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About Donald Rosenfeld
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
Any questions (except private) answered from the 1st grade level on up pertaining to any aspect of Weather. I am a 20 year member of the American Meteorological society and a long time forecaster of eastern United States snow storms and Hurricanes.

   

You are here:  Experts > Science > Weather > Meteorology (Weather)

Questions Answered By Expert  Donald Rosenfeld 
In Category  Meteorology (Weather)

SubjectDate Asked

coastal weather11/11/2009
  Q: We have just bought an ocean going boat kept at Oxnard, CA, and want to know the best way to obtain ...
  A: These should help: http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=lox&wwa=small craft ...
correlation between weather and weddings11/11/2009
  Q: i intend to do a research with regard to the correlation between the weather and weddings in Kenya, ...
  A: I know of no research into the subject but this link may be of help: http://tinyurl.com/yjx2kuc I ...
Weather, Earth Space Science11/4/2009
  Q: Average daily temperatures for one city, located at 15° south latitude, are 5°C cooler than ...
  A: Could be the first city is at a higher elevation or near the ocean; the answer probably would be the ...
Component of Global Winds resulting from Sun Position10/30/2009
  Q: The longitude experiencing sunrise is, on average, considerably cooler than where solar time is ...
  A: What a wonderful question!! I believe you're right; it would work like a land breeze that goes from ...
Weather movement10/28/2009
  Q: I need a seventh grade answer: Why is the majority of the weather moving from west to east? ...
  A: In the northern hemisphere storms generally move from west to east following the jet stream. However ...
visual weather indicators10/27/2009
  Q: I am looking for the every day visual weather indicators that can tell me the wind speed/direction, ...
  A: On the ocean you can use wave height as a wind speed indicator but, on land, the best way is use a ...
visual weather indicators10/27/2009
  Q: I am looking for the every day visual weather indicators that can tell me the wind speed/direction, ...
  A: Well, a person who is not connected to the internet could use: ...
winter forecast10/20/2009
  Q: I was wondering what the winter has in store for us down here? What can we expect? Also i am going ...
  A: Here is what NOAA is forecasting for the winter months: ...
hurricanes- Atlantic origin10/17/2009
  Q: where do most hurricanes form in the atlantic ocean?
  A: Most hurricanes that form in the Atlantic initiate off the coast of Africa; take a look at: ...
Weather predictions verification10/12/2009
  Q: Is there a way to look up what the weather predictions were starting on Oct 5 for a 10 day ...
  A: This brings you out for 8 days but you'll have to wait till the 5th is archived: ...
Climate in the Pyrenees10/9/2009
  Q: Reading a travel diary from a trip to France in 1988, I saw that the highest peaks in the Pyrenees ...
  A: Global warming impacts all parts of the earth in different ways and for different time frames. Here ...
Hi and Low Temps10/5/2009
  Q: When listing hi and low temps for a particular day, is the low temp from the morning of that day or ...
  A: When NOAA reports the high and low temperature for the past day, the temperature could occur at any ...
Southern Ontario Summers: Extinct?10/3/2009
  Q: I live in Toronto. After 35 of them, it seems to me that our summers are getting shorter and wetter, ...
  A: I think you are correct re the change of the climate in the Toronto area. I expect it is related to ...
Predicting Storms9/25/2009
  Q: I actually have a couple of questions for a school project: 1)Where do you go to predict the weather ...
  A: 1)Where do you go to predict the weather: Weathermen use computers that have access to ...
Weather and measurement9/24/2009
  Q: Our assignment is to ask a scientist five questions about how they use measurement in their work. ...
  A: Sounds like an interesting assignment!! 1)Do you personally make measurements, or do you rely on ...
Lightning types9/20/2009
  Q: Does lightning come up from the ground or down from the sky? This is a question that gets much ...
  A: The correct answer is BOTH! There are cloud to ground, ground to cloud and cloud to cloud. There are ...
unusual clouds9/8/2009
  Q: As you can see in the photo there were a couple long, ropelike clouds apparently extending for a ...
  A: There are two names for these clouds, Morning Glory: ...
Lake Michigan Water Temp8/29/2009
  Q: Would like to know how the surface water temperature [8-28-09] compares to the same date on previous ...
  A: See if these help: http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/michigan/7day/m/ ...
Causeway rain8/26/2009
  Q: Is there a difference between intensity of wind and rain between land right near the water and out a ...
  A: If you have noticed this phenomena on several occasions it probably is not your imagination. So, the ...
barometric change headaches8/22/2009
  Q: I too suffer from pressure change headaches and take medication for them. My problem is trying to ...
  A: Here's an average pressure map of the entire USA: http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climaps/slvp6113.pdf ...
Wedding date weather8/22/2009
  Q: I'm getting married may 1 2010. I was wondering about weather, rain, temp, and all that stuff i need ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Summer Storms8/18/2009
  Q: I live in Ithaca, NY. It seems that the big thunderstorms occur usually between 4:30 and 6:00 pm. Is ...
  A: Generally speaking, without being associated with a cold front, convective weather is most likely ...
Electrical flash8/15/2009
  Q: Last night, a friend and I were driving back to my house from hers. We were on the highway just ...
  A: Most likely you saw a flash of green light from the short circuit and resulting melting of a copper ...
tropics7/31/2009
  Q: But so far this year there's been a lot of dust and wind sheer all thru the tropics. Do you see or ...
  A: The wind shear: http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/real-time/atlantic/winds/wg8sht.GIF seems to be ...
precipitation pattern on eastern seaboard7/30/2009
  Q: Does the East Coast of the United States get a lot of rainfall in the autumn? Ot does that happen ...
  A: The short answers are yes and yes. The fuller answer is: "Rain soaked" and "day" indicate more than ...
Tornado outbreaks as patterned events7/27/2009
  Q: Forgive my use of a mathematical term like cardioid in this discussion but it is interesting that ...
  A: I think, maybe, that your best bet is to try posting your theory here: ...
Tornado outbreaks as patterned events7/27/2009
  Q: Forgive my use of a mathematical term like cardioid in this discussion but it is interesting that ...
  A: I think that frontal squall lines and meso thunder storm complexes are not periodic and therefor ...
Tornado outbreaks as patterned events7/27/2009
  Q: Forgive my use of a mathematical term like cardioid in this discussion but it is interesting that ...
  A: After a further review of the word "cardoid" I find that you are correct in your usage. I see: ...
Air pressure and health7/27/2009
  Q: I have a question/comment for you about a posting I found by you that asked for comments on air ...
  A: My answer to that 4/18/07 question was: ...
Tornado outbreaks as patterned events!7/27/2009
  Q: I hope that you are up for this as this inquery is the result of thirty-three years of research. I ...
  A: There is no way that my opinion can compete with your 33 years of research. My general comment is ...
Cruise Trip weather7/25/2009
  Q: Rosenfeld, I am considering a cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii. We will be at sea for 4 days ...
  A: The ocean temperatures remain high so the weather is warm in Hawaii even in January. The storm track ...
High and Low Pressure Systems7/23/2009
  Q: I am a JROTC Instructor and I am teaching a block on weather. I have been trying to untangle the ...
  A: Generally speaking the right sector of a low pressure has warmer air then the left side. Take a look ...
VIL and hail index7/23/2009
  Q: I was trying to find errors associated with both of them that could lead to inaccurate measurement ...
  A: Glad you said you'd accept "any input" in that severe weather research is not an area that I have ...
multiple questions7/19/2009
  Q: in the northern hemisphere, it is stated that if you have your back to the wind, then a low pressure ...
  A: **** = interspersed With regards to lows in the northern hemisphere would it subsequently follow ...
Highs & Lows7/18/2009
  Q: in the northern hemisphere, it is stated that if you have your back to the wind, then a low pressure ...
  A: A very good question! I think, for the moment, that my best answer would be: If the wind to your ...
lightning strike?7/16/2009
  Q: We have a cupola on top of our house and would like to add a weather vane. Would this potentiate a ...
  A: I'm not an expert at lightning protection. With that said, any thing sticking up from a roof can ...
science and health7/13/2009
  Q: whwt is the cause of a weather like sunny, rainy, cloudy,and windy?
  A: Lets take them one at a time: Sunny weather is associated with fair weather which is associated ...
Lightning7/12/2009
  Q: The other day I was watching lightning. Some of the strikes had only one flash of light, while ...
  A: Multiple bolts using the same path is not uncommon, it is caused by the first bolt creating a path ...
New Zealand weather in February7/9/2009
  Q: What is the likelihood in February of the weather being clear enough to see the mountains framing ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city_for.aspx?cty=NZ pick the closest city and ...
weather 7/18/09 southern nh7/7/2009
  Q: I am getting married on July 18, 2009 in seacoast nh, the portsmouth area, any idea what the weather ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
High / Low Temperature, time of....7/2/2009
  Q: On most forecasts, it shows the high temp forecast followed by the low temp forecast for a ...
  A: A forecaster's forecast may be for up to midnight or some other time period. However, in ...
wind speed averages6/30/2009
  Q: What is the yearly average wind speed at both Hanscom Air Force base and Bedford, Massachusetts
  A: Hanscom and Bedford should have about the same wind speeds except that Hanscom is more open because ...
Vocabulary6/29/2009
  Q: I have heard of a large rolling cloud of dust as in Arizona. I believe it has been call a "haboom", ...
  A: See if these links help: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Meteorology-Weather-668/Weather-issue.htm ...
wind pressure6/29/2009
  Q: if the wind aloft is blowing parallel to curved isobars, with the horizontal pressure gradient force ...
  A: It would depend upon whether whether the "curved" isobars were curved as part of a cyclone or an ...
wind pressure6/29/2009
  Q: If the earth were not rotating, how would the wind blow with respect to centers of high and low ...
  A: The winds would blow from the north or south and there wouldn't be organized low or high presure ...
weather condition6/27/2009
  Q: I am having a luau 50th birthday party on July 18th, 2009 in Dunkirk, NY and was wondering if you ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Upside down tornadoes6/26/2009
  Q: What is the technical term for an upside down tornado?
  A: There is no such thing as an upside down tornado and, therefore, there is no name for such a thing. ...
Barometric Pressure6/22/2009
  Q: I am wondering if there is a connection b/t giving birth and drops in barometric pressure. Sounds ...
  A: I don't believe that there would be unless the atmospheric pressure was extreme which it wasn't June ...
Summer in NYC6/22/2009
  Q: It is know NYC is very hot and humid in the Summer. Can you please tell me what is your forecast ...
  A: I think it will be a little below average temperature wise but wetter than normal. Below is my ...
Weather Phenomenon6/19/2009
  Q: Rosenfeld. I have lived in a rural area of East Central Minnesota for 6 years and continually ...
  A: My guess would be a topographic effect that is preventing you from getting convective weather ...
atmospheric attenuation6/16/2009
  Q: What is the best forecast metric to follow to gage atmospheric attenuation due to moisture? Thanks. ...
  A: The part of the observation that is visibility. http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/276/ ...
Wedding weather6/15/2009
  Q: Can you please tell me what the weather in Ohio was on October 3, 2008. We are having a wedding ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Ocean Temperatures and El-Nino / La-Nina6/12/2009
  Q: Hey Donald. My question is, What is the average ocean temperature for both Pacific and Atlantic. And ...
  A: By month, see: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/sst_ani.htm For El Nino & LaNina, see: ...
Dramatic pressure change and A/C6/12/2009
  Q: Last night in the Dallas Area we had extreme weather and possibly even a tornado. We operate a data ...
  A: I believe that the ac system has an outside temp sensor that feeds temp info to the microprocessor ...
Dramatic pressure change and A/C6/12/2009
  Q: Last night in the Dallas Area we had extreme weather and possibly even a tornado. We operate a data ...
  A: I see the 16 degree temperature drop at the airport which looks like it was associated with a ...
WEATHER PATTERNS6/10/2009
  Q: I have a question about the weather patterns in my area - Valmeyer, IL 62295. We have had a very, ...
  A: The jet stream: http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/Jet_Stream_by_Krista_Feierabend%20.pdf ...
Storm Spotter6/8/2009
  Q: Hey Donald, I was wanting to become a storm spotter. I have already been to the NWS home page and ...
  A: These should help: http://espotter.weather.gov/ w-ind.webmaster@noaa.gov ...
Storm Spotter6/8/2009
  Q: Hey Donald, I was wanting to become a storm spotter. I have already been to the NWS home page and ...
  A: I think the local NWS offices have their own regulations about what criteria is to be used to ...
Weather6/6/2009
  Q: I'm having a BBQ on July 20th. What will the weather be like? thanks, Bernie
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Cloud base heights6/4/2009
  Q: I have been tracking data from the nearest weather station and calculating cloud base heights using ...
  A: A very good question! There are other variables such as the amount of mixing and stability of the ...
rare storms6/2/2009
  Q: I recently saw a derecho hit in the US. I was wondering what other rare storms were out there that I ...
  A: A derecho is a meso scale phenomena associated with convective weather, as you know. In answer to ...
June 13th, 20096/1/2009
  Q: This is 11 days away... I am wondering what the weather will be like in Chicago, IL
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
follow the cloud5/31/2009
  Q: I would like to know what would happen if you try to follow a cloud around. Where would you end up? ...
  A: A good question; clouds are actually local phenomena in that they form, exist for a short while and ...
weather5/30/2009
  Q: I'm getting married June 5,2010. I'm having an outdoor wedding and was wondering if I'm going to ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Calculating Rainfall5/27/2009
  Q: I have just collected 2 Cups of rainfall in a liquid measuring cup after a rainy afternoon and ...
  A: The way I would do it, pour the rain back into the two cups. If the cups have straight sides, just ...
hail5/25/2009
  Q: my name is Grace, I live in Albuquerque NM. Yesterday May 24 it rained and hailed. the hail was ...
  A: In that: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/090524_rpts.html does not indicate any tornadic ...
Rain5/22/2009
  Q: How high does a cloud have to be for it to rain, and what temprature does the cloud have to be for ...
  A: Rain being defined as moisture condensed into drops falling can be from clouds as low as 50 feet ...
Air pressure systems5/18/2009
  Q: Why don't pressure systems stay in one place very long?
  A: The upper air winds move them along; if the upper air winds are weak it can mean very slow motion. ...
Weather on 30th June? UK5/18/2009
  Q: We're having a fundraiser on 30th June 2009, and most of the activities are taking place outside, ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Low Barometric Pressure5/14/2009
  Q: Sudden drops in Barometric Pressure can cause me to collapse. How low can air pressure drop? Less ...
  A: Normal sea level pressure is about 1015 hectopascals. A normal storm would be about 1005 hPa, a ...
tornado5/9/2009
  Q: Does the height of thunderstorm cell development have any relation to will the storm spawn a ...
  A: There is a correlation of the height of the cumulonimbus cloud to the occurrence of a tornado. In ...
WEATHER CYCLES5/7/2009
  Q: I live in VALMEYER, IL 62295. All through April and now May, it seems that it has been raining ...
  A: The jet stream has been bringing convective areas of showers and thunderstorms through your area ...
Frontal Boundaries5/7/2009
  Q: My son is working on a weather project for school. Pls tell us what frontal boundaries are depicted ...
  A: Triangles = cold front Semi circles = warm front semi circles on one side with triangles on the ...
Weather - High & low pressure systems5/7/2009
  Q: I have severe physical reactions to the constantly changing weather, particularly the low pressure ...
  A: Montana, North Dakota & Minnesota have the greatest frequency of high pressure away from significant ...
June 6th 2009 weather5/3/2009
  Q: What will the weather be like for June 6th 2009 in the citys of Vicksburg Ms 39180 and Bovina Ms ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Barometric Pressure5/2/2009
  Q: I was just wondering: is there a relationship between barometric pressure and temperature? Are ...
  A: Temperature is a factor in the weight of the atmosphere, one of many; take a look at: ...
clouds & rain5/1/2009
  Q: Are the clouds (only the ones which make rain) stired up by winds? sincerely
  A: Yes Take a look at: ...
