Category Archives: Phenomena

What is thundersnow?

Posted on February 8, 2016 by WeatherGuys Editor

If you were outside Tuesday shoveling that heavy, wet snow, you may have heard thunder during the storm. Some folks indoors also heard the thunder while it was snowing.

You experienced thundersnow — a weather event that is not too common in Madison. When lightning and thunder occur during a snowstorm, the event gets reported as “thundersnow.” Continue reading →

Category: Phenomena, Severe Weather

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Are hurricanes in January typical occurrences?

Posted on January 19, 2016 by WeatherGuys Editor

No. The annual hurricane season typically runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Approximately 97 percent of hurricanes occur during that time. January hurricanes are rare.

Alex was declared a hurricane in the Atlantic on Thursday and maintained hurricane winds until Friday. It was a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 85 mph. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Severe Weather

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What does El Nino mean for southern Wisconsin’s winter this year?

Posted on September 28, 2015 by WeatherGuys Editor

El Nino is an atmosphere/ocean phenomenon in which the waters of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than normal for an extended period of time.

This unusual warmth forces changes in the distribution of deep convective thunderstorms over the tropical ocean which, in turn, affect the position and strength of the jet stream. Since the jet stream acts a conduit of winter storms and can regulate intrusions of cold arctic air, changes in jet stream characteristics can have a profound influence on our winter weather. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Seasons

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Is the smoke from western forest fires affecting our weather?

Posted on September 11, 2015 by WeatherGuys Editor

This year there have been many fires on the west coast of the U.S. and Canada.

Most of these fires are in remote regions and were started by lightning strikes. This smoke has drifted over our region. It will not have much of an effect on our temperature or precipitation. However, official weather reports include observations on sky conditions and visibility. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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Can we predict tornadoes?

Posted on July 27, 2015 by WeatherGuys Editor

A tornado is a powerful, narrow column of winds that rotate around a center of low pressure. The winds inside a tornado spiral inward and upward, often exceeding speeds of 300 mph.

We cannot always tell if a developing storm will produce a tornado. Advances in radar technologies have helped to identify storms that are producing a tornadoes, or about to produce a tornado. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Severe Weather, Weather Dangers

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