What determines if snow, sleet, or rain will form?

simulate the formation of snow, sleet, and freezing rain

Explore the type of precipitation Set the air and dew point temperatures by dragging the anchor points and learn what type of precipitation will fall to the ground. Each time you release the mouse button, the simulation starts. Note: Temperature is shown in degrees Celsius. To see the corresponding temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, check out … Read more

What is Cold Air Damming (the Wedge)?

Cold-air damming (CAD), often called “the wedge” in the Southeast, is an interesting meteorological feature that can result in tricky forecasts for meteorologists. Topography plays a major role in CAD events, and you need a mountainous range for this feature to develop. While CAD can occur in the Rockies, it is predominant east of the … Read more

Weather Myths: Too Warm for the Snow to Stick?

Before I begin this piece, I want to present a challenge.  The following chart shows the actual high and low temperatures for a full month in Atlanta, Georgia. *A condensed version of this writeup was also featured in the Douglas County Sentinel. Challenge: Can you spot the day with a historic snowstorm? During this particular … Read more

Difference Between Single vs. Multiple Lake Effect Snow Bands

Radar image showing both single and multiple snow bands.

In an earlier article, we discussed the dynamics and thermodynamics of lake effect snow. In this post, we discuss the meteorological differences between single-band and multiple-band lake-effect snow events.  Keep in mind that all lake-effect snow events are fueled by moisture and latent heat flux from the relatively warm lake water; these fluxes are already … Read more