Climate science
-
Those of you who like exciting movies may be planning to see the movie “Twisters”, which is somewhat an extension of the movie “Twister” from quite a few years ago about storm chasers competing to get the best tornado footage. Here is a discussion about the science in the movie from Dr. Marshall Shepherd of…
Posted in: Climate science -
Do you understand how to interpret NOAA’s monthly and seasonal climate outlooks? They are not based on the strength of the departure from normal conditions but describe the probability of the direction of the swing. This is commonly misunderstood by many people who try to use them. You can read a good explainer at https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-noaas-monthly-and-seasonal-climate-outlooks.
Posted in: Climate science -
Atmospheric rivers are narrow bands of intense water vapor transport that can form over the ocean and direct massive amounts of water towards the land. The results of this high-density flow of water are precipitation events which drop very large amounts of rain in a short time period, leading to flooding, landslides, and other extreme…
-
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of Sarasota FL at 8:30 pm EDT on October 9 as a category 3 hurricane. It had reached category 5 earlier today after going through an eyewall replacement cycle last night and re-intensifying, but increased wind shear and drier air being pulled into…
-
We don’t often get really big hail in the Southeast, but sometimes it can reach a couple of inches in diameter. That can do a lot of damage to cars, buildings, and trees. But even small hail can cause problems for agriculture, since it can damage crops or damage crops like peppers, making them unsuitable…
-
Here are some interesting stories I have read in the news in the past couple of weeks. Maybe you will find them interesting too. Meteorological Technology International: NSF NCAR anticipates hurricane clusters weeks in advance Readers Digest: How Exactly Are Hurricane Names Chosen? Yale Climate Connections: Meteorologist turns frightening flight into research project American Agriculturalist:…
-
I took a little time off this week to celebrate my husband John Knox’s award for excellence in teaching in the University System of Georgia as a recipient of the Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Awards, one of the highest awards in the state of Georgia for his work in university teaching. He…
-
I typically do not mention the Farmer’s Almanac (or the Old Farmers’ Almanac) in my blog because I know how unscientific it is and how poorly it does when rigorously tested. But I thought you might enjoy reading this blog post from the Colorado Climate Blog written by my colleague Peter Goble, who goes into…