I love the weather and have always been interested in it. To me, the creation of incredible storms and the patterns of heat, wind, fronts, and pressure systems in absolutely incredible, especially since many of these things still baffle humans!
I want to know: does anybody share my interest? Any other weather buffs out there? Or, some interesting story or fact about the weather?
Luckily, where I live didn't reach to 100+ this year, we usually hit 100 degrees every year about once or twice. But this summer's highest was probably 96 degrees. Which is still hot but not as bad. As Autumn and Winter closes in everyday, I wonder what those seasons will throw at us.
It's going to be beautiful here today! Highs in the low 80's and large cloud cover. Too bad though, there's no rain forecasted... ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Luckily, where I live didn't reach to 100+ this year, we usually hit 100 degrees every year about once or twice. But this summer's highest was probably 96 degrees. Which is still hot but not as bad. As Autumn and Winter closes in everyday, I wonder what those seasons will throw at us
I remember when I used to think 100 was a magical number and that it felt so much hotter just because it was a triple digit number. Now, I realize that whether it's 102 or 97, humidity still makes it death. xD
But yeah, I'm excited for--well, I guess just winter--too. I hope there are many huge snowstorms! Last year was kinda a let-down...
Once again, early spring day on the winter.
Does this have any historical precedence?
I'll look for the magazine on my fairly-organized (irony: is totally unorganized :P) wardrobe.
Well, they have to go somewhere! :P Thanks, I'm interested to see what they say!
I don't really know. They said that this year's Winter was going to be the coldest ever! Just like they said that last year's Summer was going to be the Hottest ever... (they were right on the latter :P).
Oh, and, by the way, Northern Winds blowed like, uh... crazyness... yesterday. I was at a soccer match and the gymnasium's door fell apart! It was made of steel! :O.
Then a seemingly stormy rain began. It stopped right away, though.
I hope there are many huge snowstorms! Last year was kinda a let-down...
I was also hoping for more of a snowfall here, as Ireland sucks compared to the Maine winter (The only other place i've been in during winter) but then i realized how much of a pain snowstorms can be, shutting everything down >.>
Found it! My magazine has three weather-related stories: How to get less wet in rainy days: running or walking?, Why clouds have different shapes? and Is there any way to predict the weather by looking at the sky?
Lets begin... first:
How to get less wet in rainy days: running or walking?
It depends. A lot of factors interfere in this result, like the distance that you run/walk, the rain's intensity and the area of the body. "The elements that determine the quantity of water that a person will get is the rain's speed and the contact surface. Higher the water drops's vertical angle means more water hitting the person. And that gets higher as the people's speed increases". So, if you're not good with calculations, your best bet is always carry an umbrella around.
Who will get more water? Know in which situations to run or walk.
In case of a light rain, walk: When the rain's intensity is average and it falls straight towards the ground, your best bet is walking. As you'll be walking in a slow speed, less water drops will hit you. When you run, your speed increases and the rain start to hit you everywhere. Then, you'll wet not only your head and your shoulders but all your front.
If you're overweight:
If you're a little fat, then run! Your contact surface is bigger, so to avoid getting wet you must run! But, if you're skinnier, walking would be better, as less rain drops will hit you.
If you got your hair done:
Advice to the ladies: If you just got out of the beauty salon, run and try to cover your head. That way, less droplets will hit your head but will hit your front.
In case of storm, RUN!:
Under heavy rain, both running and walking are useless. If you run, more water drops will hit you because of the speed. But if you walk, you'll stay more time under the rain.
This story is not necessarily from weather itself, but I though it would be useful to post it. I'll post the other stories soon. Sorry for any translation issues.
Humidity variations, air's temperature or circulation on the troposphere determine the cloud's shapes and sizes. The giant structures that float in the sky are formed when hot air rises from the ground carrying humidity in form of water vapor. Higher altitude means lower temperatures, causing higher condensation on the water vapor. The droplets formed on the heights tend to agglomerate in blocks that look like cotton when seen from a distance. The cloud keep developing itself while the air that compose it is lighter and warmer than the air that surround it. Along with this process, the cloud can change its shape, its altitude and even rain.
Looking good! Altitude and appearance determine the cloud types classified by scientists.
Name: Stratocumulus Altitude: 600 to 2000 meters. Shape: Fog layer with a well defined base. It appear with "bud" shapes, continuously or not. It's generally colored white to dark gray.
Info: --> Nimbus means "rain" in Latin --> When the cloud's base is dark, that means that sunlight can't go through it.
Name: Cumulus Altitude: 600 to 900 meters. Shape: Straight base with well defined round contours. It lasts about 10 minutes. After that or it grows or it disperses. How it is formed: Intense heat flows many times provoked by bonfires create this clouds. Warmer heat flows mean well defined shapes.
Name: Cumulonimbus Altitude: 600 to 14000 meters. Shape: Exaggeratedly big storm cloud. How it is formed: When a "Cumulus" cloud gather too much heat and humidity, it grows until reaching the troposphere, turning into the biggest cloud type. Info: Scientists say that cumulonimbus clouds can carry energy that equal 10 times the Hiroshima bomb
Name: Nimbostratus Altitude: 600 to 5500 meters. Shape: Thick and gray-ish, has a disperse base and an uniform aspect. Sun light never goes through this clouds. They are responsible for rains and snowstorms.
Name: Morning Glory cloud. Altitude: 1000 to 2000 meters. Shape. Thick cloud rolls that can reach a 900KM extension. A rare phenomenon, is only found in a few places, like the Gulf of Carpentaria in Australia. How it is formed: Scientists say that the most probable cause for this phenomenon is the shock of wind flows and sea breeze.
Name: Stratus Altitude: up to 2000 meters. Shape: Gray-ish layer that can be even transparent. On the ground, it looks like fog but it can condensate and turn into a stratocumulus.
Name: Lenticularis Altitude: 2000 to 7000 meters Shape: Is a kind of altocumulus that is formed when an air mass goes up to a mountain's peak. When it reaches the top, it expands, gets colder and stays floating around the peak.
Name: Altocumulus Altitude: 2000 to 5500 meters Shape: Round flock with smooth contours. Generally it is a small cloud that gather together without losing it's original shape, thanks to the air flows's stability.
Name: Altostratus Altitude: 2000 to 7000 meters. Shape: Grayish and uniform, it can be almost transparent until sun colors it with red-ish tones at sunset or sunrise. How is it formed: A layer of hot air quickly rises and shocks against a cold air layer. It happens when air flows are more stable.
Name: Cirrus Altitude: 5000 to 13700 meters. Shape: Thin, silky-looking cloud. It looks like a string cutting the sky. How it is formed: It is created by steam released by other clouds or even by airplanes. It is so high that it's ice crystals never reach the ground.
Name: Cirrostratus Altitude: 6000 to 13000 meters. Shape: It looks like a thin mantle. Almost transparent, it's very hard to identify, but when the sunlight or the moonlight passes through it, it creates an unmistakable halo.
Now we're talking about the weather! Third story soon!
