Meteorology (Weather)/Questions Answered by Expert Ryan Hastings
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Rain | 7/16/2010 |
| Q: What is the meteorological term for rain from a clear sky. I experienced this phenomenon in the Far ... A: I don't know that anyone has ever devised a technical term for it, but it's actually not all that ... | |
| tornado worries | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: Good Morning, I live in northwestern MN, and we have routine seasonal severe weather, including ... A: I'm sorry I have taken so long to reply. I wanted to think about this question for awhile, and ... | |
| Gulf Moisture | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: When moisture is pulled from the Gulf of Mexico, what happens to the salt that in the gulf water? ... A: For the most part, the salt remains in the ocean. It's generally too heavy and forms too strong ... | |
| Rain From Pacific? | 6/17/2010 |
| Q: I live in North Carolina, along the East Coast of the US. While experiencing rain showers this ... A: Mostly not. Most of the moisture from the Pacific is lost as weather systems travel over the ... | |
| Roll cloud or Waterspout? | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: gotta question for ya. We were on vacation and it was like 86 degrees inland where we were... so we ... A: Good question. The answer is No, it's not always too cold on Lake Superior for waterspouts to form. ... | |
| Roll cloud or Waterspout? | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: gotta question for ya. We were on vacation and it was like 86 degrees inland where we were... so we ... A: Hey there! Thanks for your question. That is definitely a beautiful, nearly textbook perfect ... | |
| Ref: question | 6/2/2010 |
| Q: Good day Can hurricanes be prevented? If it can be predicted why cant it be prevented? Why are ... A: Hurricanes cannot be prevented. They are immensely powerful systems; the amount of energy they ... | |
| Weather | 5/28/2010 |
| Q: Can you tell me what the weather will be like for my grandaughter baby shower on June 6th in ... A: That's still a bit too far out to give a good, honest answer. For long term forecasts like that, we ... | |
| Barometric pressure | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: Do you know what factors can affect barometric pressure? A: Sorry this response took so long, but I'm currently doing field research on tornadoes, and don't ... | |
| Sunrise / Sunset | 5/26/2010 |
| Q: What caused the sun rise to create a mirror image 180 degrees? As a merchant navy cadet, I saw the ... A: Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I have been on the road for the last five weeks doing field ... | |
| Best place for cover during a tornado debate... | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the severe weather forum, but I live in Oklahoma and this ... A: I'm sorry I took so long to give a response, but I'm actually on the road chasing tornadoes with ... | |
| rainfall | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: Respected sir, Why does heavy rainfall occur in coastal areas whenever there is a depression in sea ... A: I've never heard of such a connection. Are you saying the sea level is lower during periods of ... | |
| Humidity | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: We moved from Orlando, Florida to Panama City, Panama and are wondering why the humidity goes down ... A: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but I'm on the road on VORTEX2, and many of these hotels ... | |
| Effect of Oil Spill on Weather | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: Hastings: I'm curious what the effect of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will have on ... A: I'm sorry I've taken so long to respond. I'm on the road as part of VORTEX2, and our Internet ... | |
| science | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: Does the Earth`s magnetic Field affect the weather? If it does how? A: The Earth's magnetic field may have very small and subtle effects on weather, due to the way it ... | |
| Volcanic eruption as weather? | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: Is the cloud of ash created by a volcano considered weather? A: While it's up to the geologist to tell us how the ground can spurt a cloud of volcanic ash, it's up ... | |
| barometric pressure | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: what are the tempature ranges for weather that is rising or falling in brooklyn newyork A: I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking what the temperature ranges are for ... | |
| the ring around the moon | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: One day i was sitting out on the porch, looking up at the stars. then i notice that the moon has a ... A: I'm going to need a clear meaning of what you mean by "mean," I think. I did try to address what ... | |
| the ring around the moon | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: One day i was sitting out on the porch, looking up at the stars. then i notice that the moon has a ... A: It's the sky's new symbol for outlawing the moon in public places. Just kidding. Haloes and other ... | |
