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High & Low Pressure Circulation
“Why do low pressure and high pressure rotate in opposite directions?” Dave Wilson Central Point Because the sun heats the earth’s surface unevenly it causes air to expand and contract at different...
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What is a “Sneaker Wave?”
What is a sneaker wave? MaryAnn McCoy Grants Pass A sneaker wave is a large wave that typically appears out of nowhere along coastal sections. They form from very strong storms that develop along the...
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Dan’s Ask the Meteorologist
How do tornadoes happen? Khiari Nina Highland Elementary School Most tornadoes form along cold fronts with a clashing of a cold dry airmass into a warm, moist airmass. You also need wind shear with...
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Why Are Hurricanes Named?
“Why do they name hurricanes? Is it just for news or for science purposes?” Andrew Daugherty Yreka High School Hurricanes are named by the National Hurricane Center which is part of NOAA. Names are...
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What is the Chetco Effect?
“How does the ‘Chetco Effect’ work?” Danielle Fachet SOU The Chetco Effect is a term to define the phenomenon in which dry adiabatic heating increases the temperature of an air mass as it descends the...
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How Long to Flood a Community?
“How many day sof rain would it take to cause a community to flood?” Rocky Anderson SOU Flooding can occur any time of the year and can take hours to days to flood a community. In November of 2012 an...
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How Does the Moon Affect the Tides?
How or why does the phase of the moon affect the tides? Dave...
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How Do Thunderstorms Form?
“What makes a thunderstorm?” Dorion Corson Griffin Creek Thunderstorms need three things to form: moisture, instability and lift. Instability forms from daytime heating of the earth’s surface heating...
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When Does It Start To Get Hot?
“I would like to know at what month does it start to get really hot?” Elizabeth Vara SOU Looking at historical climate data from cities in our region the average temperatures for the hottest months...
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Do Meteorologists Study Space Weather?
I know meteorologists study weather on Earth, but do you also study weather on other planets? Natalie Crandall...
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Why Doesn’t Oregon Get Hurricanes?
“Why doesn’t the Oregon coast get hurricanes like the east coast?” Alexis Waites Hillside Elementary School A hurricane needs three things to form: sea surface temperatures of 79 degrees or warmer,...
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Ask the Meteorologist: Lightning
Lightning is an electric discharge, or electric current, in our atmosphere that forms from opposite charges within thunderstorm clouds. These clouds, otherwise known as cumulonimbus clouds, are made...
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Ask the Meteorologist: Thunderstorms
How can you tell if there will be a thunderstorm before hearing any thunder? Nadine Clark Ashland Middle School There are three things that meteorologists need present in the atmosphere in order for...
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How Does An Inversion Trap Smoke?
“How does an inverions trap low clouds, fog, pollutants…and now smoke?” Mike Ottenweller Medford An inversion is a reversal in normal conditions with warm air below cooler air rather than the typical...
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How Long Will Air Quality Be Poor?
Aric Adams Mae Richardson “Since we’ve had ‘Unhealthy’ air quality, how long would it take to get back to normal?” With smoke in the region air quality all depends on where that smoke is. If winds...
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What Types of Clouds are There?
“What are the different types of clouds and what elevations are they at?” Cody Allsop St. John’s Elementary School There are ten major cloud types: High: Cirrus, Cirrostratus, and Cirrocumulus....
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How do Thunderstorms Form?
“How is thunder and lightning produced in cumulonimbus clouds?” Because I love thunderstorms and want to be a storm chaser someday!!” Natalie Crandall New Hope Christian School Thunderstorms need...
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What is an Anvil Cloud?
“What is an anvil cloud?” Kirsten Reed Hedrick Middle School An anvil cloud forms from a strong updraft with enough moisture to form a cloud that builds to the tropopause. The layer of the atmosphere...
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Why Does it Rain or Snow?
“Why does it rain or snow?” Alexis Waites Hillside Elementary School When clouds have enough moisture they can produce precipitation and because the upper levels of the atmosphere where clouds form...
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