasonal climate forecasts rely heavily on established relationships between climate and key climate forcing mechanisms, such as El Niño.

On seasonal time scales, the influence on the atmosphere of ocean temperature anomalies such as El Niño or La Niña is probably the single most crucial forecast component. This is especially true for forecasts of Wisconsin winters. Continue reading →

Category: Climate, Meteorology, Seasons

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What location has the lowest average wind speed in the United States?

Posted on November 10, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

This question requires consideration of the number of factors that conspire to produce the wind.

Large-scale weather systems are perhaps the best-known features that impact the winds at a location. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology

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