Tag Archives: Climate

Who first suggested human activities could change our climate?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist, is probably the first scientist to propose that burning of fossil fuels could modify our global temperatures. In 1896, Arrhenius recognized that carbon dioxide, a byproduct of burning carbon substances such as natural gas, gasoline and oil, would act like a greenhouse gas. Continue reading →

Category: Climate
Tags
Comments Off on Who first suggested human activities could change our climate?

Just how warm has this winter been?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

This winter began much warmer than normal, but where does this year’s mildness rank all-time? You might be surprised to learn that although we are in the top 10 warmest starts to winter, we are not really close to the top. In fact, we are experiencing only the sixth warmest Dec. 1-Feb. 8 in Madison history with an average temperature of 28.3 degrees Fahrenheit during that stretch. Continue reading →

Category: Seasons
Tags , , ,
Comments Off on Just how warm has this winter been?

Do the tropics influence the weather in Madison?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

It may seem implausible at first glance, but current research in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UW-Madison is exploring connections between tropical cyclones (hurricanes) near the Philippines and extreme weather events in southern Wisconsin. Continue reading →

Category: Tropical
Tags , ,
Comments Off on Do the tropics influence the weather in Madison?

What is the outlook for Wisconsin’s winter?

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center issues seasonal climate outlook maps for the nation. The organization’s forecast for Wisconsin’s 2011-12 meteorological winter (which started Thursday and runs through Feb. 29) is for below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. Continue reading →

Category: Climate
Tags , , , , ,
Comments Off on What is the outlook for Wisconsin’s winter?

When does winter really start in Madison?

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Weather Guys Editor

The most common way to define the start of winter is to appeal to the solstice, the day on which the noontime sun is positioned at its farthest southern point of the year. This is the astronomical start of winter — Dec. 22 this year. On that day, the noontime sun will be directly overhead at 23.5 S latitude. Continue reading →

Category: Climate
Tags , , ,
Comments Off on When does winter really start in Madison?