| Jet Stream prediction | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: I understand UK weather is significantly affected by the position of the Jet Stream. Is it possible ... A: Not just the UK, but all of the midlatitude weather is primarily affected by the position of the jet ... | |
| Weather predicting | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: why is it harder to predict local weather conditions than the conditions over a large area? A: One interesting thing about the atmosphere is that most of its phenomena break down on a couple of ... | |
| Barometric Pressure Relative to Headaches | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: My mother and I both have headaches relative to the barometric pressure and we are trying to figure ... A: First off, I apologize for taking so long to respond, but I have had a pretty heavy workload the ... | |
| tornado questions | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: I am doing a science project on tornadoes and I have a few questions: 1. Have there been any ... A: Well, I'm a scientist who studies tornadoes, so I can give you answers! 1. Yes, there have been ... | |
| Question about weather changes | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: In the movie, 'Alien vs Predator,' a team of scientists went to a deeply frozen place where the land ... A: You're thinking of ice ages. As far as we know, there's only been three periods where the ice ... | |
| lenticular clouds | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: I was told that these types of clouds only occure in the eastern sierra neavda and in the denver ... A: No, but it is true that they're most common in those places, during the late spring. As long as you ... | |
| cold air mass movmnt/ distrib. - long./lat. | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: Why does cold air mass - as a whole, move at some times more strongly east than it does at others. ? ... A: The short, easy answer is that it's the location of the jet stream, which meanders back and forth ... | |
| dew | 2/28/2010 |
| Q: I'm an amateur astronomer and would like to know if a carbon fiber telescope tube is more or less ... A: Well, I don't know much about materials, but I imagine carbon fiber is a better insulator (i.e. has ... | |
| wind chill | 2/18/2010 |
| Q: I understand that wind chill is the perceived temperature on the skin, because the wind takes away ... A: It is true that the heat is being taken away faster from the bowl of water, as well, and certainly ... | |
| Temperature recording stations | 2/17/2010 |
| Q: The IPCC claims that global temperatures have risen over the past 150 years. During this period of ... A: First, a point of clarification. The IPCC does not do research. They are a group of volunteer ... | |
| weather | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: i am getting married may 16th 2010 and am scared to death that the weather is going to be bad cause ... A: I'm sorry, I really can't. There's no way of knowing this far out (in February) what the weather ... | |
| Skagway,Alaska/May | 2/15/2010 |
| Q: What is the average temp in May? A: According to ... | |
| Weather and behaviour | 2/15/2010 |
| Q: I am currently in the final year of my Masters in Education and I am writing a dissertation ... A: I'm sorry, but this is not something that falls under the kind of research we do in meteorology. We ... | |
| Long range weather forecast | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: What are the "fall 2010 weather predictions" for Vancouver? A: There's pretty much no way of knowing, this far out. At the start of the seasons, many weather ... | |
| Cloud Color | 2/11/2010 |
| Q: What makes storm/rain clouds grey or dark grey? Do darker clouds have more water vapor? A: The basic answer is that the storm clouds are optically thicker. That is, as far as the light is ... | |
| ? | 2/4/2010 |
| Q: If tornado, hurricanes, are considered weather. Is a earthquake and volcano considered weather? ... A: I don't know that there's a single category that fits both volcanoes and earthquakes. They're two ... | |
| ? | 2/4/2010 |
| Q: If tornado, hurricanes, are considered weather. Is a earthquake and volcano considered weather? ... A: Weather only includes things that happen in the sky and involve wind, clouds and sometimes ... | |
| Barometric Pressure | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: When it snows does the barometric pressure drop like it does when it rains. I know bread won't rise ... A: Precipitation in general is caused by ascending motion in the atmosphere, and ascending motion is ... | |
| climate change | 2/2/2010 |
| Q: What is the best evidence for man made climate change? I know there is a strong correlation between ... A: You are not understanding me correctly, and you seem to be misunderstanding a few other regarding ... | |
| climate change | 1/29/2010 |
| Q: What is the best evidence for man made climate change? I know there is a strong correlation between ... A: I suppose it depends on how rigorously you define the idea of something in science being "proven." ... | |
| Meteorology | 1/25/2010 |
| Q: and i am in a class called Project Lead the Way. I have to interview a person of the field that i ... A: I'd like to preface this by telling you that my meteorology job is as a research assistant for a ... | |
