I've been a broadcast meteorologist on television since the early 1990's. Happy to answer any questions about the weather or local TV news. Yes, I often wear sneakers on set just out of view of the camera.
There is a strong low pressure area to your east. Mother Nature likes for things to be in balance. Think of low pressure as a valley, high pressure as a hill. She is moving air from the hill to fill the valley. The bigger the hill, the deeper the valley, the faster the air moves to fix the imbalance and the stronger the wind blows. Great question, thanks.
Hi, Keith. Lightning is looking to relieve the difference between a positive and negative charge in the atmosphere. In order to do that it looks for the path of least resistance and often looks for several paths to do it in a given strike, that is why it often looks forked. The first path that makes the connection between positive and negative wins and that part of the channel is usually brightest. Specific to your question, could the spinning air have some effect on the channel? Maybe a small bit. If you are suggesting something you might see in a Marvel movie...I's say no. :) Thanks.
Great question! Not that I know of. The delay in hearing thunder is because light travels faster than sound. The lightning causes the air to heat and expand rapidly and that shockwave is the thunder. The visible flash gets to you faster. If you were standing right next to the bolt (not recommended) you would see and hear at the same time. Thanks!
Hi, Dylan. Water can be seen in the atmosphere in three states. Solid, liquid and gas. When water vapor (the gas) cools, visible liquid drops form by condensation. Think of putting ice in glass of water. Liquid water drops form on the outside because the air around the glass cools. Fog is drops of liquid water (there can be freezing fog too) that form on small particles in the air called condensation nuclei. An easier way to think about fog is a cloud in contact with the ground.
Pharmacist
Have you ever given someone the wrong prescription?Poet
Does being a professional poet pay the bills?Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
How often do people wake up during surgery?A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico can easily make to the central plains of the United States. Usually it would have been downgraded from a hurricane before leaving Texas but the remnants can stay well organized and touch much the eastern half of the country.
I think that is mostly perception, Billie. Great question. Tornadoes that hit cities will drive more news coverage and attention. Also, relative to a region, for example, a city is relatively small. I regularly drive the highways of Oklahoma and Texas and there is a lot of empty space in between cities. Region of the country matters as well. New York City is a relatively large area in a region that has fewer tornadoes. Dallas/Fort Worth is a large area in an area that sees more tornadoes, the odds of the city are higher because of the greater frequency of tornadoes in that part of the country. There really isn't any research I know of that points to cities being more or less likely to be hit relative to the atmosphere. If you really want to dive into some data you can visit this website. Thanks! https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology
Interesting question. I must admit atmospheric composition beyond the basics is a little out of my area. There is some evidence to suggest that lightning increases nitrogen. Thanks!
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