Nitrogen4/30/2009
  Q: what does the nitrogen in our atmosphere come from?
  A: Soil bacteria converts nitrates in the soil to gas by a process called Denitrification. The gas then ...
10/3/09 Wedding and i need a weather prediction.4/29/2009
  Q: Please let me know what you think the weather will be for October 3rd 2009, I am having an outdoor ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Low barometric pressure and headaches4/26/2009
  Q: I suffer from headaches due to low barometric pressure. Which is unfortunate because I live in ...
  A: Generally speaking: high pressure = 30.20 and higher normal pressure = 30.20 down to 29.80 low ...
Weather Question4/21/2009
  Q: I would be very grateful for some help please. I have been given a question which reads. There is an ...
  A: On what timescale does this fluctuation occur and what causes it? ...
Birthday June 26th 20094/20/2009
  Q: I am traumatized with weather! I was so happy with my babyshower, planned ahead and had everything ...
  A: Late June is usually ok in Florida so I think you'll be fine. However, the date is too far in the ...
water temp.4/18/2009
  Q: if the air temp is around 60 what do you think the water temp. is going to be?
  A: Water temperature is impacted by many variables, air temperature is only one. Others include: ...
dew point in the sahara4/16/2009
  Q: I often browse weather conditions here and there, and have noticed that it can be very hot and at ...
  A: The dewpoint is the temperature at which the air temperature would have to fall to which would allow ...
weather4/15/2009
  Q: I'm going to be graduating in May and hoping the weather will be beautiful. What will the weather ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
meteorology4/14/2009
  Q: I plan on doing meteorology when I get older and I have information about pretty much everything but ...
  A: The jobs typically are with the Federal government or tv stations, fewer are with private weather ...
el nino4/8/2009
  Q: can you briefly explain to me what the el nino is?
  A: An el nino is a change of temperature in part of the Pacific Ocean that leads to a seasonal ...
presssure4/7/2009
  Q: tell me about barometrict pressure
  A: Put simply, barometric pressure is the weight of the column of air above a barometer. A barometer is ...
aneroid barometer4/6/2009
  Q: can you describe in a simple answer of how an aneroid barometer works?
  A: An aneroid barometer is a chamber made of thin metal that has had the air in side removed almost to ...
Least severe weather?4/5/2009
  Q: My husband and I will be relocating soon, and I absolutely cannot tolerate living in places with ...
  A: Severe weather, thunderstorms, hail & tornadoes are less likely on the Pacific coast. Take a look ...
EchoTops4/5/2009
  Q: Hey Donald, I was wondering is a Echo top at around 30,000ft a severe thunderstorm? Or how high do ...
  A: I have seen a funnel from a cumulus congestus cloud with a top at 7,000 +/- feet. With that said, ...
weather effecting the lights4/3/2009
  Q: On a very cold clear winter night, every light that we could see, such as porch lights, street ...
  A: It was probably some sort of fog or ice crystals that acted as an optical ducting mechanism. Take a ...
Wind and Tempature4/2/2009
  Q: Does wind effect temperature? ANSWER: Hi Ariel Depends upon how you mean "effect". If the air ...
  A: You could take a person or two and place a large fan blowing in their direction with their shirt(s) ...
Winds4/1/2009
  Q: I would be grateful for some help please. I have 2 questions: 1) If the rotation of the earth ...
  A: The following links should give you a clear picture of what's happening: ...
Weather for June 6, 20094/1/2009
  Q: I know June is two months away, but can you give me any predictions for June 6, 2009 weather?
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
weather related migraines3/31/2009
  Q: I thought I had figured out why I get migraines. It seems that when a front moves in, I get a ...
  A: The weight of air, by varying, does cause changes in our sinuses which probably is causing your ...
Wind and Tempature3/30/2009
  Q: Does wind effect temperature?
  A: Depends upon how you mean "effect". If the air temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind ...
El-Nino And La-Nina3/28/2009
  Q: Hey there I was just wondering how does a forecaster forecast if there will be a possible El-nino or ...
  A: The link (url): http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/index.html shows: "These ...
weather may 2, 2009 new york city3/24/2009
  Q: do you know ow might be the weather in new york at 2nd of may 2009
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
weather forcast3/23/2009
  Q: I am planning a trip to Lake Okoboji Iowa and am wondering what the weather will be like on May 19th ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
April 5, 20093/21/2009
  Q: I am having a birthday party outdoors in West Covina, California and would like to know what the ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Future Weather3/13/2009
  Q: What will be the weather forecast in Chicago, IL for June 20, 2009 & June 27, 2009?
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Frontal boundaries3/10/2009
  Q: How do you determine which way a frontal boundary is advancing
  A: Fronts move in the direction the wind is pushing them. So, if you look at a weather map: ...
Tornadoes and forecasting3/10/2009
  Q:
  A: They use special maps: http://www.weathermichigan.com/risk_air_index.htm and they use atmosphere ...
Forecasting Hail3/9/2009
  Q: Hey Donald. I'M back with another question. Could you give me an idea on how and what kind of maps ...
  A: Here is a map that will save you time: http://www.usairnet.com/weather/maps/forecast/hail/ If you ...
weather in Oct 20093/9/2009
  Q: i know it's a far way's off, but i'm getting married outdoors October 3 in Kingston, NY. can you ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Water Spouts3/7/2009
  Q: Rosenfeld, My 6 year old daughter and I have a fascination with extreme whether. While learning ...
  A: Good questions! A waterspout ...
jamaican weather3/5/2009
  Q: I know weather forecast more than 7 days is unreliable but looking at past history can you give me a ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Temperature inversions3/2/2009
  Q: Why are inversions more common on winter nights than on summer ones?
  A: I'm not sure that the statement is true, especially for all areas. Also, winter months are a longer ...
Weather On June 25th 2009 in jerome Idaho3/2/2009
  Q: Could you tell me what the weather should be like on June 25th 2009 in Jerome Idaho
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Temperature forecasting2/25/2009
  Q: Hey Donald I was e-mailing my local meteorologist about temperature forecasting on how to get better ...
  A: Here is the 850 millibar chart which Meteorologists use to see the temperature at around 5000 feet. ...
convections2/24/2009
  Q: I am currently translating a documentary (EN to French) on satellites and there's a part on ...
  A: With respect to Meteorology, convection refers to vertical air movements caused by the heating of ...
Math Vs. Meteorology2/22/2009
  Q: How do you feel is the best way to explain to students that math and meteorology have to work ...
  A: You can talk about how math is important to expressing distance, time, height, velocity and ...
Weather warnings2/19/2009
  Q: What factors go in to deciding wether to call a state of emergecny during the winter?
  A: Another good question! A "State of Emergency" is put into effect by either the State or Federal ...
Lake Effect Snow2/19/2009
  Q: What kinds of problems can develop if we get at least half a foot or more + lake effect?Sorry if it ...
  A: Whether it be lake effect snow or any kind of snow, both have weight and slipperiness associated ...
Car stuck in snow.2/19/2009
  Q: How much snow needs to be on the roads for a car to get stuck?Sorry,this sounds like a goofy ...
  A: A car can get stuck in ANY amount of snow. Some of the variables are the type of tires, the amount ...
Weather maps2/17/2009
  Q: I have another question for you Donald! I have my own weather blog and have had it for almost a ...
  A: Well, you could use the maps at: http://www.weatherknowledge.com/weather_forecasting_aids.html but ...
wind / force / pressure formulas2/16/2009
  Q: If I have a flat plate 2 1/4 ft wide x 8 ft long and it is at 45 degrees how much pressure in sq ...
  A: I've been asked this question twice before; see if either of these two prior answers help you: ...
weather2/16/2009
  Q: What will the weather be like on February 28 2009
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
One of my favorite things2/13/2009
  Q: Rosenfeld, I'm a 34 year old mother of 2, in school for medical coding, and happen to have a big ...
  A: Alpine Glow is a phenomena of long frequency light creating an afterglow of pink before and ...
Rain gauge2/11/2009
  Q: Hey there again Donald. I need your help. I have both a rain gauge and a digital rain gauge. My ...
  A: In general, I believe in a non-digital gauge because there are no electronics that can go bad. ...
October 3, 20092/11/2009
  Q: Can you please tell me what the weather looks to be like on this day. And what will the moon be ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
High/Low Temperatures in Weather Forecasts2/10/2009
  Q: Often, I see a day (say three days from now) with a Low Temperature forecasted of say 50 degrees, ...
  A: You are correct that I read your constructs incorrectly. Let me try again with your question as ...
High/Low Temperatures in Weather Forecasts2/10/2009
  Q: Often, I see a day (say three days from now) with a Low Temperature forecasted of say 50 degrees, ...
  A: A very good question! The way it works is that the forecasting period is for each 24 hour period- ...
Tornadoes2/9/2009
  Q: Hey Donald I know Tornadoes are not really able to be forecasted but is there any kind of weather ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.spc.ncep.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/ http://kamala.cod.edu/SPC/ ...
Sinus headaches & atmospheric pressure.2/8/2009
  Q: Although it was somewhat helpful, I've done all the research and still haven't received any real ...
  A: You're welcome. Most likely it is the amount of change vs the time to change. If it were simply the ...
Temperature2/3/2009
  Q: Has the temperature ever been higher at night than during the day?
  A: Many times! Frequently if a warm front comes through late in the evening, then the late night temps ...
air pressure and health2/2/2009
  Q: Today we have alot of snow. I have noticed my arthritis feels much better today. Can there be a link ...
  A: I think some people are affected by changes in atmospheric pressure because the joints with pouches ...
unusual clouds2/1/2009
  Q: I have searched loads of websites to find out what it is called without success. I am attaching one ...
  A: Looks like low Lenticularis clouds: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090203.html ...
weather1/28/2009
  Q: Me and my fiance are getting married on April 18th of this year. I was wondering if you can tell me ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Barometer1/27/2009
  Q: my name is Emily and I am in 5th grade at Akron Elementary School. I am doing extra credit and it ...
  A: The numbers 31 and 28 indicates the weight of the atmosphere over the barometer's location in inches ...
Models and forecasting1/24/2009
  Q: Hey Donald I seen you are a long time forecaster and wanted to know if you could help me a bit? I'M ...
  A: A computer model I like to use is called the emcwf: ...
METEOROLOGY1/22/2009
  Q: WHY IS IT THAT SOME TV WEATHER FORECASTERS WILL SAY THAT IT IS MINUS X DEGREES BELOW 0 AND OTHERS ...
  A: The correct way is to say it is "it is 10 degrees below zero". However, many will say "it is minus ...
We want to see snow!!!1/22/2009
  Q: My family and I live in North Florida and would like to spend a weekend enjoying the snow. We don't ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Different temperature in different altitudes (more detailed than just the average lapse rate).1/20/2009
  Q: I would like to know 3 things: 1. I'm interested in the different temperatures at variyng altitudes. ...
  A: 1. Is there a certain level in the atmoshere at which the hotter air is still on top of the colder?: ...
Global Warming1/17/2009
  Q: In your expert opinion, what effect does melting ice cover (in Greenland,Arctic etc.) have on ...
  A: My opinion is that it shows that there has been above average warmth in that area for the last ...
severe weather1/17/2009
  Q: I live in ithaca,ny.Last spring/summer we had some bad storms and some tornado warnings.I dread this ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Severe carribean1/11/2009
  Q: Im planning a trip to Puerto Rico and i was wondering can they get severe t storms like we get here ...
  A: Puerto Rico does get severe thunderstorms; however, tornadoes only occur about one per year: ...
Pacific Ocean Weather1/10/2009
  Q: Taking a cross Pacific Ocean Cruise 17 days in the month of March 2009 fro L.A/ to Hong Kong with ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
wet cold and dry cold1/8/2009
  Q: Why is it that in wetter climates the cold feels more "bitter" than in dryer climates. Even in dryer ...
  A: This may be what you are referring to: ...
weather1/3/2009
  Q: What do you call a severe storm at sea during which spray and precipitation freeze onto the decks ...
  A: Meteorologists call a severe winter storm at sea a major cyclone. If the temperature is below ...
Lines across atlantic12/18/2008
  Q: Could you explain these lines across the atlantic in these images? These images are from 12-16-2008 ...
  A: It looks to be satellite images from the northern & southern hemisphere stitched together for a ...
ice12/15/2008
  Q: What are the ramifications of one tenth of an inch of ice on roads, trees, etc.
  A: Any ice on unsalted/sanded roads is an extreme hazard. As to 1/10th on trees, if a tree is weak or ...
cold air mass movement - more longitudinal12/13/2008
  Q: I'm trying to appreciate what the standard meteorological reasoning is, as to just why cold air mass ...
  A: Pretty much all cold air masses (high pressure areas (anti-cyclones)) in the northern hemisphere ...
Large ring in the sky around the moon12/11/2008
  Q: Last night I observed a large reflection/refraction around the moon. I've seen small rings before ...
  A: Nice photo! Looks to be a "double halo"! As I look at the left side of the photo, the larger ...
cold air at night12/7/2008
  Q: When the night air is still and the sky is clear, temperature drops are increased, especially in ...
  A: It is called "radiational cooling". Here is some more info: ...
what is dew point?12/2/2008
  Q: What is the definition of and a few examples of "dew point".
  A: The dewpoint is the air temperature that dew would form at. So, if the temperature of the air was 70 ...
is it too cold to snoq12/1/2008
  Q: Can you please explain at what temperature the snow will fall. Can it snow on temperature below -10 ...
  A: It is never to cold to snow but at temperatures way below zero the snow may be just very fine ice ...
Hurricanes and thunderstorms11/23/2008
  Q: Is there thunder&lighting when a Hurricane makes landfall
  A: All hurricanes have thunder and lightning over the ocean and on land. The reason is that the ...
Lightening11/22/2008
  Q: On a stromy wheather where lightening and thunder showers are occuring, which is the safe ...
  A: In your car (hard top) because lightning seeks a ground and the tires of a car are made out of ...
Tornado structure and development11/18/2008
  Q: Hey, I was researching the tornado that was in Southeastern NY on June 16, 2008. Basically several ...
  A: Well, looking at the radar it looked to be a very active squall line with out any need of any extra ...
Question from the TV show CSI11/16/2008
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld. My name is Jon and I'm a researcher for the CBS television show CSI: Crime Scene ...
  A: Smoke not rising indicates an inversion: ...
where does lightning come from?11/15/2008
  Q: where does lightning come from? is it from the ground or from the sky? this has been an on going ...
  A: Lightning comes from BOTH the cloud to ground and from the ground to cloud. There is also lightning ...
Dew point11/13/2008
  Q: Hey Donald I think I got this right this time! :-) How do you forecast Dew point?
  A: One way is to use the model output such as: ...
Fog forecasting11/13/2008
  Q: Hey there Donald, I know Dew point is used for many things and it is used for forecasting Fog... But ...
  A: The fog probability is increased if the air temperature falls to the dewpoint but is not required in ...
cloud identification11/12/2008
  Q: Saw an interesting cloud the other evening and would like to know what kind it is. I am attaching ...
  A: It looks to me to be a line of dying cumulonimbus clouds with anvil tops. Here's more info: ...
tornadoes11/11/2008
  Q: what will happen when a tornado crosses the equator from north to south? Will it continue rotation, ...
  A: My guess that a formed tornado would have such built up rotational force that the wind rotation ...
Not sure if this is going to sound Dumb...11/9/2008
  Q: Me and my sister where outside when we noticed this very large fog like circle around the moon. ...
  A: Sounds like a halo around the moon. A halo is caused by the moon light passing through the cirrus ...
Heat lightning11/8/2008
  Q: hi is there such a thing as heat lightning??
  A: There is "heat lightning". Basically, it is a misnomer describing lightning that you see as a ...
Rain to snow11/8/2008
  Q: Hey Donald, I keep coming to you because you have good answers.....I'M trying to forecast snow! So ...
  A: A half an inch of rain equals about 5 inches of snow. A tenth of an inch of rain would equal 1 inch ...
Frozen dew11/7/2008
  Q: When dew is frozen what is it called ?
