How far away from a thunderstorm can lightning strike?

While injury from lightning strikes has increased since 1940, fatalities have decreased dramatically. In fact, lightning deaths have become exceedingly rare relative to other weather phenomena, but they still occur. The most dangerous lightning strikes are those that occur when our guard is down; lightning strikes from a sky that appears to be clear and … Read more

Snow to Liquid Equivalent and Associated Forecasting Pitfalls

The snow-to-liquid equivalent is the amount of liquid precipitation that is produced after melting snow. The temperature profile of the troposphere and the surface temperature are important factors that determine this value. The “average” snow-to-liquid ratio is 10:1. This is saying that if 10 inches of snow fell and that snow was melted it would … Read more

Convert Knots to MPH – Wind Speed Unit Calculator

With this simple unit conversion tool, you can quickly convert any wind speed from an initial unit (miles per hour, feet per second, meters per second, knots, and kilometers per hour) to all other units listed. This is very helpful when you quickly need to see what one measure equates to in other units. Jump … Read more

What is the Difference Between a Hurricane and a Typhoon?

A hurricane is the exact same meteorological phenomenon as a typhoon. The difference is simply a function of the storm’s location relative to the International Date Line (180ºW).  A “hurricane” west of the International Date Line (IDL) is called a typhoon.  The term is believed to have its origins in Sinitic, one of the Chinese … Read more