| water | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: What is the process by which water changes from one state to another. A: Matter, as I'm sure you know, is made up of molecules. Molecules are themselves made up of atoms. ... | |
| Weather | 1/17/2010 |
| Q: How long does takes the weather to travel from west to east? A: Well, it depends on what kind of weather you're talking about, and how far it's going. As a general ... | |
| Freezing Temperature Bias | 1/13/2010 |
| Q: When air temperature gets to 32F is there a bias or tendency for the temerature to hover at 32F due ... A: First off, I'm sorry I took so long to respond. But this is a good question! The answer is no, not ... | |
| Windchills | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: Good morning Ryan! I have been a lifelong fan of all things deemed meteorology and I am looking fwd ... A: First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to reply. I'm not aware of any relationship ... | |
| tropical storm | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: Where did a recent tropical storm happened? A: First, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to reply. It is currently January, so tropical ... | |
| Temperature at high altitudes | 12/22/2009 |
| Q: Why is the tempertaure so low in the upper troposphere (like -50 degrees celsius) at a height of 10 ... A: Excellent question! The basic answer is that the chemical composition of the troposphere and ... | |
| METEORolgy | 12/21/2009 |
| Q: Would you add anything else to this? Naples experiences hot dry summers and cold wet winters. The ... A: Looks pretty good to me. You've done your research, and presented it well. The reasoning is pretty ... | |
| SNOW | 12/19/2009 |
| Q: CAN IT SNOW UNDER 32 DEGREE? AND IF IT CAN, WHEN AND WHERE CAN IT HAPPEN? A: 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the freezing temperature of water, so yes, it can definitely snow when the ... | |
| meterology | 12/16/2009 |
| Q: I am currently in Liberia what source regions are important weather controllers? A: Liberia has two main seasons: A wet season from about May to November, when the West African ... | |
| Weather Details | 12/15/2009 |
| Q: Ryan, Do you know of a really precise website that would give me realtime data that would include ... A: I'd go to http://www.wunderground.com. There you can see maps, as well as get current conditions ... | |
| natural disasters- tornadoes | 12/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm Katie and I'm doing a school project about natural disasters. I'm wanting to know what makes ... A: Well, it's actually a big mystery as to why exactly tornadoes form. But we have some ideas, and ... | |
| Natural Disasters | 12/14/2009 |
| Q: Hey Ryan I am doing a school project on natural disasters and wandering if you could answer some ... A: Well, this is completely outside my area of expertise, since I'm a scientist who studies weather and ... | |
| natural disasters- earthquakes | 12/14/2009 |
| Q: I'm Katie and I'm doing a school project about natural disasters. I'm wanting to know what makes ... A: Basically, you can think of the surface of our Earth not as one single continuous thing, but instead ... | |
| Michigan weather | 12/14/2009 |
| Q: I'm getting married at the end of May and live in southeast Michigan. We've decided to have an ... A: As you probably know, it's really hard to say. I looked over some of the climate statistics, and ... | |
| Weather in Southwest Michigan 6/15/1968 | 12/13/2009 |
| Q: Hastings, I am writing a non-fiction book, and for reference purposes i really need to know (if ... A: I've spent a few days trying to find this information. Most of the weather archive sites I could ... | |
| natural disasters | 12/10/2009 |
| Q: I'm Katie and I'm doing a school project about natural disasters. I'm wanting to know what makes ... A: I'm sorry, but I'll need you to be more specific. There are lots of different kinds of natural ... | |
| Rainfall | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: Im in NZ and am trying to do some rainfall calculations to work out my water useage/ catchment ... A: I think what you're asking is just a straightforward volume problem: 1 m x 1 m x 0.001 m = 0.001 ... | |
| Can you go through a rainbow? | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: My friend just got back from a cruise. He said he went through a rainbow, but when I looked at the ... A: Good question! Bad news, though: It is not possible to go through a rainbow. The appearance of a ... | |
| atmospheric pressure and health | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I am from Brazil and live on a rather high altitude city in the state of Minas Gerais (aprox. 800m ... A: This is really a question about health and weather, which I know less about. My work is strictly on ... | |
| Tornado outbreaks as patterned mathematical processes | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: Would you care to verify that //sin x cos x-sin^2x =the cardioid You see, this is a ... A: Do you have a citation for "the Browning Study"? I have seen several papers by Browning and I'm not ... | |
