Tag Archives: thunderstorms

Wildfires can create their own weather conditions, including thunderstorms and tornado-like fire vortices – here’s how one atmospheric scientist explains it

Wildfires, fire vortices, towering thunderstorms: When fires grow large and hot enough, they can create their own weather conditions. In such extreme fire situations, the usual methods used by firefighters to directly control the fire do not work and the wildfires rage out of control. So how can a fire create weather? I’m an atmospheric… Read More »

What do meteorologists look for when looking for early signs of a tropical cyclone forming?

When tropical meteorologists examine satellite imagery, they often notice telltale cloud formations that are a sign of something much worse. The first signs of a potential hurricane can be detected days before the storm gains momentum. Thin cirrus clouds spreading outward, the appearance of slanting banded low-level clouds, and a drop in atmospheric pressure are… Read More »

As the climate warms, hailstones could become larger, leading to higher insurance costs

Barb Berlin was standing in the garage of her farmhouse in Inman, Nebraska, when she suddenly heard a knocking, cracking sound. “I thought it was a gun,” he said. Then a white line came. He realized the sound was not a gunshot but a hail of hail. One fist-sized hailstone had hit the tin roof… Read More »

What do meteorologists look for when looking for early signs of a tropical cyclone forming?

When tropical meteorologists examine satellite imagery, they often notice telltale cloud formations that are a sign of something much worse. The first signs of a potential hurricane can be detected days before the storm gains momentum. Thin cirrus clouds spreading outward, the appearance of slanting banded low-level clouds, and a drop in atmospheric pressure are… Read More »

Wildfires can create their own weather conditions and spread the flames further – an atmospheric scientist explains how

Wildfires, fire vortices, towering thunderstorms: When fires grow large and hot enough, they can create their own weather conditions. In these extreme fire situations, firefighters’ usual methods of direct fire control fail, and wildfires rage out of control. Firefighters saw many of these risks in the massive Park Fire that burned near Chico, California, in… Read More »