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Climate & Weather
Atmospheric sciences help us understand and predict the weather. Learn about topics such as the seasons, why it snows, and how rainbows are formed.
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What Are Santa Ana Winds?
These annual winds blow during Southern California's dangerous dry season, whipping up wildfires that can ravage thousands of acres.
How (and Why) Hurricanes Get Their Names
You probably recognize these right off the bat: Andrew, Katrina, Sandy and now Dorian. But when and why did we start giving hurricanes names?
Monsoons Bring Rain and More Rain
Monsoons are a regularly occurring seasonal climate feature in the tropics, where a contrast between land and ocean temperatures causes shifting winds and brings heavy rainfall.
HowStuffWorks Illustrated: Hurricane Categories
Hurricanes can range in strength from Category 1 all the way to Category 5. Learn more about hurricane categories in this HowStuffWorks Illustrated video.
Is It Dangerous to Bathe During a Thunderstorm?
There's nothing quite as relaxing as a nice bubble bath at the end of the day. However, take one during a thunderstorm and you may have a shocking experience instead.
How Do Spaghetti Models Predict a Hurricane's Path?
Spaghetti models are a way of visualizing data from many different hurricane models to predict a storm's probable path.
Why Does the U.S. Use Fahrenheit Instead of Celsius?
While most of the rest of the world has switched to Celsius, the U.S. continues to use the Fahrenheit temperature scale, apparently out of simple inertia.
If Rainbows Are Circular, Why Do We Only See Arches?
The simple explanation is you have to be in just the right spot and the conditions have to be perfect for you to see the entire 360 degrees.
Sun's Twisted Magnetism Can Create Wonky Auroras
Auroras are one of the best parts about living on a planet with a global magnetic field. And they still puzzle space weather experts.
What's a Polar Vortex?
Whenever a winter is exceptionally cold, the term "polar vortex" gets thrown around, causing many to wonder if it is a new weather phenomenon. Actually, the polar vortex is always with us – just usually with a lower profile.
Why Is Salt Used to Melt Ice on the Roads in Winter?
Rock salt is the go-to for melting ice on the roadways. But why?
'Rainbow Lightning': One of Mother Nature's Rare Shows
You may never see it happen live, but if you do, consider yourself lucky. Because this meteorological phenomenon doesn't happen very often.
Greenland Crater First Ever Found Beneath Glacial Ice Sheet
This ice-age asteroid crater isn't just the first of its kind. It may also be the smoking gun about what triggered the Younger Dryas, one of the most well-known examples of abrupt climate change.
Why Ice Usually Freezes Cloudy, Not Clear
Ice cubes usually look cloudy and opaque in the middle, despite the fact that water is clear. What's the deal?
Ice Crystals Cause Beautiful Noctilucent Clouds
Noctilucent clouds form at high altitudes when drifting particles become coated with ice crystals at low temperatures.
Storm Surge, Not Wind, Is the Deadliest Part of a Hurricane
Most people probably think high winds are the deadliest aspect of a hurricane. But they'd be wrong. It's the wall of water brought on by storm surge that barrels on shore taking out everything in its path.
Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?
It's sometimes easy to confuse the two, but weather and climate are very different things.
Why Hurricane Florence's Storm Surge Could Be So Deadly
Even though Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a Category 2, the storm could still unleash an historic amount of rain.
Battle Epic: When Hurricanes Clash With Volcanoes
Hurricane Hector is barreling toward the erupting volcano Kilauea. What could possibly be worse?
Did Africa Just Record Its Hottest Temperature Ever?
Scorching-high temps seem to be the norm this summer. So what does this kind of heat do to your body?
Meteotsunamis: How Winds Can Generate Catastrophic Waves
Tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on the ocean's floor. But other massive waves are caused by wind and can come on suddenly and without warning.
Earth Hits 400 Straight Months of Hot
The evidence is clear: Human activities — like the burning of fossil fuels — are the main driving force behind modern climate change.
Scorching Heat in Pakistan May Have Set a World Record
The mercury soared to over 122 degrees Fahrenheit in Nawkwabash, Pakistan. It could be the highest April temp ever recorded on the planet.
Scientists Predict Record-breaking 2018 Hurricane Season
Scientists across the globe attempt to forecast upcoming hurricane seasons in the Atlantic. But how — and are they right?
Climate Change Threatens the Moai of Easter Island
The danger to the iconic statues is now greater than ever due to erosion and higher-energy wave action caused by climate change.
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