| Tornado outbreaks as patterned mathematical processes | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: Would you care to verify that //sin x cos x-sin^2x =the cardioid You see, this is a ... A: We can try taking this a piece at a time. 1. I'm not sure what you mean by "solution to the ... | |
| Tornado Formation | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: Ryan, I know that tornado formation is not thoroughly understood, but for decades, the most popular ... A: I think it's safe to say tornadoes generally get their rotation from the parent mesocyclone; even if ... | |
| Tornado outbreaks as patterned mathematical processes | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: Would you care to verify that //sin x cos x-sin^2x =the cardioid You see, this is a ... A: Well, first off tornado outbreaks are not random events at all. They are caused by a number of ... | |
| Tornado Formation | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: Ryan, I know that tornado formation is not thoroughly understood, but for decades, the most ... A: First off, the tilting of ambient vorticity is actually the origin for mid-level rotation in ... | |
| Fire Rainbow | 10/28/2009 |
| Q: Hey Ryan, so yesterday I looked up in the sky and to my surprise I saw what looked to be a fire ... A: Yes, this is almost certainly the same type of phenomenon that has been called a "fire rainbow." ... | |
| Hadley Cells | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: The Hadley cells consist of air that rises near the equator, flows poleward 10-15 kilometers above ... A: Ah, in this case I'd recommend Geoffrey K. Vallis's _Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics_, if you ... | |
| Hadley Cells | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: The Hadley cells consist of air that rises near the equator, flows poleward 10-15 kilometers above ... A: That's a great question. I have to admit, it's a little outside my specialization--it's more of a ... | |
| equatorial | 10/19/2009 |
| Q: I have been looking through the interner trying to find synoptic charts for areas Indoneasia (0 ... A: The answer is "Yes, sort of." The answer is that there's a global circulation driven by the sun, ... | |
| lightning | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: What I saw was not a sting of beads, but a 'ball' of interlocking filaments about 50cm in diameter ... A: We don't even really understand how clouds become electrified in the first place, except that it ... | |
| science research project | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: Hastings, Hello.I am a 6th grade student in a magnet school who is in need of some help on a science ... A: I'll be happy to help in whatever way I can, although I don't really know that much about how ... | |
| High fronts and Low fronts | 10/12/2009 |
| Q: Regarding the circulatory movement of air around fronts; it seems i remember that high fronts ... A: I think you might be slightly confused about terminology. "Fronts" are used to refer to areas where ... | |
| lightning | 10/11/2009 |
| Q: When I was about 10 years old, I was outside my home on a misty Spring day, near a line of parked ... A: If it looks like this: http://wvlightning.com/types/bead1.jpg then it might have been bead ... | |
| wedding weather | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: my wedding date is july 17th 2010 in littlerock arkansas will the weather hold out, thanks andrew A: Sorry, but there is no way for anyone in October of 2009 to know what the weather will be like on a ... | |
| science | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: 20 years ago carbon dixocide gas in the air was 0.03%.Why is it now 0.038%?What effect do scientists ... A: Many sources of carbon dioxide exist on the Earth's surface, including all of the gases resulting ... | |
| Where should I move to? | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: I'm looking for a part of the United States of America which best fits all of the following: 1. ... A: That depends on which factors are more important to you. For cold, you definitely want to move ... | |
| north atlantic weather | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: Hope you can help me! I'm working on a story that takes place aboard a sailing vessel in the 18th ... A: Hey there. First off, sorry it took me so long to respond. I had some trouble logging in. I don't ... | |
| Upper level air pressure map | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: Hastings, Why anticyclones in upper level map is also co-located by anticyclones in surface level ... A: High pressure aloft is not necessarily associated with warm air. In fact, all other things being ... | |
Meteorology (Weather)
Answers by Expert:
Ryan Hastings
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer general questions about meteorology and atmospheric physics, and more specialized questions relating to convective storms, especially supercells and tornadoes.
Experience
I am a graduate student at Penn State specializing in mesoscale meteorology. I am also on VORTEX2.
Organizations
Chi Epsilon Pi, American Meteorological Society
Education/Credentials
Did my M.S. on shallow boundary layer convection and its effects on moisture fields, and have begun a Ph.D. on supercell mergers.
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