  A: Frozen dew or black ice. Frost is sometimes used but actually forms through a different process. ...
Best weather conditions for woodstove fire11/6/2008
  Q: In order for our wood smoke not to fall to the ground,what weather conditions should I be mindful ...
  A: Higher pressure, stationary fronts and under 5 mph all can contribute to smog conditions, pollution ...
Seasons11/5/2008
  Q: I would like to know what causes seasons like summer, winter etc. Regards
  A: Seasons are determined by closeness to the sun which is a result of the sun angle in relation to a ...
Best weather conditions for woodstove fire11/5/2008
  Q: In order for our wood smoke not to fall to the ground,what weather conditions should I be mindful ...
  A: Days with calm or very light winds will allow smoke from your fireplace to become a problem for you. ...
Thickness chart temperature forecasting11/3/2008
  Q: Donald, Do you know how to forecast temperature's using (Thickness charts) and if so could you ...
  A: A very good question! A thickness chart is a weather chart that shows the thickness in height ...
Lightning - crackling noise10/31/2008
  Q: Last night we had a thunderstorm overhead and, at its closest, the interval between lightning and ...
  A: The extremely short interval between the lightning and the thunder meant that the lightning ...
Precipitation10/28/2008
  Q: How is sleet and freezing rain measured? Would it be the same as measuring rain with a rain gauge?
  A: Sleet is measured the same way as snow is measured; see: ...
Will this work??10/24/2008
  Q: Hey Donald, I have a question. Will this online class for meteorology work or will I still have to ...
  A: Based on the limited info about the content of the courses I would guess that this "class" is about ...
Hurricanes10/23/2008
  Q: Are hurricanes influenced by global warming or is it influenced by the sun and moon? How can I find ...
  A: There is year to year and many year cycles of hurricane patterns regards to frequency and paths. The ...
stable wind and warm weather regions in us10/23/2008
  Q: I would like to move to a warmer state, but seriously need to know what area of the u.s. is the ...
  A: Here is a map of annual wind speed for the US: ...
radon10/22/2008
  Q: I am an Atlanta Real Estate agent. A radon test is currently being run in a house my client will be ...
  A: You're welcome & thanks for the good rating! Normal sea level pressure is 29.92. The readings in ...
radon10/22/2008
  Q: I am an Atlanta Real Estate agent. A radon test is currently being run in a house my client will be ...
  A: Barometric pressure is a measure of the weight of the atmosphere. Since radon gas is try to come up ...
Free air freezing level10/21/2008
  Q: I have heard the term "friata" (sp.?) freezing level on NOAA radio. Is this an acronym, the same as ...
  A: It rings a bell but I'm unable to identify it. Take a look at these two lists and see if you find ...
Greenland atmospheric pressure10/20/2008
  Q: Donald On the synoptic charts of the North Atlantic I've noticed a regular anomaly in the pattern of ...
  A: The "Greenland High" along with "Katabatic" winds are responsible. The high pressure is inland and ...
Wind and Humidity10/17/2008
  Q: I'm in middle school and have the following question. Can you feel humidity more when it's windy or ...
  A: A very good question! When it's windy a person feels the humidity less. The reason is that wind ...
Pacific Ocean10/15/2008
  Q: We are crossing the Pacific from San Diego to Hawaii this Nov. 7 - 22. 4 days crossing each way. ...
  A: Looking at the sea surface temps now: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/FS_km50f300.gif ...
Barometric pressure10/14/2008
  Q: I just purchased a Highberr watch/barometer/altimeter. I need to set the barometer so the altimeter ...
  A: If the watch shows 1013 and it's not 10:13 am or pm then it would be 1013 millibars. Most altimeter ...
To calibrat A PRH gauge10/11/2008
  Q: I would like to know how to properly calibrate my percent relative humidity Indicator.
  A: If you mean mechanically I'd need to know the manufacturer and model number. If you mean where to ...
wedding10/6/2008
  Q: I am planning to get married on the beach in Sunny Isles, Florida and would like to know which would ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
future weather forcast10/6/2008
  Q: Getting married in may 2009 (24th or 30th. Traveling to vermilion,Ohio for the ceremony,that will be ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. At this point I would say that both ...
Storms10/2/2008
  Q: Is there a general direction in which storms come from, and why?
  A: Excluding local storms like thunderstorms, fifty or so percent of large scale low pressure areas ...
metorology9/29/2008
  Q: I am 12 and I want to be a meteorologist. What do I have to do like go to collage or what to be one. ...
  A: Some storm chasers are meteorologists, maybe 30 or so percent. The rest are amateur meteorologists ...
Waves and sea state9/27/2008
  Q: Where can I find figures about the sea state and waves and wind, including statistics, in the Gulf ...
  A: See if any of these help: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/WestGulf.shtml ...
metorology9/27/2008
  Q: I am 12 and I want to be a meteorologist. What do I have to do like go to collage or what to be one. ...
  A: Well, if you want to be a weather forecaster or a research meteorologist you would need to go to ...
reddish brown dust9/22/2008
  Q: Last October I started seeing a reddish brown dust everywhere especially on the trees. It only goes ...
  A: My guess is red soil drying out and being blown some distance from a farm; or, red ash from a ...
cruising to hawaii Sept 24, 20089/21/2008
  Q: We are leaving this friday to cruise to hawaii from san diego. Can you tell me average sea day ...
  A: The sea surface temps for Hawaii this week are around 27 degrees Celsius: ...
Blank Weather Charts9/20/2008
  Q: I am looking for CONUS Plotting charts so I can plot upper-air obs. Also looking for Skew-T diagrams ...
  A: The internet has made printed blank weather maps a thing of the past. However, see if these links ...
Rainfall in IL9/19/2008
  Q: I have been searching the internet endlessly and cannot find the following answer to theAbout how ...
  A: The 13th: 2.82" ...
hurricanes9/12/2008
  Q: do hurricanes strengthen or down grade when they make landfall?
  A: Typically they decrease in intensity for two reasons, the hilliness of land compared to ocean ...
Clouds9/10/2008
  Q: Why don't clouds disperse into the sky, but instead stay within a clear boundary. I would expect ...
  A: A very good question! The formation of a cloud is due to a vertical updraft with cooling of the ...
rainfall measurement9/8/2008
  Q: Can you please explain how total rainfall is calculated in inches? I always believed you just had ...
  A: Different containers are used but with straight side containers you can use just a ruler to get an ...
clouds9/1/2008
  Q: Why do clouds have flat bottoms?
  A: There is moisture in the form of water vapor in the air; when water vapor condenses into water ...
Weather on 10.5.089/1/2008
  Q: My wedding is Oct 5, 2008 in New Rochelle NY. What will the weather be? Please advise. Thank you.
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
mexico8/30/2008
  Q: we r going to cancun on the 8th of sept for 2 wks, can u tell me if there are any reports on ...
  A: The Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico have become active with respect to hurricanes. That said, the mean ...
tropical storms / hurricanes8/29/2008
  Q: Recently, 'Fay' moved from land to ocean several times. If storms pick up moisture and energy while ...
  A: All rain drops have a nuclei that the water vapor condenses on. Rain from the ocean has a greater ...
Meteorology8/27/2008
  Q: I am leaving for Cuba soon and I am worried that due to hurricane Gustav I will not see any sun for ...
  A: It looks like Gustava will be near Havana on the 30th so flights may be cancelled. From the 31st on ...
altitude8/25/2008
  Q: why is it colder at high altitudes?
  A: As you go higher the molecular action of colliding molecules decreases as the air thins out ...
MOON PHASES8/25/2008
  Q: My son is in the 4th grade, and for his science fair project he is looking at the phases of the moon ...
  A: Personally, I do not believe phases of the moon have any impact on the weather. But, here are some ...
jason banjo barometer, Hydrometer8/21/2008
  Q: I just moved and the house we bought has this Jason Barometer, hydrometer. it doesn't seem to be ...
  A: First, it's not a bother! The association with the wording on a barometer and the actual weather is ...
SO CLOUDY 28/21/2008
  Q: I was wondering would you please tell me: does lighting come with thunder? Thanks ANSWER: Hi ...
  A: Lightning is an equalization of electrical charges of different polarity; i.e., a cloud may have a ...
30% Chance of Rain8/18/2008
  Q: I know you provided an explanation of this, but I want to verify. In layman terms. I was informed by ...
  A: Here's the deal on this: To me, a "40% chance of precipitation" means the following: 1. If you are ...
cold fronts8/15/2008
  Q: What is the definition of a "cold front"?
  A: A cold front is the dividing line between a colder air mass and a less cold air mass. A front is ...
furrow clouds mackarel sky8/14/2008
  Q: Can you advise how this cloud formation relates to Queensland Australia. The site you refer to ...
  A: Mackerel sky refers to altocumulus clouds that orients into "streets". It is a precursor cloud to ...
WX Trends8/10/2008
  Q: It seems to me that this has been an exceptionally cool summer for this part of the country ...
  A: Here's how the weather bureau in Taunton MA describes it: Excerpts from: FXUS61 KBOX 100220 AFDBOX ...
light rays in east during sunset!8/8/2008
  Q: The sun was setting in the west & there were light rays emanating from the mountains in the east. ...
  A: Looking at your photo I was sure that the sun was behind those mountains and that the sun was ...
WX Trends8/8/2008
  Q: It seems to me that this has been an exceptionally cool summer for this part of the country ...
  A: You are correct that parts of the east coast have been cooler than normal. The cause has been a pool ...
light rays in east during sunset!8/7/2008
  Q: The sun was setting in the west & there were light rays emanating from the mountains in the east. ...
  A: Your photo: http://www.playzar.com/panos/EastRays9sm.jpg shows Crepuscular rays! Here's more info ...
Meteorology8/6/2008
  Q: What are the main advantages of an infrared satellite image versus a visible satellite image for ...
  A: A very good question! Infrared gives a meteorologist cloud & sea temperatures and the visible gives ...
30% Chance of Rain8/6/2008
  Q: I know you provided an explanation of this, but I want to verify. In layman terms. I was informed by ...
  A: Here's the deal on this: To me, a "40% chance of precipitation" means the following: 1. If you are ...
Sunset time8/4/2008
  Q: I am getting married on Oct. 18, 2008 and I was wondering if you could tell me when the sun would ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Past world climate changes8/1/2008
  Q: I am interested in the history of climate change and looking for resources which explain, for ...
  A: Here's a time line of temperature change: ...
force of wind7/28/2008
  Q: I have a question about the force of wind. Is there an equation that factors in air pressure in ...
  A: See if these help: http://tinyurl.com/wind-pressure ...
8-9-08 will it rain7/21/2008
  Q: trying to plan an outdoor party on 8-9-08 will it rain or shine
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Meteorology7/20/2008
  Q: It seems to be acknowledged that with global warming storms will be more severe. I presume that ...
  A: First of all, only a minority of meteorologists ascribe to the belief that tropical storms will be ...
Lightning7/14/2008
  Q: As a photographer in the Tampa Florida area, I have always wanted to capture a great lightning shot. ...
  A: Barometric pressure is not an advance or even within-the-event indicator in that the thunderstorm is ...
Lightning7/14/2008
  Q: As a photographer in the Tampa Florida area, I have always wanted to capture a great lightning shot. ...
  A: There are more lightning strikes in the front and mid parts of a thunderstorm. The higher the ...
lightning7/11/2008
  Q: How many different kinds of lightening are there? Thank you
  A: Here's a list: cloud to cloud cloud to ground ground to cloud heat lightning ball lightning sprites ...
Hurricanes7/11/2008
  Q: I am a lay weather speaker, focusing primarily on weather folklore, mythology, and weather humor, on ...
  A: Looks like the Britannica info came from: ...
lightning7/10/2008
  Q: Is it possible to have lightening without thunder? Is it possible to have thunder without ...
  A: There is a form of lightning call "heat lightning" which is lightning at a great distance that can ...
East River winds7/8/2008
  Q: I am an author. As part of my research, I need to understand the wind patterns along the East River ...
  A: Wind patterns at the surface? Or, aloft? If aloft, what level. Also, a specific date, all days or ...
July 19th, 2008 Wedding7/7/2008
  Q: I am getting married on Saturday, July 19th in the evening in the Boston Area (zip 01810). We have ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Surface Analysis7/3/2008
  Q: I am studying meteorology as an undergraduate, and I just wanted to ask how I can improve my skills ...
  A: The more you practice the better you'll get! Here are some resources: ...
Weather in water world7/1/2008
  Q: Good day. I've been studying weather systems for a "world building" project and I started wondering ...
  A: Very good questions! If the earth had no land the surface would be flat water and winds would blow ...
Weather7/1/2008
  Q: I am wanting to hold my sons birthday party in our garden with his water park out but am worried it ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
weather watches6/28/2008
  Q: I have always wanted to know how meteorologists decide whether to issue a severe thunderstorm watch ...
  A: A very good question! Take a look at: http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/287/ ...
lenticular cloud formation6/24/2008
  Q: In reading about lenticular clouds, I get the impression that they only form in areas where there ...
  A: Personally, I think the ground view is more serene but the air craft view can be more dramatic. As ...
storms6/23/2008
  Q: I'm Mark. I was wondering what the weather, precip and temp outlook for the southeast and South ...
  A: It looks like continued drought conditions. The following links will give you more info: ...
wet depressing weather6/21/2008
  Q: we had a brief week or two in may and so far we havent had a summer. will we get decent weather we ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.weatherknowledge.com/long_range_forecast.html and choose "World ...
lenticular cloud formation6/21/2008
  Q: In reading about lenticular clouds, I get the impression that they only form in areas where there ...
  A: Some times an atmospheric gravity wave can cause the type of clouds you describe: ...
meteorology/Forecasting6/20/2008
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, I would like to know if,when you are forecasting,there is a set pattern? For example, ...
  A: I would say that I always use upper air info but I do forecast different type weather events ...
Barometric Changes and Electromagnetism6/15/2008
  Q: As with many others, I experience substantial discomfort as the barometer makes rapid changes. I ...
  A: It is known, as you point out, that changes in atmospheric pressure do effect discomfort levels in ...
Weather6/9/2008
  Q: can you give me your prediction of weather for June 21, 2008 for Hartford, CT
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
South Ontario6/5/2008
  Q: Hey, my friend recently told me that the Great Lakes prevents tornadoes in South Ontario. I am in ...
  A: Generally speaking there are less tornadoes near large bodies of water. Why? Because the water acts ...
forecast for Eskridge, KS 6/5/086/5/2008
  Q: We currently have our roof uncovered and we need to know how severe the weather will be in the next ...
  A: Here is a technical discussion from NOAA Topeka office and they are forecasting thunderstorms ...
time weather to travel across USA6/3/2008
  Q: How long does weather take to travel across the USA from west to east coast?
  A: Depends upon the season, the jet stream and the part of the country. Winter is faster because the ...
Severe Weather5/29/2008
  Q: 1) How does a forecaster distinguish between linear storms and super cells. On a SPC discussion ...
  A: Linear storms are straight moving and smaller than super cells. Storms convert to different types ...
July 19th5/28/2008
  Q: I was just curious as to what the weather will be like on July 19th, 2008 in central PA. Thanks!
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
storms innNew England5/27/2008
  Q: I thought all wind was described as a westerly if it comes ou of the west, a southeasterly of the ...
  A: Winds are described by the direction they are coming from- as an example, northwesterly or westerly. ...
June 10th5/27/2008
  Q: I am going to the prom on June 10th, would you be able to predict the weather for this day so that I ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Reno/Nevada5/24/2008
  Q: I am planning a wedding June 7, 2008 and while it has been rather stormy here (Reno NV) the past few ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Raindrop size5/23/2008
  Q: Is that true rain drops sizes are different in different areas for example fine drops in cold ...
  A: It is true that different parts of the world have different raindrop sizes on average. There are ...
prediction of weather June 21, 20085/20/2008
  Q: How does it look for riverside county, california on that day, specically Lake Elsinore? Thanks
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Upper & Lower Lows/Highs5/19/2008
  Q: I read frequently about Upper Lows etc. Looking at 500, 700 Mb charts, I do not see Lows, but the ...
