Meteorology

Gustnadoes, Dust Devils, Fire whirls, Steam Devils, & Waterspouts

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This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Tornadoes

Gustnadoes, Dust Devils, Fire whirls, Steam Devils, & Waterspouts  Most people are familiar with traditional tornadoes, the funnels spawned from supercell thunderstorms that pack the world’s highest wind speeds and can devastate homes or towns. But one type of swirl wasn’t enough for a planet as magnificent and varied as Earth. Vertical vortices come in […]

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The Fujita Scale

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This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Tornadoes

The Fujita Scale The highest wind speeds on Earth come from tornadoes. Needless to say, things that cause the highest wind speeds can produce massive amounts of damage to human-created infrastructure and natural surroundings. Though we have made progress in tornado science over the past century, much about the mechanisms and materializations of the storms remains

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Tornadoes

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This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Tornadoes

Tornadoes One of Earth’s most recognizable natural forms is the funnel of a tornado. The tornado’s form is the mountain silhouette of meteorology, inspiring simultaneous awe and terror. Their sinewy, gorgeous stovepipes demand our attention while filling us with fearful dashes of the unknown. A tornado in Manitoba in 2007 – photo by Justin1569 Also called

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The Omega Block

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The Omega Block Earth produced some unusual weather and atmospheric phenomena for the Midwest and Eastern United States during the middle and late spring of 2023. As the temperatures rose with lengthening daylight, many people near The Mountains Are Calling headquarters in Central Ohio noticed something odd in the air. Though many Ohioans partake in the universal

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Arcus Clouds

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Arcus Clouds   The second full week of June produced some extreme weather across the United States. Yellowstone National Park endured a 200-500 year flooding event that swept away homes in the overfull rivers and might keep the area closed to visitors for months. A heat dome covered much of the country, producing triple-digit Fahrenheit temperatures. And that heat

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Derechos

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Derechos I think most people are familiar with tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards, all storms associated with ferocious winds. But there is another menacing monster out there in the clouds, beyond these familiar storms, called a derecho. The term comes from the Spanish word for “straight” or “direct.” Unlike the swirling winds of a tornado, a derecho

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