Category Archives: Severe Weather

What is Madison’s longest stretch of frigid temperatures?

After a relatively mild start, this winter has suddenly turned a bit more menacing.

With last Thursday’s 3.5 inches of snow, Madison officially moved above its seasonal average snowfall for the first time all winter. We have received 36 inches, while the average to date is about 33 inches. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather, Weather Dangers

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What is the “Ice Bowl”?

The “Ice Bowl” refers to the National Football League’s championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys that occurred on Dec. 31, 1967, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The game was for the NFL title. The Packers entered the contest as the two-time defending NFL champions trying to become the first team in the league history to win three consecutive championships. Continue reading

Category: Seasons, Severe Weather, Weather Dangers

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What were the memorable U.S. weather events of 2020?

The year 2020 will be noted for some memorable and record-breaking weather.

This year saw the most active and seventh-costliest Atlantic hurricane season on record. There were 13 hurricanes, six major hurricanes and 12 storm systems that made landfall in the U.S., causing 409 deaths and more than $40 billion in damages. Hurricane Laura was the strongest land-falling U.S. hurricane of the season; it hit the Louisiana coast with 150 mph winds and higher than 15 feet of storm surge. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather

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How was the 2020 hurricane season?

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season ends today and will go down as the most active hurricane season on record.

A total of 30 named storms, 13 hurricanes, and six major hurricanes have formed throughout the season have formed throughout the seasons. Twelve of the named storms made landfall in the contiguous United States, breaking the record of nine set in 1916. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Severe Weather, Tropical

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What causes a mid-latitude cyclone to develop?

Our recent weekend storm on Nov. 14-15 was the first strong storm of the autumn/winter season.

As you found yourself caught in the strong winds, you may well have wondered how do storms like this one come to be?

That has been the central motivating question in meteorological science for most of the past 100 years. During that time, meteorologists have learned a great deal about how such storms are formed. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Seasons, Severe Weather

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