September 1st, the first day of fall. The definition of autumn from Merriam-Webster: the season between summer and winter comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of September, October, and November or as reckoned astronomically extending from the September equinox to the December solstice I grew up with the astronomical definition for seasons--with equinoxes …
Category: Meteorology
First Day of Spring
March 1 -- The first day of spring! The most common definition of spring in the U.S. is: the period of time between the spring equinox (March 21 this year) and the summer solstice (June 21 this year). But there are other valid definitions as well: The meteorological definition is based on weather. Spring by …
Lake Effect
The first major winter storm of the season is hitting the Great Lakes right now. The weather radar at Intellicast shows lake-effect snows hitting both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. As the air moves over the Great Lakes, it picks up moisture, which is then dumped as snow over the land downwind. Lake …
Hurricane Tracks
This image, from Wikipedia, shows hurricane tracks from 1985 to 2005. It is the Wikipedia picture of the day for October 3, 2006. Click here for a larger image. Grace and Peace
Smoke Angel
For a description of the physics behind "smoke angels," go to today's Astronomy Picture of the Day. Grace and Peace
Personal Responsibility in a Hurricane
I don't know if anyone who reads this blog lives in hurricane country, but the advice given at World Magazine Blog makes a whole lot of sense. Ed Wilson writes, "For at least 72 hours after a hurricane we, as individuals, are our own first responders," and then he has recommendations for how to be …
Recovering Ozone Layer
News story: Ozone Layer Shows Signs of Recovery As the level of CFCs in the atmosphere decreases, the concentration of ozone in the stratospheric ozone layer appears to be recovering, and this is good news. Remember that the ozone layer protects us from much of the skin cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun. …