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Southwest Florida typically goes through a springtime period in which brush and grassland fire danger soars. This is due to a prolonged dry season, warmer temperatures, and periods with lower dew point temperatures. These fires, while not caused by lightning, can be generated by a prescribed burn that goes awry,
Read DetailsWhile February was quite mild and wet across much of the eastern U.S. (except south Florida which was warm and dry), March has taken a turn for the colder [thanks to three “nor’easters” (so-called due to their location, strength, and impact)] and associated strong cold fronts that reach well to
Read DetailsThe clock was ticking yesterday, figuratively and literally, as I finalized this article. The first Pi Day event had taken place some twelve hours earlier (3:14:15 a.m. on 3/14); the second occurred this past evening. With such a special day in progress, I made sure to get around to do
Read DetailsWe’ve all seen images with the sun’s rays shining through a forest, streaking through clouds in religious artwork, and gracing a child’s drawing of the Sun. These are known as crepuscular rays. They are most often seen at twilight (as the sun is rising or setting), but can be seen
Read DetailsHow many of you have seen “Groundhog Day – The Movie?” How many of you have seen it over and over again? How many of you have picked up on the myriad of meteorological and other flaws that the movie contains? Well, my wife and I have been viewing the
Read DetailsApologies to my readers. In my haste to publish this pre-Christmas, I inadvertently omitted the all-important figures. They’ve now been included (1/2/18). It’s time to kiss the autumnal warmth of the past few weeks across the Central U.S. goodbye, as arctic air arrives in the U.S. with a vengeance. For
Read DetailsMatt Bolton (my intern graduate and now professional colleague) and I have been discussing, for years, public understanding of weather. The discussion grew out of our hurricane and other research efforts, pre-college-level weather camp programs, and interactions with social scientists at professional weather conferences. Matt, now a senior at St.
Read DetailsTemperatures and dew points across southwest Florida finally dipped below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (F), yesterday morning (Oct. 25, 2017); this is a sure sign that the area has finally entered the autumn season. The last 70-degree temperature reading at Naples Municipal Airport (call sign APF), that did not involve cooler
Read DetailsWhile the remnants of hurricanes occasionally affect the British Isles, Hurricane Ophelia is going to be much stronger than the average United Kingdom (U.K.) storm. As of early this Sunday morning, Ophelia, still a category 2 hurricane (Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale), was forecast to become extra-tropical before land-falling in Ireland on
Read DetailsHurricane Nate is nearing peak intensity (strong Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 miles per hour) as it races toward landfall on the Mississippi-Alabama coast tonight (Fig. 1). However, with the strongest winds and the greatest push of water toward the coast on its eastern flank, places from
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