  A: The simplest way to find a low pressure at elevation is to look for a closed isopleth ...
Global warming5/16/2008
  Q: I'm Mark. I was wondering what the weather, precip and temp outlook for the southeast and South ...
  A: South Carolina is still in a drought in the western sections of the state: ...
Projected weather forcast for 6/13-6/14, 2008 for Lewes DE5/15/2008
  Q: 2008 in Lewes De. Any forcast projections? Thanks
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
weather for June 1, 20085/14/2008
  Q: Any way you can tell what the weather will be for Sunday, June 1, 2008. Thanks, BS
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
weather5/10/2008
  Q: I'm Mark. I was wondering what the weather, precip and temp outlook for the southeast and South ...
  A: I recently had a request that had similiar questions, here is how I responded:What is the May and ...
I know it's a long shot5/8/2008
  Q: I know it's a long shot but I was wondering if there is any way of predicting the weather for the ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Weather on July 24, 20085/7/2008
  Q: I am planning an outdoor wedding on July 24th in Centerport, Long Island. Can you tell me what to ...
  A: For sunset info, see: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php As to the weather forecast: ...
cyclone5/7/2008
  Q: What is a CYCLONE?? Is there a difference in a cyclone and a tornado?? Also.....I'm getting ...
  A: There are four different cyclones- all are low pressure areas (meaning that the atmospheric ...
weather patterns and predictions5/6/2008
  Q: What is the May and June outlook for the southeast united states? What about the Summer Months? Is ...
  A: May & June look warm and humid; the summer months just look warm. May should be stormier but June ...
weather4/28/2008
  Q: What is the May outlook for the southeast united states? What do you think is going on with global ...
  A: I think cooler & wetter than normal; here's what NOAA thinks: ...
future weather4/28/2008
  Q: i am getting married on the 24 of may 2008 in Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada i would like to have an ...
  A: The date is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Tornados4/26/2008
  Q: I like in Sheboygan,WI about a quarter mile from Lake Michigan, and we are in the storm season, ...
  A: Generally speaking there are less tornadoes near large bodies of water. Why? Because the water acts ...
Snow reflection of light4/23/2008
  Q: Why is it so light out at night when there is snow covering the ground?
  A: Snow being composed of crystals has high reflectivity which means any light hitting a snow surface ...
future weather4/21/2008
  Q: What will the weather be like June 7, 2008 in Stockton, CA?
  A: June 7th is too far in the future for an accurate forecast. Forecasts of between 4 and 7 days can ...
Hurricanes4/21/2008
  Q: How do hurricanes form, how can you track them and how can find the latest information?
  A: Hurricanes form from thunderstorm clusters in the tropical Atlantic which develop spin from coriolis ...
wedding weather4/19/2008
  Q: I'm getting married June 28, 2008. It will be a evening candelite ceremoney starting at 8pm. I ...
  A: An accurate forecast is only possible a few days in advance and if you re-ask a few days before the ...
May prediction4/7/2008
  Q: I am trying to plan an outdoor birthday party for my daughter for either May 10 or May 17. Trying ...
  A: Mid May is too far in the future for a good forecast; that's only possible several days in advance. ...
weather future forecast4/7/2008
  Q: I have an event morning till early afternoon May 10, 2008 in Pomfret Connecticut. Was wondering if ...
  A: Since the info is based on climatology data from Hartford and Pomfret is about 30 miles to the ...
elevated convection via radar imagery4/3/2008
  Q: Is there a different signature on WSR-88D reflectivity products pertaining to elevated/dynamic ...
  A: Well, there is the intensity difference at different elevations. There is also the degree of ...
Is the wet bulb temperature the same as the dew point?4/3/2008
  Q: Is wet bulb temperature the same as the dew point?
  A: A very good question! The answer is that it is not the same; see: ...
wedding weather4/3/2008
  Q: I was wondering if you could give me a BALL PARK figure on what the weather might look like for an ...
  A: Looking at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/people/wwang/cfs_fcst/images/usT2mMon.gif and ...
forecasting accuracy4/2/2008
  Q: I am trying to do a statistical analysis of the relative accuracy of modern forecasters compared to ...
  A: There are two types of forecasters: Private meteorologists who work for industry and the government ...
Weather prediction4/1/2008
  Q: A couple of questions about weather prediction (a subject I know nothing about). [1] I can imagine ...
  A: Your method under # 1 is called analog forecasting; it's based on actual weather patterns that have ...
clouds going up3/26/2008
  Q: Do individual clouds ever rise above the altitude where they formed? I don't mean like a thunderhead ...
  A: Clouds form when moisture is lifted into a cooler level of the atmosphere. But, your question is: Do ...
Thunderstorm down-draft temperatures3/23/2008
  Q: Sinking air warms, yet thuderstorm downdrafts are usually cold, why?
  A: There is a atmospheric process called "adiabatic heating" which occurs when air is forced to ...
What numbers denote high barometric pressure?3/20/2008
  Q: I suffer from migraines, some of which are caused by high barometric pressure. I live on the bay in ...
  A: Normal barometric pressure at sea level is 29.92 inches of mercury. Any pressure reading higher is ...
weather patterns3/18/2008
  Q: What is the spring and summer outlook for the southeast? Suppose you live in a certain area and you ...
  A: Is our climate becoming warmer or colder? In the recent past it has been getting warmer, recent ...
weather3/17/2008
  Q: What is the spring and summer outlook for the southeast? Suppose you live in a certain area and you ...
  A: NOAA has issued the following predictions for the SE US for this spring & summer: PRECIPITATION: ...
weather sayings3/14/2008
  Q: Can you tell me the meaning of these weather sayings for my grade 6 project and have to write 3 ...
  A: Ants run faster when the temperature increases- "Mercury" is, in this case, the mercury in a ...
Meteorological Question3/13/2008
  Q: When rain freezes, it is called sleet. When dew freezes, what is it called? This frozen dew has ...
  A: When rain falls on a surface that is below freezing the rain will freeze on that surface and is ...
weather pattern3/10/2008
  Q: what is the Bahamas weather pattern
  A: Right now there is a high pressure just to the north west causing northeast winds and cool ...
humidity3/9/2008
  Q: Sir, I have a project for school. I am in the fifth grade. I have done all my resarch and am looking ...
  A: One sentence is hard to do but, here's my attempt: Humidity is a measure of the amount of moisture ...
Meteorologist3/5/2008
  Q: My name is Otis and I am in the sixth grade. I am doing a project for Science class. I would like to ...
  A: A meteorologist either studies the atmosphere (weather) or makes forecasts of what the weather will ...
Weather website2/26/2008
  Q: I am looking for a website in which I will see some temperature averages in a specific place, in ...
  A: I know a site that will gave average monthly temperatures but not for a given year: ...
Rain Shadow2/24/2008
  Q: under what circumstances can a rain shadow be formed on the western side of a mountain range?
  A: When the prevailing (average wind) brings moisture that rises on the the mountain side, the rain ...
coastal weather2/23/2008
  Q: i live in grand bay alabama. i hear alerts on the weather channel about inland freezes or coastal ...
  A: My definition would be anything "coastal" is at the coast (within 1/2 mile). Eight miles inland ...
lightning formation and clouds2/21/2008
  Q: My 8th graders have asked me, "if lightning is formed by the water droplets colliding and creating ...
  A: That is a good question! And, one that I've not heard before!! First of all, there is no lightning ...
Green light in a thunderstorm2/19/2008
  Q: I live in southeast Texas and earlier this evening a severe storm went through my area. We were ...
  A: Well, you have a few choices: A. If there were enough twilight, some times you can have the ...
equator, doldrums, hurricanes2/18/2008
  Q: While net surfing I ran across a page concerning weather patterns at zero degree latitude by a ...
  A: You must be talking about Gary Barnes: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/hurricanes.html ...
ring around moon2/16/2008
  Q: ring around moon distinct tonight in Vero Beach, FL, what is the phenomena?
  A: Looking at the water vapor satellite image: http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/g8/latest_g8wv.gif and ...
knowledge2/12/2008
  Q: what is the definition of weather!
  A: Weather is the short term variability of the earth's atmosphere. The dictionary defines it thusly: ...
humidity-dew point2/12/2008
  Q: what is the difference between humidity @ dew point @ how are they figured ANSWER: Hi Loretta ...
  A: There are tables and graphs available on the internet but to actually figure out the humidity or dew ...
Pacific Ocean2/10/2008
  Q: Rosenfeld, I am considering a cruise from either the Los Angeles or San Diego are to Hawaii. We ...
  A: October would be best but November should be ok while December is more prone to winter type storms ...
Can tornadoes occur in winter?2/10/2008
  Q: We live slightly northeast of Pittsburgh, PA, and we experience some windy weather, but what we ...
  A: Looking at the observation from Pittsburgh: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/obhistory/KPIT.html the ...
Weather2/8/2008
  Q: How does air temperature and air pressure affect weather?
  A: Your question is too general for a good answer. A general answer would be: Air temperature decides ...
Natural Disasters1/30/2008
  Q: Can tornadoes suck up people? Why don't hurricanes hit California? Does it get foggy when a tornado ...
  A: Tornado winds have lifted up people. The mean upper air flow is from east to west that takes the ...
Job in meteorology1/23/2008
  Q: Rosenfeld, I am writing on behalf of my brother, who got his masters degree in atmospheric science ...
  A: I don't know of any head hunters that specialize in meteorology jobs. I would look at: ...
Weather1/23/2008
  Q: My question deals with how hot and cold days are in relation to the length of the day. I am from ...
  A: Good question! The answer is that there is a overlap extension because of the thermal build-up of ...
future weather1/9/2008
  Q: Can you tell me what the weather will be in NSW Australia on 3rd February 2008?
  A: It's too early to give you an accurate forecast. If you ask again around the 20th of January and ...
Dew Point1/6/2008
  Q: When I go to weather dot com I get my local weather. It shows, dew point, humidity, chance of rain, ...
  A: Dew point is the temperature at which dew (condensation) would form on an object out-doors. For an ...
Wind-Chill factor1/3/2008
  Q: Let's sy that the temperature is x, the wind speed y, and the wind-chill z. If I understand, z is ...
  A: Wind chill is the effective (what you feel) temperature cause by evaporational cooling by the rate ...
Normals of SLP and Upper Winds12/29/2007
  Q: Kindly help me getting Normal Surface Pressure Pattern and Upper wind pattern at 850hPa, 700hPa, ...
  A: For surface pressure, take a look at: ...
precipitation12/27/2007
  Q: I visit this site quite often & I have few questions regarding weather details shown on most of the ...
  A: The 6 variables are: wind, temperature, precipitation, humidity, barometric pressure and geographic ...
Halo12/24/2007
  Q: How often do Halo's appear, Just saw one at about 1:38AM 12/24/2007. Beautiful
  A: Halos appear when there is a thin layer of ice crystals in line with your vision and the moon or ...
Much Fog in plain area rather than hills12/19/2007
  Q: Why there is too much fog in plain area or open area as compared to area which are very near to ...
  A: Mountains and hills have down drafts which bring drier air to the surface thus reducing fog. Fog in ...
Colder winters with more snow in NA?12/14/2007
  Q: My question is; As the Northern ice cap continues to melt more surface water is exposed, will this ...
  A: My opinion is that more melting with more evaporation will cause more clouds which will increase the ...
Barometric Preassure12/12/2007
  Q: I have been looking all over the web for an answer so maybe you can help. I work for a window manuf. ...
  A: If several homes in a given area are experiencing this type of breakage, it could mean a settlement ...
Weather12/12/2007
  Q: What would happen if a tornado, hurricane and thunderstorm hit a city at the same time for three ...
  A: Well, it has never happened as far as I know. A hurricane could stall for three days and spawn ...
protractor anemometer12/12/2007
  Q: I am working on a science project about anemometers. I have built a velocity anemometer that is a ...
  A: A protractor anemometer is based on wind force. The weight of air along with the speed of the air ...
Greenland12/11/2007
  Q: Living in Ireland I have studied the North atlantic surface pressure charts issued by the British ...
  A: Because of the very cold air from the ice sheet over Greenland: ...
First Grade Activity: Rain in a Bottle12/11/2007
  Q: Our first grade science book recommends an activity in which we put 1 tablespoon of water in a clear ...
  A: Some of the condensation may run back to the bottom or the temperature of the air in the bottle may ...
The smell of snow12/7/2007
  Q: I can smell approaching snow on the wind. Why does crystallized water have a smell? I grew up in ...
  A: You have a good sense of smell! Some of the chemicals that can be in snow are: Nitrogen dioxide, ...
fog12/6/2007
  Q: what is fog and how does it form
  A: Fog is composed of small water droplets, like a cloud, that is located near the ground. It forms by ...
water and atmospheric pressure12/3/2007
  Q: What is an fairly simples experiment that I can show 4th and 5th graders to help explain/demonstrate ...
  A: Water is on the earth and in the air via water vapor, water droplets, or rain/snow. These links ...
evaporation12/2/2007
  Q: ok i am doing a science fair research paper on evaporation.So i would greatly appreciate it if you ...
  A: The rate of evaporation is a function of temperature, humidity and wind speed. Higher temperature ...
safety of camping in thunderstorms11/30/2007
  Q: The question I have is about lightning and the safety of being outside during a thunderstorm. I am ...
  A: Machu Picchu is known for thunderstorms with lightning. July and August are considered the better ...
Tropical Cyclone forecasting11/30/2007
  Q: I am doing a report on tropical cyclone forecasting and I have a few questions on topic. 1) What ...
  A: The best way for meteorologists to forecast the future track of a tropical storm is to use upper air ...
Pressure and rain11/26/2007
  Q: Hey Donald, just wondering about this pressure thing. Did some reading and it seems that high ...
  A: A good way to make the association of pressure to weather is to note the pressure and then see how ...
Future Forecast11/24/2007
  Q: My father and I are taking a trip to the Grand Canyon in the first of May 2008. We are riding our ...
  A: Based on: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/people/wwang/cfs_fcst/images/usT2mMon.gif and ...
Snowfall11/19/2007
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, Is it possible to have snowfall when land temperatures are above 32 degree F?
  A: The short answer is yes! The longer answer: While snow will melt when falling on above freezing ...
Frost Formation11/16/2007
  Q: How can I predict when forst will form on the golf course?
  A: The four ingredients for frost are: Calm winds, temperature below freezing at grass level, ...
El Nino11/5/2007
  Q: Can we predict El Nino using ocean observations?
  A: Yes; El Nino is caused by a warming of part of the Pacific ocean. Below are some good links to learn ...
weather11/2/2007
  Q: what does the weather have to do with math
  A: Math is very important because it's used in measurement of distance and in quantities of ...
Thermal lows10/31/2007
  Q: I just do not understand what a thermal low or high is. I just don't see these terms in the ...
  A: The term "thermal low" is used when the heat from the sun, over a desert area, creates a local low ...
Weather10/22/2007
  Q: I am doing a project for my social studies class and we have to make an island contenint. My island ...
  A: An island in the Gulf of Mexico would have tropical weather all year around with high humidity and ...
evenings, mornings10/19/2007
  Q: Mr Rosenfeld: Could you please tell me what is the approximate Time of Day AM and PM, for Early ...
  A: This is a guess for these because I don't believe there is a special phrase both 10 to 11 pm and ...
Precipitation Event Definitions10/19/2007
  Q: How much rainfall, over what period of time, is necessary for a rainfall to be classified as a 25 ...
  A: What you are referring to is major rain events that are classified, for a given location and ...
North South Links10/17/2007
  Q: Here (Manchester, UK, Northern Hemisphere) we have had variable summers or winters. Some hot, some ...
  A: The northern and southern hemisphere winters are different and never replicate each other. Here's ...
Magnetic Winter!10/14/2007
  Q: The Earth's magnetic field is largely responsible for our existence - mainly in diffusing the suns ...
  A: This is a question that is outside my expertise of synoptic meteorology. However, the following ...
