skew-t

Nerdin' It Up: How to Find Instability by Hand on a SKEW-T Chart

Dennis Mersereau · 05/22/15 04:56PM

Today’s the Friday before a three-day weekend, and just about everyone is checked-out until the day after Memorial Day. Since it’s just you and me around these parts, how about we get our nerd on while nobody’s looking? By popular request, here’s an explainer on how to analyze instability a SKEW-T chart by hand.

Why Is Sleet? How the Atmosphere Turns Snow into an Icy, Frozen Hell

Dennis Mersereau · 02/17/15 04:07PM

With temperatures as low as 15°F, it seems unusual that parts of the south saw sleet and freezing rain instead of snow on Monday. Wintry precipitation isn't always determined by the temperature at the ground. Here's an explainer on how sleet and freezing rain can turn a beautiful snowfall into an icy death match.

Explainer: Atmospheric Instability Measured through CAPE and Caps

Dennis Mersereau · 04/25/14 10:30AM

There's a lot of talk about a potentially major tornado outbreak across parts of the Plains states this weekend, with tornadoes possible from Texas to Nebraska on both Saturday and Sunday. There's a good chance that the hype is just that — hype. But there is also a chance that the hype is warranted.