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Meteorology Physical Science Measurements Hydrology

05/14/19

Is there a database of global rainfall time series?

Is there any institute out there collecting time series data of precipitation, and making them accessible online? I need data for a few different locations, but: * Low spatial resolution is fine.... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Planetary Science Atmospheric Dust

05/12/19

Will dust storms be more frequent in the future?

I noticed that in some science fiction movies set in the future on Earth, like Wall-E and Interstellar, dust storms are very prominent. Are there any scientific hypotheses suggesting that dust... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Ocean Geophysics

05/09/19

Are there water molecules in the oceans which will almost never fall down as rain?

Some oceans are very deep. But is there also current (convection) deep in the ocean so that all water molecules will ones be evaporated and fall down as rain or is it very quite at the bottom so... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Weather Forecasting Rainfall

05/09/19

If it rains harder, does it mean the rain's duration will be shorter?

If it rains real hard, is there a chance the rain's duration will be shorter? I think the if the rain in the clouds disperses with such force the rain will be over faster than if it was just a... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Terminology

05/06/19

Equinoxes and solstices: start of the season or mid-season?

In the United States, the upcoming autumnal equinox is marked on most calendars as the "first day of autumn." Similarly the solstices are commonly called the "first day of summer" and "first day of... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Snow Precipitation

04/27/19

Transfer precipitation forecast in mm to expected snowfall in cm?

What conversion functions exist to transfer precipitation forecast in mm to expected snowfall in cm? Simple rules of thumbs as well as more advanced methods would be of interest.

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Meteorology Physical Science Temperature

04/22/19

July/August hottest months (northern hemisphere): because of continued warming or other effects?

In the northern hemisphere, July and August are the hottest months statistically<sup>1</sup>, but the days start shortening after June 21st. Is this just because the Northern... more

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Meteorology Physical Science

04/21/19

Why are hail storms always brief?

It can rain all day, and it can snow for hours on end, but hail always seems to fall for short periods only. Why don't you get prolonged periods of hail?

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Meteorology Physical Science Weather Snow

04/20/19

What constitutes a blizzard in meterological terms?

Blizzards are most commonly associated with a large amount of snowfall and low visibility. However, snow squalls can induce low visibility whereas a 12" snowfall doesn't have to induce low... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Temperature Clouds

04/12/19

Are cloudy nights warmer than nights without clouds?

I have noticed this winter that nights without clouds (especially when the 12h before the night where not cloudy) were way colder than the cloudy ones. It makes sense to me because the clouds can... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Fluid Dynamics Dynamics

03/27/19

Why does Coriolis determine the rotation direction of a cyclone but not my drain?

It is a common misconception that Coriolis is responsible for the direction the water swirls down a toilet, tub or sink drain. E.g. does a toilet flush the other way in the southern hemisphere? (If... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Rainfall Humidity

03/27/19

At what humidity does it start to rain?

As far as I understand it is perfectly valid for air to have 100% humidity. At that point, all water can still exist in form of vapor, non-condensed. **Does it immediately start to rain if... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Electromagnetism Convection

03/19/19

What causes 'positive' lightning to be rarer, higher charged, and longer lasting than 'negative' lightning?

Why is 'positive' lightning rarer, brighter, higher charged, and longer lasting than 'negative' lightning? Are there any other unique characteristics to positive lightning that sets it apart from... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Atmospheric Circulation Climatology

03/18/19

Why are deserts mostly located on the western side of continents?

I read somewhere in a book that mostly desert found in the western part of a continent. So my question is that why is it so? I searched on the internet but I didn't get a reasonable answer for that.

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Meteorology Physical Science Mountains Precipitation

03/15/19

Why One Side of Mountain Range is Lush?

I'm new to this site and certainly not someone with any real background in atmospheric science, so please forgive me if this question is a little stupid. I recall learning in High School about... more

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Meteorology Statistics Physical Science Weather

03/14/19

What do weather forecasters mean when they say "50% chance of rain"?

What do weather forecasters mean when they say "50% chance of rain"? Even more confusing: weather report often says something like "30% chance of rain. >10mm", then the next day "70% chance of... more

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Meteorology Physical Science Climate Atmosphere

03/14/19

How to tell if a single day of weather is an anomaly or due to climate change?

I am interested in understanding how to tell if a single day of 'abnormal' weather is due to climate change or not. From my understanding, you would compare this day's weather to historical... more

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Meteorology Temperature Kilometers Celcius

05/13/15

determine the temperature of a rising parcel of air at 1km intervals from 0 to 7km altitude

this is about the environmental lapse rate for my meteorology class.

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