Tropopause9/27/2007
  Q: I know I've seen the answer to this somewhere, but can't find it. Why does the wind speed decrease ...
  A: The wind speed does decrease at the tropopause. Why? Because there is very little vertical mixing in ...
sunsets in eastern North Carolina9/26/2007
  Q: I am a writer working on a memoir of years spent in eastern North Carolina. As I remember those ...
  A: I think that the sunsets are influenced by the water body to the west and the low hills west of ...
dew9/26/2007
  Q: Mr Rosenfeld:I'm a Co-Op Weather Observer and I would like to know how can I tell by looking at it, ...
  A: Light dew would be the grass or object with a minimal amount of dew deposited from condensation. ...
Day In The Life Of A Meteorologist9/25/2007
  Q: I was wondering just how a typical meteorologist, perhaps working for the NWS, performs his day to ...
  A: Typically they start with what the atmosphere is doing with charts that show surface isobars winds ...
Furrow Clouds9/24/2007
  Q: I'm wondering what causes furrow clouds to form or what is the why behind furrow clouds. They look ...
  A: What you are describing are probably Altocumulus Undulatus clouds: ...
do seasons affect from where a storm comes9/21/2007
  Q: My child would like to collect precipitation for the next 10 months and test the acidity for a ...
  A: Glad I was able to help. Seasons are not a predictor of where storms will form; however, in the ...
do seasons affect from where a storm comes9/20/2007
  Q: My child would like to collect precipitation for the next 10 months and test the acidity for a ...
  A: To see where the storm came from that caused your daily rain fall, take a look at these links: ...
air temperature & barometric prssure9/19/2007
  Q: How are air temperature and barometric pressure related? Where can I find information on this ...
  A: Both air and pressure are related in that they are descriptive elements of the atmosphere. In ...
Local Winds9/19/2007
  Q: Why do local winds along coast and mountains change daily? I've never understood this
  A: Local winds, sea breezes or land breezes are determined by the temperature over the water and over ...
ice pellets, hail & sleet9/16/2007
  Q: what is the diameter of an ice pellet
  A: An ice pellet is a frozen rain drop and NOT a hail stone. A hail stone has repeated trips up and ...
wind direction indicating position of highs & lows9/12/2007
  Q: Somewhere I read that if you turn your back to the wind the front will be either to your right or ...
  A: Winds go around high (fair) pressure areas (anti-cyclones) in the northern hemisphere clock wise and ...
I need help on a homeschooling question9/8/2007
  Q: I need to know the difference between a mountain breeze and a valley breeze. i would also like to ...
  A: A mountain breeze is a wind that descends a mountain due to radiational cooling at night- cool air ...
Weather question9/6/2007
  Q: Help! I thought that there are certain directions weather tends to flow on the North American ...
  A: Most of the time the winds are from a westerly direction unless a storm is involved. I presume that ...
Hurricane Tracks9/5/2007
  Q: I was wondering if a hurricane took a track that brought it over a narrow enough section of Central ...
  A: Looking at: http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/Global_tropical_cyclone_tracks_1985_to_2005__.bmp ...
southwest weather8/29/2007
  Q: Dea Donald hello, wondr if you can help. I am planning a slightly last inute tip to the US and it ...
  A: It is true that it has been quite a heatwave this summer in parts of the midwest this summer but by ...
school8/26/2007
  Q: i was just wondering if you could tell me some types of meteorology. I have a earth science project ...
  A: There are the following types: Synoptic meteorology which is forecasting the weather. Climatology ...
Weather8/26/2007
  Q: I read an article entitled "Its not the heat its the Dewpoint." This seems stupid to me when the ...
  A: The relationship of the temperature to the wet bulb temperature (dewpoint) determines the humidity ...
weather after hurricane8/24/2007
  Q: I am travelling to Negril, Jamaica tomorrow and am wondering if the daily thunderstorms forecast ...
  A: The tropics, especially in the summer, are prone to showers and thundershowers, especially in the ...
cause of thunder8/24/2007
  Q: When I was young I was tought thunder, was two clouds bumping into each other. Is this in any way ...
  A: Thunder is caused by the explosive heating of the air as a lightning bolt passes through the ...
hurricanes8/22/2007
  Q: Do hurricanes have the same effect under the ocean as they do above the ocean?
  A: On top of the ocean are wind driven waves. Below the surface are storm surges that cause water along ...
Early Winter Indicator ?8/19/2007
  Q: .. In view of the past several weeks of rain and cooler than normal temps in the S.Central ...
  A: The previous weather underground urls are for local observers who may have records going back into ...
Early Winter Indicator ?8/18/2007
  Q: .. In view of the past several weeks of rain and cooler than normal temps in the S.Central ...
  A: On the up coming winter for Texas I have no opinion yet but take a look at: ...
Is it St. Elmo's fire?8/15/2007
  Q: My grandfather was telling me a story about something he witnessed while watching a thunderstorm ...
  A: Sounds like an atmospheric mystery!! My guess is that since it occurred near a swamp it was NOT ...
Weather in tundra biomes8/14/2007
  Q: What is some of the weather information in cold tundra biomes? Namely temperature and precipitation ...
  A: Temperature, precipitation, humidity, barometric (atmospheric) pressure, and wind speed/direction. ...
How do you calculate the total volumn of annual rainfall?8/8/2007
  Q: Hope you can help me with my questions. I am trying to write an article for children regarding the ...
  A: Doing the bathtub calculation: My bathtub measures 5 feet long, 2 feet wide and a foot and a half ...
Who are Beijing trying to kid?8/7/2007
  Q: It is being reported that the authorities in Beijing are claiming that they intend to make it rain ...
  A: Cloud seeding is possible and works. I have not heard of a correlation of successful cloud seeding ...
July weather8/6/2007
  Q: Good Morning, Could you please tell me if there is a site in which I could access past daily weather ...
  A: Your daughter should be all set using this url: http://tinyurl.com/25lrjs and for other dates: ...
humidity7/27/2007
  Q: i am trying to design a hibernaculum for bats, and understand that the environment needs to be cold ...
  A: There are three choices: A. pans of water on the floor B. Daily sprinkling on the outside of the ...
climatic difference7/18/2007
  Q: Why... 1) Is our summer here in Redmond, Oregon (45th parallel and 2800 feet elevation)so much ...
  A: This summer the jet stream pattern is such that there is greater warmth in the mid part of the ...
clouds7/17/2007
  Q: My 5 year old son wants to know, "Why do clouds float when there is gravity?"
  A: Your son asks a good question! Clouds float because the individual moisture particles are so small ...
The end of a typhoon.7/15/2007
  Q: I was watching as the typhoon was going along the east coast of Japan (currently live in Yokosuka) ...
  A: All tropical storms do not like shear which jet streams create. Jet streams also steer storms. Cold ...
Thunderstorms7/13/2007
  Q: Is it true that thunderstorms that move to the right of the winds aloft tend to cut off the supply ...
  A: Since the right movers tend to be more severe, they probably would, through their high structure, ...
upper-level troughs7/11/2007
  Q: What direction will a surface low pressure area move if a deep upper-level trough is to the west of ...
  A: In the northern hemisphere the general direction most likely to occur is a movement from the ...
Weather in desert biomes7/2/2007
  Q: What is some of the weather information in hot desert biomes? Namely temperature and precipitation ...
  A: Hot desert biomes would be characterized as having high temps near 100 F, very low humidity and ...
satellites and reception7/2/2007
  Q: Not sure if you're the expert to ask - if not perhaps you could direct me elsewhere. There is NO ...
  A: I am not an expert on satellite reception however you are probably correct that there is a pattern ...
lightning6/28/2007
  Q: Is it safe to be on a motorcycle in a thunderstorm, provided your feet don't touch the ground? I ...
  A: Tires do insulate and make a car a safe place to be. A motorcycle does not have a steel cage around ...
Snow/Summer6/27/2007
  Q: Donald, 1)When forecast in snow events say that ratios/ or rates will increase due to strong ...
  A: # 1 When conditions are favorable for dendritic snow, the best level is around -15C. ...
people in dust devils, tornadoes6/26/2007
  Q: and one of my teachers told me that people can go in dust devils, and even showed me a video on ...
  A: Generally speaking, dust devils will not kill you but flying objects that blow into the air could ...
route 66 holiday6/25/2007
  Q: four people average age 60 would like to do route 66 next year and we wondered if May was a good ...
  A: Weatherwise late September would be best. The problem with May is that it is tornado season east of ...
atmosphere6/24/2007
  Q: I have a grade 5 project to do and one of the questions is "what causes weather ?" are you able to ...
  A: Differential heating causes pressure changes and wind and all those, with moisture, cause weather. ...
Cause of Lightning & Thunder6/22/2007
  Q: what causes lighting and thunder
  A: A build up of a positive charge of electrons compared to the object that is going to receive the ...
Paleo-meteorolgy6/10/2007
  Q: Doc Rosenfeld, This may fall outside your expertise, if it does tell me. I would encourage you to ...
  A: You're right, I'm more into current weather than climates of the past. But, see if these links help: ...
barometric pressure5/28/2007
  Q: I was wondering what is considered high pressure and what is considered to be low pressure? For ...
  A: Normal sea level pressure is 29.92 inches / 1013.2 pascals; so, anything below that would be ...
High Pressure5/22/2007
  Q: Why do swallows and flies tend to fly lower before the rain? I thought the air pressure was low ...
  A: Swallows follow the flies; in storms with strong air currents flies try to stay low to avoid the ...
PRECIPITATION AND ITS METHOD OF MEASUREMNTS5/16/2007
  Q:
  A: Precipitation is any form of moisture that falls from the sky. Rain, snow, fog, drizzle, etc. Take ...
Severe Weather5/9/2007
  Q: Hey Donald, It would be great if you can help me with these few questions that have been bothering ...
  A: Compared to normal convective thunderstorms MCV's have cold air aloft, vertical share at low levels, ...
Animal behavior and weather5/1/2007
  Q: I'm doing a science paper discussing animal behavior as it relates to significant changes in ...
  A: Animals smell changes in ozone level, sense changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity and ...
curious cloud formation4/26/2007
  Q: I'm wondering if I can get information about a cloud mass I saw. Standing directly under it, it ...
  A: It was probably a funnel aloft (i.e., a tornado not reaching the ground). For more info, see: ...
when prevailing wind swiches4/26/2007
  Q: I would like to know about the process of when the prevailing wind changes direction. I am focusing ...
  A: The name of the game when it comes to sea breezes are the following: 1. Air temperature over the ...
Barometric Pressure4/23/2007
  Q: If the barometric pressure is above one atmosphere, why does it precipitate more than a barometer ...
  A: High (fair) pressure areas are associated with less precipitation than low (stormy) pressure areas. ...
Air pressure and health4/18/2007
  Q: I am currently doing an earth science project that relates to air pressure. I was wondering what ...
  A: Since the weight of air can exert different levels of pressure on the body it can cause discomfort ...
rainfall in Jamaica in October4/16/2007
  Q: We are considering Jamaica as a honeymoon destination. Would this be advisable? We will be arriving ...
  A: It's still hurricane season in October for Jamaica. Any rainfall unrelated to hurricanes is ...
Rogue waves and strong storms4/15/2007
  Q: Do you think that rogue waves and strong storms that form and dissipate quickly could be fatal or ...
  A: Rogue waves are so high and abnormal that they have to be the result of powerful large scale storms ...
Snowpack4/14/2007
  Q: Mr Rosenfeld: This Winter I went 52 days with a continuous Snow cover on the ground. Is this the ...
  A: Snow pack generally means the snow that remains during the winter between storms. The term is used ...
water barometers and air pressure4/12/2007
  Q: please would you be able to tell me about the average changes in atmospheric pressure associated ...
  A: Actually, there is very little pressure change during a thunderstorm- they are considered small ...
temperature inversions4/12/2007
  Q: Rosenfeld, I am doing research on temperature inversions, and I read that they can be predicted a ...
  A: Good question! There is very little on forecasting inversions. Take a look at: ...
Barometric Pressure4/11/2007
  Q: I was wondering, what are the variables that influence (affect) barometric pressure?
  A: They are basically the same but barometric pressure is the amount of air pressure as shown on a ...
F1 F2 F3 F4 F54/10/2007
  Q: WHAT DOSE THE F IN F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 MEAN?
  A: The F series is used in rating the severity of tornadoes. F5 is the severest. The link below will ...
Lightning and humidity3/29/2007
  Q: I was wondering if it was possible for humidity to effect lightning, and if so, how?
  A: Since water is a conductor of electricity a higher moisture content in the atmosphere would be ...
debate3/26/2007
  Q: within the earths atmosphere, is it hotter the closer you get to the sun? If not, why?
  A: As you rise in the atmosphere you get to the thermosphere and that is much hotter than lower ...
Lightning, Phones and High-rise Buildings3/24/2007
  Q: Is it dangerous to use the phones in a high-rise building? I use a headset at a call center in ...
  A: Generally speaking, it is dangerous to use a phone (except cell phone) in any building during a ...
weather3/19/2007
  Q: how does the meteorology know when the weather will change
  A: Meteorologist use weather maps to forecast the weather. Weather maps show storm and fair weather ...
how does the seasons affect water evaporation3/15/2007
  Q: Rosenfeld, My name is Isaac and I'm doing a science fair project, and I want to find out how the ...
  A: Seasons do have an effect depending upon the depth of the water body. Shallower water is more ...
Dock vs ocean temperature3/12/2007
  Q: can you please explain why the temperature on the west coast, (Canada) can be above freezing but a ...
  A: A lake or ocean is a large body of water that is associated with high humidity and slow change to ...
tornado power3/3/2007
  Q: How much "power" is associated with a tornado (like in watts or horsepower), say for an F0 or F1?
  A: How much power does the strongest tornado have? Answered by: Joe Schaefer, director, NOAA/NWS ...
Humidity and how you feel2/28/2007
  Q: Interesting, so that's probably why places like Seattle, Washington can have high relative humidity ...
  A: * my response Interesting, so that's probably why places like Seattle, Washington can have high ...
potatos and weather forcasting2/26/2007
  Q: Was a potato ever used to forecast the weather? My daughter told me she learned this in school she ...
  A: There is a saying: "It will be a bad winter if tree bark is heaviest on the north side. Bark on ...
Hurricane eye subsidence2/26/2007
  Q: I know that hurricanes are powerful low pressure areas in the tropics and that air rises at low ...
  A: The intense convection in the actual eye wall has components of descending air that occurs on the ...
Humidity and how you feel2/24/2007
  Q: So to make sure I'm understanding correctly, relative humidity is what makes you feel either dry or ...
  A: With the colder temperature you'd feel less clammy because at the same time of feeling the humidity ...
ice storms2/24/2007
  Q: How much Ice has to accumulate on Trees and Wires before they start falling? And does Wind play a ...
  A: Usually about an inch. Wind does play a big roll. If its windy, ice is broken up on the lines and ...
Question about humidity, dew point temperature, and relative humidity2/23/2007
  Q: Can you tell me how dew point temperature makes you feel vs. how relative humidity makes you feel? ...
  A: Relative humidity is a figure that is based on how close the wet bulb temperature is to the air ...
Weather questions from the class!2/22/2007
  Q: My group of high school life skills students are studying weather. At the end of the unit, I asked ...
  A: A good teacher makes good students which makes good questions from the class! Does the weather have ...
What's the story on "Dodge" tides?2/22/2007
  Q: could you please tell me where in the world 'dodge tides' occur, thank you.
  A: A very good question! I've never been asked that one. A "Dodge tide" is a term to describe a tide ...
To cold to snow?2/13/2007
  Q: I often hear people say that, "It's too cold to snow". I have also noticed that following snow it ...
  A: It's never to cold for snow. Snow flakes are smaller and more like ice crystals at very cold ...
Precipitation1/31/2007
  Q: My question may be worded in such a way that I might not know how to communicate it correctly. Not ...
  A: A 30 % chance of precipitation means either rain or snow will fall in one third of the forecast area ...
wind gusts1/19/2007
  Q: I like to develop a model of wind speed vs time for a typical wind gust. Lets say for example the ...
