Most of us have heard about El Nino, but some people have no idea what it means or what it does to our weather. I vividly remember the El Nino weather effects of 1997-1998 -- the event brought storms, record rainfall, and warmth across much of the contiguous United States. During the El Nino event of 2015-2016, record-warm weather blanketed the eastern half of the U.S. while the western regions saw rain and snow, with a reversal of that pattern taking shape for the latter part of the … [Read more...]
Why Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) Are So Important
If you're like many, sea surface temperatures may not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking about weather. However, sea surface temperatures are one of the most important elements to consider when talking about the weather. Why? Because sea surface temperatures (SSTs, for shorthand) play a vital role in controlling the kind of weather that we experience. Did you know that SSTs can even be a driving force behind such weather phenomena as hurricanes and winter … [Read more...]
El Nino To Blame For Above-Average Winter Rain And Snow
All that winter rain and snow we've been having around much of the country isn't going away anytime soon. It's all part of the El Nino winter pattern we've been hearing a lot about, and it's supposed to be sticking around for the rest of the winter.El Nino winters happen every so often. When they do occur, they usually bring parts of the country above-average rain and snow. Some regions are a little warmer than average while other areas are a little colder than typical -- but that varies from El … [Read more...]
Tornado Safety Tips For Winter Nighttime Tornadoes — Among The Deadliest Known!
Yes, tornadoes can happen in winter -- and the proof is in the pudding with all the National Weather Service (NWS) tornado warnings that have occurred during the winter months lately. Be very wary of the risk of tornadoes in winter or at night! In preparation for winter tornadoes and nighttime tornadoes, it's time to get serious and put the following tornado safety tips into practice. Did You Know That?... Tornadoes can occur at any time and anywhere if the … [Read more...]
El Nino And Its Effects On Global Weather Patterns
You may have heard a lot about El Nino this year. What is El Nino? How does it play a role in our weather? And how will El Nino affect you? El Nino, which is Spanish for "the little boy" or "the Christ child," refers to a type of weather pattern which occurs in some years and usually peaks during the winter months of the northern hemisphere. This weather pattern involves interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. The results of an El Nino are … [Read more...]
Weather-Related Halloween Costumes You Can Make Yourself
If there's a weatherman in your family (or a weatherman-wannabee), then it will be pretty easy to come up with some unique weather-related costume ideas. For the rest of us who need a little extra help, try brainstorming some costume ideas along these lines: hurricane flood mother nature global warming earth day hail clouds weatherman tsunami rain snow mother earth blizzard lightning wind stormy weather tornado snowman Would you like to see some ideas … [Read more...]
