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326 Questions

Last Answer on December 24, 2019

Why is it that when the clouds obscure the sun wind starts blowing, and then when the sun comes out again the wind dies down?

Asked by Stephanie almost 7 years ago

Thanks, Stephanie. Not always directly related. The wind is caused by differences in air pressure. Mother Nature likes things to be in balance so she moves air from high pressure toward low pressure. The pressure differences are caused by uneven heating of the earth by the sun and the ground heats unevenly as the clouds come and go. Hope that helps.

706 Votes

Why don’t we see more tornadoes in big cities like this current Dallas event? They always seem to be seen over rural locales.

Asked by Billie almost 6 years ago

I think that is mostly perception, Billie. Great question. Tornadoes that hit cities will drive more news coverage and attention. Also, relative to a region, for example, a city is relatively small. I regularly drive the highways of Oklahoma and Texas and there is a lot of empty space in between cities. Region of the country matters as well. New York City is a relatively large area in a region that has fewer tornadoes. Dallas/Fort Worth is a large area in an area that sees more tornadoes, the odds of the city are higher because of the greater frequency of tornadoes in that part of the country. There really isn't any research I know of that points to cities being more or less likely to be hit relative to the atmosphere. If you really want to dive into some data you can visit this website. Thanks! https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology

706 Votes

Hello. I would like to know the cause of all of the abnormal January 2019 rain and freezing temperatures in Yuma Az. and the area this year. Neither is normal for this area even during the dead of winter. What is the cause of this?

Msully

Asked by Msully53 over 6 years ago

Hi. Thanks for the question. "Abnormal" or "normal" is a tricky question sometimes. I usually prefer to use "average" since that is a closer description of what is used in the climate data. Specific to your question, this year is one where the overall patter is favoring storm systems, developed and driven across the country by the jet stream, moving in to the desert southwest from the Pacific, and the cooler weather is caused by that same pattern favoring cooler air toward Yuma.

704 Votes

Hi, weather teacher here. My students ask me this question, and I've tried researching to no avail. When naming clouds, how come sometimes the root comes before the name and sometimes after (example: nimostratus vs. cumulonimbus)

Asked by Melinda almost 7 years ago

Excellent question, and honestly I don’t have an answer, but I know who does. Check out the Cloud Appreciation Society. They will know, and if they don’t they will like the question enough to find out. Let me know! https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

703 Votes

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when my thermostat is set to 68 degrees in both winter and summer, why does it seem more cold inside during the winter and more hot inside during the summer at the same temperature? does the weather outside have an impact on the way 68 degrees feels?

Asked by pixie242 over 7 years ago

Your perception is probably based on the dewpoint which measures the amount of moisture in the air. Cold air is drier, warner is often more moist. That affects how your body evaporates sweat and evaporation creates a cooling feeling. Great question, thanks.

701 Votes

Will there be rain in Houston January 18 & 19, 2019?

Asked by eric_atd almost 7 years ago

Hi, Eric. A bit too far out to tell. Generally forecasts are pretty accurate 3-5 days out. By 5-7 days many of the main weather features are well forecast but the timing often changes a bit. Thanks!

701 Votes

I ive in Michigan and we have winds up to 60 miles per hour today And they have been blowing for about 5 hours but no storms the sky is clear blue with a few clouds. so where are the winds come from

Asked by Debra over 7 years ago

There is a strong low pressure area to your east. Mother Nature likes for things to be in balance. Think of low pressure as a valley, high pressure as a hill. She is moving air from the hill to fill the valley. The bigger the hill, the deeper the valley, the faster the air moves to fix the imbalance and the stronger the wind blows. Great question, thanks.

701 Votes

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Ask me anything!

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Why is it that when the clouds obscure the sun wind starts blowing, and then when the sun comes out again the wind dies down?

Why don’t we see more tornadoes in big cities like this current Dallas event? They always seem to be seen over rural locales.

Hello. I would like to know the cause of all of the abnormal January 2019 rain and freezing temperatures in Yuma Az. and the area this year. Neither is normal for this area even during the dead of winter. What is the cause of this?

Msully

Hi, weather teacher here. My students ask me this question, and I've tried researching to no avail. When naming clouds, how come sometimes the root comes before the name and sometimes after (example: nimostratus vs. cumulonimbus)

Also on Jobstr...

when my thermostat is set to 68 degrees in both winter and summer, why does it seem more cold inside during the winter and more hot inside during the summer at the same temperature? does the weather outside have an impact on the way 68 degrees feels?

Will there be rain in Houston January 18 & 19, 2019?

I ive in Michigan and we have winds up to 60 miles per hour today And they have been blowing for about 5 hours but no storms the sky is clear blue with a few clouds. so where are the winds come from

TV Meteorologist

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Why is it that when the clouds obscure the sun wind starts blowing, and then when the sun comes out again the wind dies down?

Why don’t we see more tornadoes in big cities like this current Dallas event? They always seem to be seen over rural locales.

Hello. I would like to know the cause of all of the abnormal January 2019 rain and freezing temperatures in Yuma Az. and the area this year. Neither is normal for this area even during the dead of winter. What is the cause of this?Msully

Hi, weather teacher here. My students ask me this question, and I've tried researching to no avail. When naming clouds, how come sometimes the root comes before the name and sometimes after (example: nimostratus vs. cumulonimbus)

Also on Jobstr...

when my thermostat is set to 68 degrees in both winter and summer, why does it seem more cold inside during the winter and more hot inside during the summer at the same temperature? does the weather outside have an impact on the way 68 degrees feels?

Will there be rain in Houston January 18 & 19, 2019?

I ive in Michigan and we have winds up to 60 miles per hour today And they have been blowing for about 5 hours but no storms the sky is clear blue with a few clouds. so where are the winds come from

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Hello. I would like to know the cause of all of the abnormal January 2019 rain and freezing temperatures in Yuma Az. and the area this year. Neither is normal for this area even during the dead of winter. What is the cause of this?

Msully