  A: Instantaneous wind speed measurements in their selves are quite complex from an instrumentation ...
weather/seasons/tilt/sun1/17/2007
  Q: if the earth is closer to the sun in summer we expect more heating the sea than in winter and more ...
  A: Let me be more accurate. The closesness is dependent upon the angle of the earth. Winter is when the ...
Earth tilt affecting weather1/5/2007
  Q: Okay, its no longer private, thanks MarkHi Donald, I am working on a piece of fiction based on an ...
  A: My guess, calmer weather but major change of temperature distribution south vs northern hemisphere. ...
Inter-action of weather elements1/5/2007
  Q: Could you please tell me how do temperature, humidity and pressure relate to each other and how ...
  A: Temperature, humidity and pressure are related especially in storm systems. Low atmospheric ...
What causes weather?12/21/2006
  Q: What causes weather to change? What can weather be affected by?
  A: Temperature differences cause all weather. But, those differences cause the lows and highs (storms ...
Cows / methane / global warming12/20/2006
  Q: Does methane from cows have a significant greenhouse gas effect that ultimately affects our weather? ...
  A: Yes- methane is a big contributor towards global warming. Take a look at: ...
Thermometer information11/30/2006
  Q: How is the Thermometer inportant to forecasting the weather,and who is the atual inventor and in ...
  A: The thermometer was invented by Santorio Santorio around 1590. ...
El nino and mild weather in the northeast11/27/2006
  Q: Could El Nino have anything to do with the mild weather so far in Massachusetts? By the end of ...
  A: Most meteorologists would say yes. However, looking at the jet stream pattern and temperatures in ...
Photographing snowflakes11/27/2006
  Q: I took a picture at nighttime in South Dakota and was wondering why the snowflakes on the picture ...
  A: You're probably correct as to the clear wet dots. The size does differ both by water content, flakes ...
Comparative climate data11/22/2006
  Q: Rosenfeld, I love Austin, but the heat, the bright sunshine w/ no clouds to help shade it in the ...
  A: First, Happy Thanksgiving! The short answer to your question is that Minneapolis is a continental ...
Weather forecasting by air pressure11/16/2006
  Q: How does the barometric pressure explain weather?
  A: Low barometric pressure is associated with storms and high pressure is associated with fair weather. ...
Sea level atmospheric pressure by latitude11/15/2006
  Q: How does sea level atmospheric pressure vary with latitude? I think it is higher at the equator and ...
  A: In the summer it is higher at the equator but in the winter it is not. Here's confirmation: ...
Hurricane Absurity11/13/2006
  Q: Several years ago a Hurricane went north to Maine then turned south to cross Florida and eventually ...
  A: It is not unusual for a tropical storm to make a loop or even move back aways on its own path. But, ...
How do high and low pressure systems form?11/11/2006
  Q: How are they formed?What causes them to even exist?
  A: The process is too complex for me to describe without the aid of diagrams. The links below should ...
May 5, 200711/10/2006
  Q: I will be getting married on this date and I would like to know what kind of weather should I expect ...
  A: May is a good month weatherwise to get married! However, to be specific that far in advance would ...
Acid rain composition10/25/2006
  Q: I have been wondering if nanotechnogy could help neutralize acid rain in clouds. Do you have any ...
  A: I haven't heard of any role for nanotechnology in rain (or acid rain) modification. However, maybe ...
Reliability of a weather forecast10/24/2006
  Q: What determines the reliability of a weather forecast?
  A: A very good question! Accurate verification is by NOAA observers who measure with accurate ...
HOW TO CALCULATE POUNDS PER SQUAR FOOT10/18/2006
  Q: WHAT IS THE FORMULA,(IF ANY), TO CALCULATE PONDS OF PRESSURE PER SQUARE FOOT WITH A WIND VELOCITY OF ...
  A: I don't know what a "18 14" screen is but I assume it is either a 18 X 14 inch or foot screen over a ...
fire weather10/16/2006
  Q: I am a college student doing a presentation on the weather patterns both causing, and resulting from ...
  A: I'm not aware that the AMS has any special interest in fire weather. However, the following sites ...
Hail with stone centers10/15/2006
  Q: No one has been able to answer this in the last several weeks. What phenomenon could cause hail ...
  A: There are four possibilities which I will list in order of probability: 1. Ice being transported by ...
Why is late spring wettest season?10/15/2006
  Q: why are May and June the wettest months in the Plains and Midwest? If it's due to the clash of warm ...
  A: A quick guess would be that the sub tropical jet is more active in the spring. ...
What is the cause of a lightning stroke?10/14/2006
  Q: what causes lightning to strike between clouds or touch the earth?
  A: A lightning discharge occurs when there is a significant difference of electrical charge between a ...
Hurricane criteria as to strength and naming10/2/2006
  Q: What makes a storm a hurricane and why did they name the one in New Orleans Hurricane Katrina?
  A: A storm is considered a hurricane when the winds in the storm are at least 74 mph and the center of ...
White rain10/1/2006
  Q: A few years ago I was sitting in a car with my windows open watching it rain. Some rain drops came ...
  A: Back in 2002 the only thing that I concluded was that the whiteness showed up after mechanical ...
NHC advisory wind field forecasts9/17/2006
  Q: In NHC advisories on hurricanes, does the distance from the center of the storm that they report ...
  A: The wind field forecasts are based on distance from the center of the eye. The wind forecasts are ...
Climate information for Washington, DC9/14/2006
  Q: Good day to you, I am getting ready to move to Washington DC in November and I wanted to know what ...
  A: A forecast for November, 3 months in advance, would not be reliable. Though, looking at the jet ...
Sun's effect on weather9/14/2006
  Q: My son is doing a 'research' paper on the following criteria: How does the Earth's tilt effect the ...
  A: Sounds like a worthy research project!! The distance from the Earth to the Sun is important because ...
A 30% chance of rain means what??9/12/2006
  Q: Explain "30% Chance of rain". does this mean an area has a 30% chance that it will rain that day ...
  A: NOAA defines as: "Precipitation Probabilities (PoP): It is defined as the likelihood of occurrence ...
a question9/8/2006
  Q: I need to know what the weather forecast was in Daingerfield Texas which is located in Morris County ...
  A: I believe you're looking for what the observations were om March 6, 2006 at Daingerfield TX: ...
Lightning hit on a lake or ocean8/20/2006
  Q: I have often wondered if there can be lightning strikes in the lakes or oceans and what would the ...
  A: Lightning strikes into a water body can kill fish and people- depends upon many variables such as ...
Edgemere PA climatology8/18/2006
  Q: I am trying to determine the annual rainfall amount in inches for Edgemere, a town in Pike County ...
  A: The annual precip (rain & snow) averages around 41 inches: http://tinyurl.com/qboe8 You could try ...
Hurricane intensity rating scale8/14/2006
  Q: During Hurricane Wilma's stint as "the most powerful hurricane in Atlantic history" with a pressure ...
  A: There is a new measuring stick being used to rate hurricane seasons and individual storms; it's ...
Lightning in Hong Kong and lightning safety8/10/2006
  Q: I would like to ask for the Thunderstorm days per year in Hong Kong. Also I would like to ask if ...
  A: The average is about 49 days per year: http://www.hko.gov.hk/cis/statistic/lgday_statistic_e.htm ...
Can you make it rain inside a building?8/8/2006
  Q: Can a person make it rain inside his/her house? Why or why not? Thank you for your help.
  A: To get "rain" you must have several factors at work; one way is the Bergeron process: ...
Cause of seasonal weather patterns8/7/2006
  Q: what could be some reasons for experiencing strabnge weather patterns in los angeles, such as record ...
  A: The cause of seasonal weather patterns are the positioning of the jet stream. So, if the jet stream ...
Weather in Grand Cayman August 4th-12th 20068/3/2006
  Q: My family is traveling to the Cayman's from the US. Are trip is scheduled from Aug.4 - Aug.12. We ...
  A: Tropical storm Chris has been weakening but should impact the Cayman's on the 5th & 6th with showers ...
Weather forecast for a year in advance8/2/2006
  Q: I know this is a long time from now but I am planning a wedding for July 28, 2007. The wedding will ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate forecast beyond a couple of weeks. Your best bet would be ...
Lightning7/29/2006
  Q: what is the record for the most lightening strikes with in hour, and where was it.
  A: I don't believe anyone knows the answer to that question. However, the place with the most lighnting ...
Global Warming as it affects the ocean height7/27/2006
  Q: all the global warming weather people keep mentioning the expansion of the oceans due to heating. I ...
  A: A difficult question(s)! Before I try to figure out the answer let me say that glacial melting ...
drought and global warming7/25/2006
  Q: There is much concern about drought caused by global warming. Wouldn't there be more rain, though, ...
  A: A very good question! The answer is yes and no though. Why? As the evaporation increases, even ...
Green lightning7/24/2006
  Q: Yesterday my roommate and I observed a severe storm with bolts of lightning and also what looked ...
  A: Most likely you were seeing power lines shorting out with the ground as they fell and the flashes ...
weather for August 20077/23/2006
  Q: Hello I am getting married on August 18 2007 I live in Euclid Ohio and are weather is often very ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate forecast beyond a couple of weeks. Your best bet would be ...
weather July 20077/22/2006
  Q: Please give me all Sat. nights for 2007 in July where I will have good weather...I have had a party ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate forecast beyond a couple of weeks. Your best bet would be ...
Where does lightning come from?7/20/2006
  Q: Me and my boyfriend both have different oppinions on where lightening comes from, I say from the ...
  A: You're both right! Different lightning bolts can come from the ground to cloud, cloud to ground or ...
Antarctic peninsular - weather and daylight7/20/2006
  Q: I am writing a screenplay and a part of it is set on the Antarctic Peninsular from November to ...
  A: Here are a few links that should give you a good idea about the weather & climate of the Antarctic: ...
strange lightning7/19/2006
  Q: Last night (1am est) Our town of Eastham, MA was hit by a very strong thunderstorm. 10 minutes into ...
  A: You ask a hard question because many odd things happen when it comes to lightning! I watched the ...
Marine Air and Thunderstorms7/19/2006
  Q: Can marine that invades during a heat wave inhibit thunderstorms?
  A: Marine air is stable air which inhibits and/or diminishes the intensity of thunderstorms. However, ...
heat index7/19/2006
  Q: What is a heat index? what does it indicate?
  A: A heat index is composed of the interaction of temperature and humidity to give a measure of human ...
wedding weather7/18/2006
  Q: You must get alot of these. I am planning on having a wedding in Marblehead, MA- one of the most ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate forecast beyond a couple of weeks. Your best bet would be ...
power of the sun7/18/2006
  Q: On one day it can be 25oC, clear blue sky, no wind. And a week later it can be exactly the same ...
  A: While the conditions at the surface of the earth may be the same the difference is in changes at ...
Is global warming caused by people?7/17/2006
  Q: i was wondering how do we know that the global warming is caused by humans and not a natural earth ...
  A: Here is a link that shows there is global warming: http://tinyurl.com/mewlc and a link that shows ...
Force of wind7/8/2006
  Q: How could I convert wind speed, to show how much force it has, like in newtons? Like if the wind ...
  A: Here is a formula for "Newtons": http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7n.html ...
Does a Northerly wind come from the north?7/8/2006
  Q: My question is this: What does "northerly" mean? Every dictionary I have seen lists two definitions. ...
  A: A "Northerly" winds means a wind from a northerly direction- typically from the north but could be ...
Weather forecast for a year in advance7/6/2006
  Q: What kind of predictions are there for the weather on July 7, 2007 in Baltimore, MD? I have an ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate forecast beyond a couple of weeks. Your best bet would be ...
Traverse City Michigan Climatology information7/4/2006
  Q: Can you tell me what the average number of sunny days for Traverse City is? Also, how many tornado ...
  A: Take a look at the "cloudy day" chart at: http://www.city-data.com/city/Traverse-City-Michigan.html ...
Global warming - is it real? Other questions.6/28/2006
  Q: Do you believe global warming is actually occurring? What do you believe as the top factor ...
  A: A couple of weeks ago I was asked the same question, so I'm copying my answer here: The question of ...
Tropical Storm ocean smell6/28/2006
  Q: I live in central (near Charlotte) NC. Why does the air/rain from a so-called "tropical storm" ...
  A: Since tropical storms/hurricanes form over the ocean, they have their moisture derived from salt ...
How far away does lightning strike & I can still see it?6/27/2006
  Q: How far does ligtening strike? Is it true it can strike up to 10 miles away?
  A: Some types of lightning, such as heat-lightning and sprites can be seen 100's of miles away. Local ...
Weather (Week of 6/25/06) NJ6/24/2006
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, My family and I have slotted a week-long trip to Toms River, NJ (beginning Monday ...
  A: That forecast means that there are chances for afternoon showers or thunderstorms but they will be ...
hurricane season 20076/22/2006
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, My sisters are planning on taking me on a trip next Aug. for my 40th birthday. I ...
  A: A year in advance for hurricane forecasting is too far for accurate forecasting! However, August is ...
Pittsburgh Weather6/14/2006
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, I'm writing for The Pitt News this summer, and the current story I'm working on is ...
  A: All good questions! 1.) Do Pittsburgh's three rivers (Monongahela, Ohio and Allegheny) affect the ...
Hurricane scale6/14/2006
  Q: Do you think that they should add a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson scale?
  A: I think the Saffir-Simpson scale has worked well and people are used to it; so, my answer would be ...
Planning for Engagement Party6/7/2006
  Q: I live in Middle Village, which is in Queens, N.Y. I am planning an engagement party for 01/27/07. ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate one year forecast. Your best bet would be to look at the ...
wedding5/31/2006
  Q: i am planning a wedding for betweenmarch and may of 2007 in portland oregon, i have no clue if i ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate one year forecast. If I knew the city the great! event was ...
cooler at the coast?5/30/2006
  Q: I had a bit of an argument with friends over this: When we were going to the beach over the ...
  A: You're right! Water temperature does not change as fast as seasonal atmospheric temperature. What ...
Rain temperature5/29/2006
  Q: I live in West palm beach, florida. Prior to a sudden, severe thunderstorm this afternoon, the ...
  A: Rain falling from higher elevations is always cooler. It is true that lower elevation temperatures ...
weather for 20075/27/2006
  Q: i am planning a wedding for april 21, 2007, i was wondering if you could tell me the best way to get ...
  A: It is not possible to give an accurate one year forecast. If I knew the city the great! event was ...
seasonal temperatures5/23/2006
  Q: My Son has a weather test this week and they need to know the ranges of temperature for each season. ...
  A: More: Winter – December, January, February Spring – March, April, May Summer – June, July, August ...
hurricanes5/14/2006
  Q: how do they forecast hurricanes?
  A: Meteorologist forecast hurricanes basically the same way they forecast other large scale storms. ...
Wedding Weather!5/11/2006
  Q: My fiance and I are planning to have our wedding on August 11, 2007 outside his parents' home in ...
  A: Over a year in advance is too far in the future for exact weather forecasts. Indiana can have ...
Hurricanes causing early labor?5/6/2006
  Q: What are the real facts surrounding the theory that hurricanes (barometric pressure) can cause early ...
  A: It is true that extreme drops in barometric pressure (atmospheric pressure) can cause early labor, ...
Army Signal Corps weather5/3/2006
  Q: My great grandfather, Thorpe Butolf Jennings (the family called him TB) was dispatched to Kansas ...
  A: One of these links might help: http://www.gordon.army.mil/ocos/Museum/ ...
Doppler5/1/2006
  Q: Well a few weeks back we had a twister just north of my town i was GLUED to my Doppler there was no ...
  A: Probably the tornado was hidden by the strong treturn from the hail. When you say: :How could I ...
global warming4/23/2006
  Q: Mr. Rosenfield, I am a journalism student at SDSU in California. I am writing a story on global ...
  A: A couple of weeks ago I was asked the same question, so I'm copying my answer here along with ...
tornadoes4/9/2006
  Q: Why are tornadoes more common in certain areas of the country like the Midwest?
