Category Archives: Phenomena

Why was it so windy last week?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

The wind is air in motion. Moving anything requires a force. Violent destructive winds, as well as gentle summer breezes, result from a complex interplay of different forces. One of these forces results from a pressure gradient, or how fast pressure changes over distance. Strong winds almost always result from large pressure gradients. Recently, southern Wisconsin has been under the influence of a weather pattern that has strong pressure gradients, and thus strong winds. Continue reading →

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What is the status of the ozone hole?

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

The winter atmosphere above Antarctica is very cold. The cold temperatures result in a temperature gradient between the South Pole and the Southern Hemisphere middle latitudes. Continue reading →

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Why are Some Clouds Whiter than Others?

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

Clouds are made of small water drops and small ice crystals that scatter light from the sun in all directions. These individual drops and crystals are clear. It is the multitude of drops . . . Continue reading →

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What is a Heat Wave?

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

Heat waves are caused by very hot, stagnant air masses. Regions that suffer under intense hot spells are usually dominated by a surface high-pressure system with a mid-tropospheric ridge aloft . . . Continue reading →

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What is a Heat Burst?

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

Heat bursts are sudden, usually dramatic increases in the surface temperature, often accompanied by strong winds, that sometimes occur in the vicinity of a thunderstorm. Though they are not an everyday occurrence, they are not exceptionally unusual either . . . Continue reading →

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