Know the Lingo:

Here are a few summer weather definitions.

Why do leaves change color?

During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the food necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange to red pigments as well. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring. But in the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange to red colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. The best time to enjoy the autumn color would be on a clear, dry, and cool day.

Why do we have more sunlight in the summer than in the winter?

You might not have noticed this, but the Earth tilts over slightly. If you have a globe at home or in school, you can see that the line between north and south poles, that goes through the center of the Earth, isn't vertical. It's actually tilting over by about 23 degrees. In our summer, the north pole is pointing towards the Sun so the Sun rises and sets roughly from due east to due west. In winter, the Earth is on the other side of the Sun so the North Pole is pointing away from the Sun. This means the Sun rises and sets more towards the southeast and southwest. You might notice this as you look out of the window. Think back to how high in the sky the sun was during the summer. Compare this to where the sun is during the winter and you'll see it's much lower down towards the horizon. Because the sun is lower down on the horizon, there's less time for it to travel between horizons. There's less distance for it to travel so the sun rises later and sets earlier meaning there's less daylight.

When does the hurricane season end?

The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30.

What is frost?

Frost is white ice crystals that form on a surface, like the ground or leaves of a plant. Frost is created when the air temperature drops below freezing and the water vapor in the air freezes into ice crystals.

Why can you see your breath when its cold outside?

Your breath is reasonably warm and humid and it has invisible water vapor as a large component of the gas. Warm moist air meeting the cooler air outside the body causes the invisible water vapor to condense the cooler air outside are visible and form the cloud that you see. The relative humidity which depends upon water content and temperature goes to 100%. As the breath gets further from the person's face the water content dilutes and the relative humidity goes down and the droplets go back into vapor form.

Weather Jokes

What does a cloud wear under his raincoat?

Thunderwear!

What did one lightning bolt say to the other lightning bolt?

You're shocking!

Summer Review

In late June 2013, an intense heat wave struck the Southwestern United States. Various places in Southern California reached up to 122 °F. On June 30, Death Valley, California hit 129.2 °F, which is the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth during the month of June. It was five degrees shy of the highest temperature recorded in Death Valley, which was 134 °F, recorded in July 1913.

Colorado Flooding: After days of heavy rain, massive flooding stranded hundreds of residents in Colorado. Colorado's heavily populated Front Range received more than 15 inches of rain in September. That's about half the amount of precipitation that normally falls in the foothills near Boulder during an entire year. Floodwaters cascaded downstream from the Colorado Rockies, spilling normally scenic mountain rivers and creeks over their banks and forcing thousands more evacuations in water-logged communities beset by days of steady rain. The relentless rush of water from higher ground turned whole towns into muddy swamps and threatened to strand hikers and some rural residents. In at least one community, pressure from the descending water caused sewer grates to erupt into huge black geysers.

Hurricane Season Review: From June-August 2013, the Atlantic Hurricane Season was quiet, but its starting to heat up in September. Stay tuned...

Fall Precip Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above normal precipitation across parts of the Midwest, Plains and Northwest.

Fall Temp Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above normal temperatures across the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Southwest.

2012-2013 Winter Outlook

NOAA's official Winter Forecast won't come out until October, but here's what The Farmers Almanac is saying: Residents of the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast may want to start stocking up on warm weather gear, snow shovels, and salt right now! The Farmers’ Almanac is calling for a “bitterly cold” winter for much of the region. Southern New England, Southeast New York, New Jersey, and down through the Mid-Atlantic region will be seeing either copious rains and/or snows. The South is forecast to see chilly and wet conditions, while the Northwest will be chilly and dry.

The Farmers Almanac Winter 2013

The Farmers Almanac is already naming Super Bowl XLVIII the “Storm Bowl.” The decision to make MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands home for the Super Bowl was a controversial one. Critics say cold could make for an uncomfortable fan experience and a storm could be a nightmare for travelers. In early February, cold snaps and snowstorms are common in the region.

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