  A: There is a confluence of factors: Topography (flat land), moisture source (Gulf of Mexico), ...
Global Warming/Cooling Scare4/9/2006
  Q: I've always been leery of the endless media scares, such as bird flu, E Coli/Salmonella etc., which ...
  A: The question of global warming has been settled; there is global warming. The questions not settled ...
air temperature and water temperature...4/6/2006
  Q: does air temperature affect water temperature (temperature of the creek or stream)? od does the ...
  A: Good question! Both affect each other. There is a transfer of warmness/coolness to each body by the ...
lighting4/3/2006
  Q: questions about lighting
  A: I didn't see your question so I'm going to guess: You have 3 questions: 1. How does lightning ...
Weather Report Chance of Rain3/29/2006
  Q: I have heard different answers from different people about what it means when the weather report ...
  A: "A 30% chance of rain" means that a person standing at the location of where the forecast covers ...
2007 forecasts3/27/2006
  Q: Anyone care to take a stab at weather conditions around Destin, Florida the later part of April ...
  A: A forecast of a year is kind of risky!! :) However, take a look at: Temperature: ...
offshore breeze3/23/2006
  Q: can you tell me why the term "offshore" breeze, means a breeze blowing FROM land to sea, whereas ...
  A: The reason is that it is a local wind that is derived from a difference between the land and water ...
air stability3/20/2006
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld: I am interested in learning more about how I can classify air stability using the ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.eglin.af.mil/weather/Pasquills.html ...
Tornado's3/19/2006
  Q: My question is this: If i were to live on a rock bluff approx. 250 ft. above the next lower level ...
  A: A tornado is water vapor and dust with winds that are very strong (150 mph or more) and when it hits ...
high pressure vs low pressure3/19/2006
  Q: My 10 year old son is doing a project about the weather. What is present during heavy snow falls, ...
  A: Low pressure; high pressure is associated with fair weather. For more, see: ...
precipitation3/9/2006
  Q: is there any relationship between the amount of precipitation and air temperature? does air ...
  A: Well, with snow, 1" of rain would be about 10" of snow at 32 F but at 20 degrees you'd get around ...
weather history3/1/2006
  Q: i'm doing a university project on the spanish armada and need info on specific meterological ...
  A: More info: http://tinyurl.com/gxg97 http://tinyurl.com/gxg97 ...
Weather2/26/2006
  Q: Why do we have weather?
  A: Well, the earth has an atmosphere, a sun shining into it, oceans and land to provide differential ...
tornadoes2/19/2006
  Q: I need to ask an expert how tornadoes start. It is for my science fair experiment at school. It is ...
  A: Tornadoes form in unstable air and from a pre-existing thunderstorm- most of the time associated ...
Why is it so windy in SF?2/14/2006
  Q: Has it always been windy in San Francisco?
  A: Any location that is next to the ocean tends to have average higher wind speeds compared to inland ...
meteorologist2/13/2006
  Q: what are meteorologists and what tools do they use to predict the weather
  A: Meteorologists are weather people who try to predict what the atmosphere will do at time and ...
Northern lights2/12/2006
  Q: Strictly speaking a travel query rather than a meteorology one, but I can't find a travel expert who ...
  A: See if these links help: http://www.spacew.com/www/aurora.php http://www.auroraborealisyukon.com/ ...
meteorology2/8/2006
  Q: You hear a weather forecast in the middle of the summer that predicts a warm front moving in. Do you ...
  A: Depends upon what part of the country you're in; however, generally a warm frontal passage means ...
Weather Predictions2/8/2006
  Q: How does a meteorologist determine that there is a "percent" chance of precipitation? (i.e. 70% ...
  A: Basically, there are two ways: The most common is that the Meteorologist bases his probability ...
meteorolgy2/6/2006
  Q: What is a result of high and low pressure activity? Needle lik snowflakes are called------ where ...
  A: High pressure bring fair weather and low pressure brings stormy weather. ...
weather movement2/4/2006
  Q: i ve heard that weather cant move east to west i live in ohio and i was wondering if it was possible ...
  A: Generally speaking the weather systems move from west to east or some variation of same. But, there ...
Freezing level2/2/2006
  Q: I live in Oregon and I am an avid snowboarder. I look at weather everyday and am wondering the ...
  A: The "free air freezing level" is the elevation at which the temperature of the air is below 32 ...
Yankee Clippers/nor'easters1/25/2006
  Q: I'm sure I've heard the term "Yankee Clipper" used in reference to storm systems (snow/cold) that ...
  A: A Yankee Clipper refers to a ship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Clipper A northeaster is a ...
Wind Velocity1/25/2006
  Q: Hey Donald, I was wondering what factors affect the velocity of wind. I am a university student, ...
  A: Temperature and or orographical differences for local winds and pressure gradient for all others. ...
Jet Stream1/19/2006
  Q: Rosenfeld, Thank you for fielding my amateur weather buff question. We are having a warm winter ...
  A: Lot's of people are bored by this winter- you're in good company! The jetstream is the cause and ...
eye of hurricane1/19/2006
  Q: I understand that in the eye of a hurricane the airflow is down rather than up as it is in the ...
  A: A very good question! The wall of the eye (eyewall) has greater upward motion of air and the net ...
Wind force1/12/2006
  Q: What is the force in psi of a 60 mph wind?
  A: Based on the chart at: http://www.noahs-ark-anchors.com/content/wind.htm it looks like at 60 mph ...
lake noises1/11/2006
  Q: Last night we were walking past our 1 hectare lake in central France. it has been frozen for some ...
  A: Probably due to contraction because of the surface change of temperature from day to night. For ...
weather term1/10/2006
  Q: I am supposed to look up the amount of precipitation per day for school. I keep getting the term "T ...
  A: "T" means a trace of precipitation and "in" means inches and "cm" means centimeters. For more, see: ...
Lightning1/6/2006
  Q: I am doing a science project on lightning. Can you recommend sites. How does lightning work?
  A: Lightning happens when there is a difference of electrical charge between cloud and ground or cloud ...
Hurricane Activity1/4/2006
  Q: Sir: According to the experts for the next five or ten years we are suppose to be in a climatic ...
  A: Most of the current predictions are based on warmer sea temperatures. Other reasons are the cycles ...
out of season tropical storms1/2/2006
  Q: Tropical Storm Zeta formed on December 30. Now that it is 2006, if another tropical storm forms in ...
  A: A very good question. The 2005 hurricane season ended November 30th and the new one starts on June ...
Evaporation12/30/2005
  Q: Rosenfeld, Hi, i'm working on a chemistry project and one of the requirements was to ask an expert ...
  A: The experts at Allexperts are not supposed to do homework for a questioner. With that in mind, let ...
frost12/29/2005
  Q: What causes the frost on a car's windshield on freezing mornings? Why does frost not occur when a ...
  A: A car windshield is separated from the car by a band of rubber glue. This allows the window itself ...
science12/19/2005
  Q: 1.Why were weather forecasters so important during the drought and wildfire season in Florida in ...
  A: what grade level would you like me to revise the answer to?? Hi Amanda Weather forecasters were ...
direct anthropogenic thermal pollution12/18/2005
  Q: This is my second submission of basically the same question. The answer I received from you or ...
  A: The best answer that I can give is through a link and that is an inferential answer. This link was ...
weather and storms12/17/2005
  Q: What is the difference between a Tornado, Hurricane, Whirlwind and a Typhoon? I have had so many ...
  A: A hurricane and a typhoon are the same except that the hurricane is in the Atlantic and the typhoon ...
ancient weather12/17/2005
  Q: I have heard that during the time of dinosaurs, the earth rotated more quickly causing a shorter ...
  A: See if these links help: Earth rotation: http://deschutes.gso.uri.edu/~rutherfo/milankovitch.html ...
fronts12/13/2005
  Q: last spring the set up was this, a slow moving cold front was in the middle of michigan moving ...
  A: The quickness of the wind shift is directly proportional to the pressure gradient (the rate of ...
New Zealand Nor'wester12/11/2005
  Q: I'm currently on a sabbatical in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the biggest weather-related ...
  A: Downslope winds bring warmer temperatures; take a look at: ...
Weather11/16/2005
  Q: Explain the process by which weather forecasters know what the weather will be like.
  A: Weather forecasters use tools like: http://www.weathercontest.com/forecast.html They learned about ...
weather11/7/2005
  Q: What insturments are used in forecasting the temperature and what weather factors influence the ...
  A: Measuring temperature is done with a thermometer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermometer As to ...
Lightning11/2/2005
  Q: What are the odds of a person getting struck by lightning? Or, how many people in the United ...
  A: Don't know about poker, but these links will help you with the lightning questions: ...
Hurricanes!10/26/2005
  Q: What are scientists doing to prevent hurricanes from reaching land? if you are unable to answer this ...
  A: Not much because it seems impossible to alter the course of hurricanes; take a look at: ...
electrical charge10/24/2005
  Q: Donald, Thank you for that list. It was interesting seeing that others have had the same ...
  A: I would think that low clouds would be indicative of higher humidity at ground level. I would agree ...
Hurricanes and "what's inside"10/22/2005
  Q: Donald- I'm a little embarrassed to ask this question, but I really don't know. I live in ...
  A: Hurricanes contain salt water when they are over water because of the wind creating salt ocean ...
electrical charge10/20/2005
  Q: Donald, I appreciate that you are pursuing this. I'm sorry if this answer gives more detail than ...
  A: See if these links help; if not, let me know: http://tinyurl.com/b4yf2 http://tinyurl.com/cdtml ...
Lightning and Thunder10/17/2005
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld: In August I was driving through the Mojave desert when I encountered the most ...
  A: There are two causes for no thunder with close lightning strikes; the first is very heavy rainfall ...
Lightning& thunder10/11/2005
  Q: What are all the different forms of lightning?
  A: There is cloud to ground, ground to cloud, cloud to cloud, and cloud to space (sprites). Heat ...
IR atmospheric windows10/2/2005
  Q: I have recently learnt somethings about IR atmospheric windows. I know that they are named J, H, K, ...
  A: "The near-IR bands (J, H, K, L, M, N, Q) are not named mnemonically, but almost alphabetically ...
hurricanes9/19/2005
  Q: whats the max winds a hurricane can strengthin to?
  A: Further thought: Typhoon Paka (1997) had winds of around 240 mph so I think the upper limit would ...
Hurricane Katrina9/19/2005
  Q: my name is Gina. I attend Lees Summit West High School and I am doing a project on Hurricane ...
  A: *How come the levees were only built for a category 3 hurricane? The local and state government ...
Hurricanes, storms, etc9/14/2005
  Q: With the recent Katrina tragedy, my friends and I have been thinking about hurricanes and typhoons ...
  A: A typhoon is the same as a hurricane except it occurs in the Pacific. A tropical storm is a weaker ...
Cat 4 or 5 Hurricane hitting Central fla.9/13/2005
  Q: Would like to know since I live in Central fla,, what would happen to us if a catagory 4 or 5 hit ...
  A: Since Florida is basically flat, there would be little reduction of windspeed inland. The biggest ...
Questions about hurricanes9/9/2005
  Q: My name is Max Brown. I am sophomore at Lee's Summit West High School and we are doing an I-Search ...
  A: 1. How do hurricanes get started? In tropical areas, thunderstorms some times develop into low ...
Storm Surge9/5/2005
  Q: Donald: How far inland did the Storm Surge from Katrina go? And how far inland would there be ...
  A: I haven't heard any one say exactly how far the surge went inland. These links may give you some ...
Hurricanes8/31/2005
  Q: Since a hurricane requires water temperature of >80 degrees Farenheit, if the water temperature ...
  A: A breakwall wouldn't do the trick- Why? Because a lot of the energy/warm water comes from beneather ...
Why do storms have low pressure?8/31/2005
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld - Why do thunderstorms and hurricanes have low air pressure? I know storms are formed ...
  A: Thunderstorms typically have normal air pressure. An exception would be a tornado which does have ...
probability of precipitation8/27/2005
  Q: What does it mean when a forecaster predicts x% chance of rain?
  A: A 40 % chance of rain means that at the spot you're at, for the exact atmospheric ...
Terminology7/5/2005
  Q: I have some questions that have been bugging me... 1. What's the difference between "partly cloudy" ...
  A: Mostly sunny has very few clouds but partly cloudy means a greater amount of clouds. Isolated is ...
Sounds of high flying jets6/15/2005
  Q: Don't know if you can answer this. At first glance the question doesn't seem to have much to do with ...
  A: "Jet engines create noise in two different ways. As a plane is flying towards someone, the air ...
Warm and cold fronts6/15/2005
  Q: I have heard the term high pressure systems and low pressure systems, and I have also heard the term ...
  A: Here are the different fronts: cold, warm, stationary and occluded. Take a look at: ...
El Nino Followup6/14/2005
  Q: I answered two of them, but the third one I still couldn't find any answers too: What effects do ...
  A: Both influence the temperature of the upper ocean surface which is paramount to El Nino/ La Nina ...
El Nino6/9/2005
  Q: I am doing a high school project on El Nino and La Nina. I was wondering about a few things: Are El ...
  A: Here are some links to help you but if you still have questions, ask again: ...
climate of new york city6/5/2005
  Q: I am trying to find out what affects the rainfall patterns in new york (e.g. convectional, cyclonic ...
  A: Basically, the ocean and northeasters have the biggest effect on the amount of rainfall that New ...
Coreolis effect5/21/2005
  Q: I have asked several people, including meterologists in town and have yet to receive a satisfactory ...
  A: The jet stream, whichj moves from west to east in the northern hemisphere is the governing force in ...
Recent Polarized Sunlight5/13/2005
  Q: I and some acquaintences have recently noticed that around sunrise and sunset sunlight seems to be ...
  A: You may be seeing a "sun pillar". Take a look at: http://tinyurl.com/93sbl ...
hurricane frances5/6/2005
  Q: i need a picture of hurricane frances over the state of fl and any info you feel i could use in my ...
  A: Try: http://tinyurl.com/c52fe http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/newpage/frances/satellite_lg.jpg ...
Hurricane Ivan and Grand Cayman4/27/2005
  Q: I was on Grand Cayman during the storm and was hoping to find the reason behind this surge. The ...
  A: Ivan was a very intense hurricane cat 4 and Gilbert was a cat 3 when they passed the Grand Cayman. ...
Hurricane Ivan and Grand Cayman4/27/2005
  Q: I wanted to know if there were any factors that may have increased the intesity and height of the ...
  A: Looks like the storm surge was about 8 feet. For more, see: ...
salt particles on air?4/20/2005
  Q: how salt particles located on air (above sea)? which parameters are related with salt amount on ...
  A: Salt particles get into the air via evaporation of sea water in the oceans and through wind ...
Daily temperatures in India4/13/2005
  Q: Where on the Internet can I get daily temperatures of various Indian cities ? I would like to make a ...
  A: Go to: http://www.wunderground.com/global/IN.html and pick a city on the left side of the pqage. ...
Frontogenesis Isotherm and Streamline4/13/2005
  Q: If isotherm lines be relatively in perpendicular with respect to streamlines who can possible to ...
  A: Here are two good links for confluence/diffluence: ...
Tornados/Hurricanes4/12/2005
  Q: my name is Brandon and I attend St. john Nepomuk school in Racine, WI. I am in 7th grade. In our ...
  A: Well, first, NOAA (the weather bureau) does not name tornadoes. As to the alphabet, they don't ...
aurora4/12/2005
  Q: my name is Kyle and I attend St. John Nepomuk School in Racine Wisconsin. In our comnputer class we ...
  A: Very good question! Solar flares from the sun send electrons that interact with the magnetic field ...
lightning3/25/2005
  Q: does lightning strike from the sky down? or does lightning strike from the ground up?
  A: The answer is both and more. There is cloud to ground, ground to cloud, cloud to cloud, and cloud ...
tropical cyclone names3/22/2005
  Q: I have information from the noaa, but I want to know how these names are chosen. The web addresses ...
