Why Do Clouds Form Over Mountains?
“Why is there a cloud around the top of Mt. McLoughlin when there are no other clouds in the sky?” Rylan Morgan Logos Charter School Mountains cause what’s called Orographic Lifting, which means air...
View ArticleHow Far Ahead Can You See the Weather?
“Up to how far ahead can you see what the weather will look like?” Kyle Page Eagle Ridge High School We look at weather models to forecast the weather days in advance and there are many different...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Rain vs. Snow
How is it cold and rainy? Shouldn’t it be snowing? Ashley Falleur Rogue River The four main types of winter precipitation are rain, snow and the “in betweens” or sleet and freezing rain. The type...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Mountain Impacts
How are the mountain ranges a factor in the type of weather you may have in a region? Adam Bickel Central Point The mountains have a tremendous impact on the type of weather a distinct area sees. A...
View ArticleWhat is Adiabatic Cooling?
“What is adiabatic cooling and how does it impact the weather in our region?” Gary Jones Medford There are two types of adiabatic cooling: dry and wet. Dry adiabatic cooling is when a rising air...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist
At what temperature can you see your breath? Kathy Childers Medford We all know that on a cold morning when you’re outside facing the elements, when exhaling your breath “shows.” In actuality, your...
View ArticleWhat Causes Thunderstorms?
What causes a thunderstorm? How does it form? Linda Clark Ashland High School Thunderstorms need three things to form: moisture, instability and lift. Instability forms from daytime heating of the...
View ArticleDoppler Radar vs. Traditional Radar
“What is Doppler Radar? How is it different from regular Radar?” Tyler Norman-Steed North Medford High School Radar stands for Radio Detection and Ranging and is used to locate precipitation and...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Rain Shadows
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST Why doesn’t Southern Oregon get a lot of snow? Torie White Washington Elementary The Rogue Valley, and Medford specifically, sits at a low elevation amongst many mountains. The...
View ArticleHow Do Clouds Form?
“How can cirrus and other clouds form without a storm coming?” Tracy England Grants Pass Cirrus clouds are the highest clouds and are made of ice crystals and tend to form 24-hours before a change in...
View ArticleHow do you Forecast a Week Ahead?
“How do you predict the weather forecast that is a week ahead?” Alex Lopez Eagle Point Middle School Forecasting the weather is like deciding what you’re going to wear in the morning. You look outside...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: The Jetstream
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST Which is the greater influence on the positioning of weather systems — the jetstream or weather systems? Chris Stoney, Rogue River The jetstream is the main weather phenomena...
View ArticleHow Do You Forecast Fog?
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST “Is foggy weather predictable like other conditions such as morning fog is expected till 10am the next 5 days?” Rocky Anderson SOU Fog is actually more difficult to forecast than...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist – Precipitation
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST “Why does the precipitation change?” Toralie White Washington Elementary All precipitation falls as snow from the high very cold elevations where the clouds form and the...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Coastal Climates
Ask the Meteorologist Why are the high and low temperatures around Brookings always about the same? Matthew Grigsby, RCC The main influence on coastal climates is the body of water that borders them....
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist – Isobar/Isotherm
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST “What is the difference between ‘isobar’ and ‘isotherm’ and how do they interact?” Ken Trout Talent Isobars are lines of equal pressure while isotherms are lines of equal...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Chances for Rain
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST Explain what it means when there is a 20% or a 50% chance of precipitation. Mary Ann McCoy, Grants Pass When meteorologists are calling for a chance of rain, snow or whatever...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist: Flash Flooding
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST How can one inch of rain cause flooding? Meredith Langley, Medford The simple answer to this question is just rain falling at a fast rate. Typically, we see this with...
View ArticleAsk the Meteorologist – Climate Change
ASK THE METEOROLOGIST “How is global warming affecting the Earth?” Ryan Lewis Patrick Elementary Gold Hill Looking back at the changes between the 1930-1980 (50 years) period and 1981-2010 (29 years)...
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