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Category Archives: Phenomena
What was that dashed line in the sky on Nov. 3?
If you watch jets fly high above, you may notice that sometimes white clouds trail them. These condensation trails are called contrails. Most clouds form as air rises. Contrails form by a mixing process that is similar to the cloud you see when you exhale and “see your breath”. Continue reading
Were those the Northern Lights last Tuesday?
Yes! If you were out late on Tuesday night, you might have seen the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights, also called aurora borealis, appear as a diffuse glow or as overlapping curtains of greenish-white and sometimes red light in the night sky. Continue reading
What is heat lightning?
In heat lightning you see the flash of light from the lightning, but you don’t hear the thunder the lightning produces. All lightning produces thunder when the bolt heats the air around it. This rapid heating causes the air to … Continue reading
What were those lumpy-looking clouds over Madison last Tuesday
Those types of cloud are called mammatus. They often extend from the bottom of the anvil cloud of a thunderstorm, also called a cumulonimbus cloud, and indicate an intense storm is nearby. This was the case on Tuesday. Mammatus clouds … Continue reading
What is clear air turbulence?
Clear-air turbulence, abbreviated “CAT,” occurs high in the atmosphere at the cruising altitude of passenger jets. CAT happens in clear sky conditions and where the wind direction and speed changes quickly with height. If you flew on a plane that experiences a jarring bumpiness and yet there are blue skies out the window, then you’ve experienced CAT. It is most common over mountains, near fronts and around the jet stream. It is also more common in winter than summer. Continue reading