  A: The WMOO, World Meteorological Organization, is in charge of the naming process; some areas are ...
elevated thunderstorms3/21/2005
  Q: if elevated thunderstorms downdrafts do not rach the surface because of their high bases , then why ...
  A: Depends upon the strength of the down drafts. Shelf clouds (bow echos) indicate a more intense ...
cumulonimbus clouds3/19/2005
  Q: all info about Cb clouds important for aviation,in tropical regions only.THANKS
  A: The single two most important things about cumulonimbus clouds are that they are associated with ...
Clouds3/18/2005
  Q: It might seem like a simple one, but it has caused a few constructive arguements at the office. My ...
  A: A very good question. The answer is that they are both the same except one is higher than the ...
weather3/16/2005
  Q: How do interactions of air, water and land create earth's weather?
  A: All are part of the process of weather; air houses weather, water provides the moisture for clouds ...
The Weather3/14/2005
  Q: I go to Merrimack College in North Andover, MA and I am an elementary education minor. For a ...
  A: A goodI think the simple answer is that there is a mix of components in the atmosphere that needs to ...
Rainbows3/14/2005
  Q: Why do we see the colors of the rainbow that we do?
  A: Light is refracted when it passes through water droplets, that causes rainbows. For more, see: ...
Days without Sun in A Sunbelt State3/1/2005
  Q: I once read that Oklahoma has 300 or more days of cloudless sunshiney days per year, but I can't ...
  A: All of the four url's refer to or include Oklahoma; take a look at: ...
Ice Storm2/28/2005
  Q: I'm wondering about the ice storm that happened in 1998 in Quebec. It seems that no one was really ...
  A: I've heard of no changes in engineering standards. The forecasting isn't a problem and wasn't the ...
hurricans and cyclones2/27/2005
  Q: are cyclones and hurricans the samething
  A: Depend upon what part of the world your in! Cyclones and hurricanes are both low pressure areas but ...
Climate change2/17/2005
  Q: I remember reading somewhere that the present phase of global warming has not yet reached that which ...
  A: I think that is true, but, the bigger question is what is causing Global warming and whether man's ...
hurricans and cyclones2/15/2005
  Q: are cyclones and hurricans the same thing
  A: Depend upon what part of the world your in! Cyclones and hurricanes are both low pressure areas but ...
snowflakes2/12/2005
  Q: ive been told that no 2 snowflakes are alike...is that true and if it is true....how in the world ...
  A: It is true in that no two have been found to be exactly the same. But, never, is a long time! ...
Shade Temperatures2/3/2005
  Q: Donald, Thanks for your answer to Gina regarding temps in shade/direct sun, I found this ...
  A: Looking back at Gina's question (immediately below) Name:gina Subject: weather Date: August 1, ...
Tornadoes2/2/2005
  Q: Ryan, a student in my gifted and talented group, is doing an independent "investigation" of ...
  A: A tornado will pick up everything except a very large office building. However, the tornado is ...
Atmospheric pressure/water pressure2/1/2005
  Q: I am in 4th grade and doing the science fair. I want to know if atmospheric pressure affects water ...
  A: Water has force depending upon what is pushing it. Hi Glenn Well, the weight of air is 14.7 lbs ...
Meteorologist science fair project1/23/2005
  Q: I need help better understanding how to read my homemade barometer. I'm using a ruler how do I ...
  A: You could get the barometric pressure for your town by going to: http://www.wunderground.com/ and ...
Anemometer1/18/2005
  Q: I have seen various sites on the internet that talk about making a homemade anemometer using a ping ...
  A: I'm unable to answer this: but, I'd guess that you'd need to know the weight of the ball plus the ...
Find high / low temperatures for my town1/14/2005
  Q: Do you know of a place where I can find high / low temperature data for my area (Elyria, Ohio) for a ...
  A: Try: http://www.wunderground.com/US/OH/Elyria.html and scroll down the page to: "Detailed History ...
thunder and Lightning1/14/2005
  Q: Hello my name is Michael Smith I'm a student at Elmira Free Academy in Elmira New York. I'm doing a ...
  A: I'm a private meteorologist so my answers may be atypical. My first question is what made your job ...
warm air aloft/ what is the most snow ever recorded in an hour?1/9/2005
  Q: Good Evening Mr. Rosenfeld Those of us who are snowlovers hate nothing more than a nice snow ...
  A: I've seen sleet in the teens. Freezing rain into the upper 20s. I've seen 5" a hour in one or two ...
east coast winterstorms/cyclogenesis1/9/2005
  Q: Good Evening Mr. Rosenfeld I have an avid interest in meteorology with a very specific interest ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.ametsoc.org/pubs/books/index.html The two books that you should get ...
Tornado Destruction12/18/2004
  Q: What makes tornadoes so destructive? What kinds of destruction do tornadoes cause? How much ...
  A: Tornadoes are destructive because of very high winds- 100 to 350 miles per hour! The destruction is ...
snow question12/5/2004
  Q: I was born in 1969. I live in Connecticut and have so since I was born. Over the past 35 years or so ...
  A: Sometimes older people remember snow depths as being higher "way back" because they were younger and ...
Rainbows12/1/2004
  Q: What are the chances of seeing a rainbow everytime it rains?
  A: Depends upon several issues: Viewing location Sun location Rain shield position Rain shield ...
weather maps11/21/2004
  Q: what is on weather maps?
  A: Weather maps show temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed plus storm and fronts; for more, ...
Rain in Deserts11/14/2004
  Q: Okay, well I must apologize. As I sent this to you I realized it was Walter that gave us that ...
  A: Deserts are located where there is very little rainfall. Distribution of rainfall is governed by ...
rain11/4/2004
  Q: My question is, how does a barometer corilate with rain. Is ther a scale that can be used if a ...
  A: Take a look at: http://www.medfordclock.com/bfacts.html http://www.medfordclock.com/bfaq.html#3 I ...
Weather in the mountains10/17/2004
  Q: can you tell me why high mountains are always covered in snow and very cold- seeing as they are the ...
  A: It's the same reason that with winter temperatures snow stays around- COLD!! With respect to ...
Coriolis and altitude effect on wind direction at low latitudes10/6/2004
  Q: How many degrees might one expect surface winds to back (due to coriolis effect) at a position of 1 ...
  A: At a given location you'd have no effect from the Coriolis Effect. It is only significant over large ...
Wind Direction10/6/2004
  Q: Can you send me picture of the way wind direction is determined with a aneometer.Like Wsw were onthe ...
  A: The "wsw" is located at 8pm on a clock. The trick to understanding the reported/forecasted wind ...
Hi Donald, Every year I read...9/27/2004
  Q: Every year I read that the southeast US has hurricanes. Yet the news makes it sound like this type ...
  A: More hurricanes in Florida. The cause? The steering currents aloft along with a blocking high ...
Hurricanes...9/25/2004
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld: Why do just about all hurricanes tend to have a "left to right" hook in their ...
  A: Hurricanes start out moving from east to west and then tend to move in a more northerly direction ...
milobars9/7/2004
  Q: now I see that inches of Mercury and milobars are basically different ways of saying the same ...
  A: Well the formula to convert millibars to inches is: MB X 0.0295 = inches of mercury ...
milobars9/7/2004
  Q: I would like to know what exactly are the reasons or purposes of the different levels of milobar ...
  A: Well, millibars, hectopascals, and inches of mercury are all ways to express what the atmosphere ...
hurricanes9/5/2004
  Q: My wife and I are discussing the following question, "When a hurricane passes over water does it ...
  A: The hurricane does cause sea water to get into the lower atmosphere due to the strong winds taking ...
Pittsburgh summer weather8/31/2004
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld: I'm a studnet at the University of Pittsburgh and am writing an article for one of ...
  A: The summer precip was enhanced by a more active and lower latitude jet stream that normally resides ...
barometer8/16/2004
  Q: When making a backyard barometer with my kids - jar, ballon and straw. I explained that when the ...
  A: If you read through all below it should give you the insight you'll need. If it doesn't, let me know ...
Weather8/9/2004
  Q: I was wondering if you could help me answer any of the following questions for a GS badge. ...
  A: a.)Scientifically, what makes a "bad hair day"? High humidity b.)What happens if the jet stream ...
aurora borealis7/27/2004
  Q: I hope you're living the good life. My name is Willis and I usually go by "Toik". I used the All ...
  A: Must be an upside down mirage caused by an inversion. For more, see: ...
weather7/23/2004
  Q: Why is it so humid in summer in the Washington D.C. area and so dry in the forests in the western ...
  A: It basically has to do with average wind direction in those areas by season. Washington is affected ...
Maine weather in October7/20/2004
  Q: I am writing a children's book which is set partially in Maine (Bar Habor area, made-up town), and ...
  A: For the climate info, you can get a fairly good idea using: ...
thunder and lightning7/11/2004
  Q: Donald, i am from england and have recently moved to minneapolis and have a few questions about the ...
  A: I think the difference bewteen England and Minneapolis is the general air mass stability- England's ...
LCL and Surface Pressure6/23/2004
  Q: I am very fascinated in meteorology and I have been studying it privately as a hobby for a few years ...
  A: Question 1: They (NOAA) send up a radiosonde and the curve is derived by observation; however ...
Barometric Pressure6/6/2004
  Q: I hope everything is going okay for you, and that you are in good health. My name is Joe, and, I ...
  A: To correctly use your new aneroid barometer you need to adjust it to sea level pressure; to ...
low barometric pressure6/6/2004
  Q: Why does barometric pressure fall before rain/precipitation. Doesn't moist air weigh more than dry ...
  A: Sometin=mes the pressure stays the same or even rises. Generally speaking though, rain ...
thermometer6/5/2004
  Q: I was wondering why there is a difference in in temperture in a dry bulb thermometer and wet blub ...
  A: The dry bulb temperature is the air temperature. The wet bulb temperature is the temperature that ...
how weather affects radio wave transmissions6/2/2004
  Q: I am a reporter with The Dallas Morning News. I am based in Cuba and filed a story today on Cubans' ...
  A: Sometimes temperature inversions can act as a high television antenna to propagate tv signals ...
Tornados5/31/2004
  Q: Does the amount of forestation in an area - specifically Washington State - have any effect on the ...
  A: Forestation tends to reduce thermal updrafts do to a reduction in differential heating which ...
clouds and raining5/30/2004
  Q: An area of clouds can obviously contain large amounts of water to give off rain for days. How much ...
  A: A cloud is constantly changing with new moisture coming in and moisture either falling out or ...
fog5/29/2004
  Q: I'm trying to explain how fog forms to a 9 year old. We've done some reading on the subject and some ...
  A: Take a look at: http://tinyurl.com/2fltg http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/calc/humidity.html ...
rainbows5/28/2004
  Q: Just askin' My mom called me and told me to get my son (2 1/2 yrs old) and look out the window to ...
  A: The horizon at sea level is about 3 miles- but, the rain bow extends above so you should be able to ...
Rainbows5/25/2004
  Q: We get lots of rainbows here in Dannevirke, New Zealand. I recall someone from America saying that ...
  A: America has a normal distribution of rainbows. It is usual to have rainbows in all countries. It is ...
ice atmosphere5/14/2004
  Q: Is it possible for a solid ice layer to form in the atmosphere? I think i read one time that one of ...
  A: Solid ice could not form because gravity would make it fall prior to be a "skating" rink. Hail does ...
tornado5/9/2004
  Q: 1. could tornados possibly fall from the sky because of polar forces? the same that cause lightnig, ...
  A: Those forces would not be strong enough to cause a tornado. #2: Electrons exist in the atmosphere; ...
Lightening5/8/2004
  Q: When I was a small child, about 1941/42, my sister and I were walking down a remote country road. ...
  A: First, it was probably ball lightning. Ball lightning is more random on hit pattern. Regular ...
weather conditions ina valley4/29/2004
  Q: I'm writing a children's picturebook (fiction)and it takes place in a valley at the base of a large ...
  A: I guess I should give you some more info to try to make this mountain effect clearer; take a look ...
jet stream4/26/2004
  Q: how does the jet stream affect weather locally, regionally, and nationally?
  A: The jet stream brings or keeps away storms and or big changes of temperature. For more, see: ...
Weather4/25/2004
  Q: I live in Chicago, just several blocks from Lake Michigan. If its about 40 Degrees where I am, why ...
  A: The lake acts as a warm source in the winter and a cool one in the summer. The 40 degrees in the ...
smell of the sea inland4/20/2004
  Q: I live in south west Scotland, about 40 miles inland. In January I was walking in a conifer forest, ...
  A: What happened was that the precipitation was formed from moisture that was captured over the ocean ...
Barometric Pressure4/14/2004
  Q: I am pulling some archived weather information up for a local city and noticed that there is a large ...
  A: It could be observer error, barometer error, adjustment error, or, more likely, a difference in ...
Weather forcasting 50 years from now4/13/2004
  Q: If you could look into your crystal ball and tell me what the distant future holds for forcasting ...
  A: With satellite and computer and model improvements, weather forecasting will become extremely ...
Becoming A Meteorologist4/11/2004
  Q: Rosenfield, I am 13 years old and in the 7th grade. Pursuing meteorology is my goal. To become a ...
  A: First, do well in school because all courses are important. Math and science are most important as ...
hurricanes3/31/2004
  Q: How can hurricanes cool down the earth? Thanks alot i was readin an article about them cooling down ...
  A: Hurricanes over the ocean cause "upwelling" which brings ccooler sub surface ocean water to the ...
weather3/30/2004
  Q: How is a tornado similar and different then a hurricane? How bad are sandstorms compared to ...
  A: Tornadoes are small scale compared to hurricanes. They both have low barometric pressure and strong ...
weather forecast and sunset question3/7/2004
  Q: Mr. Rosenfeld, Harry, I plan on proposing to my girlfriend in the coming week. She loves sunsets, ...
  A: Forecast for New York City March 11th 6pm: Partly Cloudy, temps near 50, winds light (under 15 mph) ...
Studying Meteorology2/21/2004
  Q: I have a B.S. in Mathematics, and am very interested in studying meteorology. I am having a bit of ...
  A: When you say "New York area", what does that mean in miles? My guess is you would not need more ...
beach1/28/2004
  Q: I live near Los Angeles, typical suburban neighborhood. I don't get to the beach very often and ...
  A: In some beach areas it is true most of the time except in cases of a new airmass moving in with ...
Equator weather1/19/2004
  Q: I have been searching the internet -- but I was unable to come up with a lot of information about ...
  A: It is possible to snow near the equator...and it DOES!! (up high elevations). Take a look at: ...
weather1/4/2004
  Q: How does barometric pressure affect our health (eg. sinus pressure, etc.)?
  A: The weight of air, by varying, does cause changes in our sinuses. Take a look at: ...
Hurricanes11/11/2003
  Q: Rosenfield, Hi. My name is Charles and I live in Bergenfield, NJ, which is 10 miles west of New York ...
  A: I think it's a great idea and I wish you well!! Take a look at: ...
Global Warming10/25/2003
  Q: My daughter is doing a report on "Global Warming and it's Effect on Storms Intensity and Frequency". ...
  A: Sounds like a nice project! Take a look at: ...
WeatherBug8/28/2003
  Q: I downloaded weatherbug on my computer, and i was wondering how accurate it was. thanks! megan
  A: Well, that's a hard question; local observations are only as accurate as the equipment used and ...
Front Tracking8/22/2003
  Q: I am a high school student preparing to do a "science fair" (Virginia Junior Academy of Science, to ...
  A: Let me suggest that the better approach would be to track the low pressure areas because you would ...
barometric pressure8/18/2003
  Q: I know were not gods, but is there a way to raise the barometric pressure in a home. IS there some ...
  A: It is true that sciatica can be affected by low barometric air pressure. Instead of trying to ...
lightening strikes8/11/2003
  Q: I am having a dissagreement with my girlfriend regarding lightening strikes!? She says there are 2 ...
  A: She says there are 2 different types of lightening strikes called sheet and fork: There are cloud ...
weather8/1/2003
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  A: It's taken in the shade. If it wasn't, the sunlight would cause a false reading. The air in the ...
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