I focus on a variety of weather and atmospheric phenomena from the global to the very local, as well as introducing some of the people who informed the study of atmospheric phenomena as we've come to know it.
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Meteorology
Sep 1, 2005
The Flavour of Lows
Often in the weather reports we hear of tropical lows, subtropical lows, extratropical lows, and thermal lows. What distinguishes these various flavours of "lows" from one another?
Aug 1, 2005
Why Are Lightning Bolts Not Straight?
If you've ever watched a spark of static electricity jump from an object like a doorknob to your finger, you perhaps noted that mini-bolt followed a fairly straight-line path from the object to your finger. Lightning bolts are essentially the granddaddy version of that static spark, so why do lightning bolts
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Jul 1, 2005
How Do Clouds Float?
A frequent question we meteorologists get is: "If water drops are heavier than air, why do clouds float?" With lovely forms of cumulus clouds popping up all around me on this summer's day, that is the question I will tackle this month.
Jun 1, 2005
Superior Moisture Gain
Large water bodies have major influences on the weather,impacting the weather and climate of their shoreline regions. But unless we are involved with the maritime industry or sport sailing, we tend to overlook the weather and climate over the water body itself. Herein, we look specifically at one aspect: on-lake condensation
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May 1, 2005
A Record Setting Day
For those who love weather in all its varied forms, extreme or rare weather events often hold great allure. Spawned by our love of statistics, one extreme event that catches our attention is the breaking of daily temperature records. Whether a record hot day or record cold day, it is sure
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Apr 1, 2005
Why Is It Coldest After Dawn?
A common adage expresses the belief that it is coldest just before dawn and begins to warm with the appearance of dawn's first light, but observations and physical theory show us that the coldest hour of the day is not before dawn but often an hour or so after sunrise. Why
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Mar 1, 2005
Cumulus Humilis: A Fair Weather Cloudscape
The dawn brought clear sky But, in a few hours, the warm sun would break the morning chill, and by mid-morning the perfectly clear sky would begin to lose its fair complexion as small buds of whiteness pop up hither and yon. So started a day when cumulus humilis, the most
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Feb 1, 2005
Avalanche!
The snows of winter bring many hazards to humans and wildlife. In urban areas, these hazards are usually manifested as transportation- or power-transmission-related hazards. But in mountainous terrain, another danger arises: the avalanche.
Jan 1, 2005
Arctic Outbreaks
Arctic Outbreaks. They happen in all months of the year and can rate headlines during spring, summer, or early autumn if they bring extreme drops in temperature or killing frost. But it is during the winter that they receive the most attention because arctic outbreaks can drop air temperatures to hazardous
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Dec 1, 2004
Neither Rain Nor Snow
Neither rain nor snow, nor freezing rain, for that matter. That is how one must often characterize winter precipitation. Rain and snow are just the most common members of the winter precipitation congregation, but not the only ones. Others include: ice pellets, snow grains, graupel, ice crystals and ice needles and
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[No Title] (2 msgs)
Arctic Outbreaks (5 msgs)
Radiation burst ? (2 msgs)
Blue Jets, Red Sprites and Elves (2 msgs)
The Other Side of the Mountain: Rainshadows (2 msgs)
Gap Winds (2 msgs)
Rainbows (2 msgs)
Weather Bombs: Rapid Storm Development (2 msgs)
Blizzard! (5 msgs)
Gulf of Alaska Storms (2 msgs)
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