• As we’ve discussed in earlier posts, an El Nino is currently present in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.  This means that the surface water temperature there is above normal.  One of the consequences of this is that more strong hurricanes form than usual, since the warm water acts as fuel for the storms. This year, the…

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  • AgroClimate is a web site developed by scientists associated with the Southeast Climate Consortium.  It contains climatological information for stations around the Southeast based on NWS cooperative observers as well as some mesonetworks like Florida’s FAWN.  I’ll talk more about mesonetworks next week. One of the most useful things about AgroClimate is its ability to…

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  • In the last seven days, rainfall across the Southeast has been pretty spotty except where Tropical Storm Ana traveled.  The radar-estimated precipitation is shown below.  Most areas received well less than an inch for the week.  At my own house I received no rain, although the radar estimated that I got a little.  Most likely…

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  • If you are a meteorologist, a bright sunny day with low humidity is dull and boring.  Photographers know it’s hard to take good photographs in harsh sunlight, so sunshine is not welcome to them either.  Rain, snow, fog and severe weather all bring their own special charms. The Digital Photography School posted an article today…

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  • The “mistral” is a local wind which affects southern France.  It is driven by the circulation around high pressure. The flow forces air down from high elevations towards the coast.  As the air sinks, it clears and dries up, helping to provide cloudless days and low humidity that are great for growing grapes in the region. VinePair has a short…

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  • One of my Facebook friends posted a link to a really neat web site which provides beautiful graphics for forecasts out to two weeks.  While I think the forecast skill for anything beyond about 5 days is not very high, the graphics are still very interesting to look at.  You can view wind, temperature, humidity,…

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  • NOAA emails a monthly newsletter with a variety of stories on topics related to drought, extreme weather, and other climate-related topics.  The latest newsletter can be viewed here.  Among the topics this month: an interactive climate game, a discussion of what “normal” means for the Great Lakes, and a new online course on hydrologic impacts…

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