All assets associated with the tag: ask the meteorologist
Every hurricane has its own unique characteristics, but each storm shares some similarities as well. Let's take a moment and break down the anatomy of a hurricane.
Kat Campbell, WRAL meteorologist
We asked WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell how to build your own weather station.
Kat Campbell, WRAL meteorologist, and Jessica Patrick, WRAL senior multiplatform producer
Falls and Jordan lakes are owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Each of those reservoirs has a target lake level - the level that will produce the least amount of erosion to the lake shore.
Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist
Jellyfish clouds: Have you ever seen clouds in the sky with swooping "tails" that look like jellyfish? We asked WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth.
WRAL staff
While the direct impact on broader weather patterns is generally minimal, certain materials or particles can serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, enhancing the formation of fog or clouds and potentially influencing precipitation within those cloud systems.
Various cloud types consist of either tiny ice crystals, a combination of ice crystals and liquid droplets, or solely water droplets.
Stratus clouds typically form in the lower atmosphere, while cirrus clouds develop at higher altitudes.
When on the side opposite the sun, the cloud appears dark due to limited light penetration, creating darkness beneath the storm.
The presence of atmospheric conditions devoid of recent rain but with vibrant colors and an arch may explain the occurrence of a rainbow-like phenomenon.
There are a number of weather phenomena that can create the appearance of a ring around the sun.
WRAL Severe Weather Center
To ensure accurate precipitation measurements, the NWS has established guidelines for measuring and reporting snow and sleet totals and converting them into liquid equivalents.
Whether you're planning your day, tracking weather patterns, or just curious about historical rainfall data, knowing where to find reliable information is essential.
Fog is essentially a cloud on contact with the ground.
On a calm night, rapid cooling occurs as outgoing radiant energy dominates without interference from above. However, if clear skies give way to clouds after significant ground cooling, the dynamics shift.
Tiny cloud droplets typically stay suspended in the air because they fall at a speed equal to or lower than the rising air.
This past week brought multiple storms, with downed trees, flooding and even tornado warnings. These kinds of storms aren't common in the middle of January - and according to an old legend, hearing thunder in winter means snow will surely follow within 7-10 days.
A double rainbow occurs when sunlight is both internally and externally reflected within raindrops in the atmosphere.
A fogbow occurs when sunlight interacts with tiny water droplets in the air, which produces a bow-like arc that is usually white or pale.
"Dual pol," short for dual polarization, describes the WRAL Dual Doppler radar, which "sees" in two dimensions, allowing us to distinguish between types of precipitation in the air.
Partly cloudy and partly sunny are pretty much the same thing, according to the National Weather Service.
The term "Northern Lights" commonly refers to the natural phenomenon known as the Aurora Borealis.
The color of lightning is influenced by several factors, including the composition of the atmosphere and the specific gases and particles present.
Following a rainstorm, clouds dissipate as the water droplets that formed them either evaporate or fall as precipitation, returning to the Earth's surface.
Weather stations, whether manual or automatic, are the unsung heroes of meteorology. Through a blend of scientific principles and technological innovations, they provide us with real-time weather information that impacts our daily lives.
On TV and online, our team of meteorologists often reference a threat for severe weather on a scale of 1 through 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
