This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the conditions needed for the development of tropical systems. Tropical systems, such as hurricanes, need an appropriate environment not only to strengthen but to maintain themselves as…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and how to treat them accordingly. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include faintness or dizziness. Excessive sweating and muscle cramps…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing how the sun and outside temperature can impact the temperature inside a closed car. Shortwave radiation from the sun can penetrate through the windows of a car…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the summer solstice, which is also known as the first day of summer. The word solstice derives from the Latin words "sol", and "sistere". "Sol" stands for…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF scale). The EF scale is a classification system used to rate the strength of a tornado based on damage surveys done by…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing how the direction your ceiling fan can provide either a cooling or warming effect. During the warm months of the year, it is most appropriate for your…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be explaining La Nina and how it can impact hurricane development in the Pacific and Atlantic. La Nina is a global climate pattern that strengthens the easterly trade winds…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing dewpoint temperatures. Dewpoint temperatures are referenced frequently when communicating how muggy and humid it feels outside. The dewpoint temperature is the temperature that the air needs to…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing what a microburst is. A microburst is a localized column of sinking air known as a downdraft that rushes out of a thunderstorm. This can produce very…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the different rates of heating and cooling between air and water. Air and water heat at different rates because of their different heat capacities. Heat capacity is…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the lee trough. A lee trough is a strip of low pressure and surface convergence that forms on the leeward side of a mountain range. This can…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss how lightning forms. Lightning sparks when molecules of opposite charges come into contact. During the formation of a thunderstorm cloud, the top of the cloud becomes positively charged…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss how the aurora lights form. The process starts when charged protons and electrons emit from the sun. This can come from a solar flare or a coronal mass…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss the difference between a capped and uncapped environment. Both of these have implications for the development of thunderstorms. In a capped environment, a warmer layer is aloft and…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss why we sweat. Sweating activates through our sweat glands. It is a mechanism the body uses to cool down and regulate body temperature. Our body likes to keep…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss the sea breeze. The sea breeze is a cool onshore wind flow that develops at the surface along the coastline during the day. It is formed by the…
This edition of Weather Tidbits will discuss the severe weather risk categories. The Storm Prediction Center uses these categories in their products when forecasting severe weather, which is then available for public viewing. The product…
