Weather Whys Podcast Episode 8 – Weather vs. Climate – What’s the Difference?

The Weather Whys Podcast
The Weather Whys Podcast
Weather Whys Podcast Episode 8 - Weather vs. Climate - What's the Difference?
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[00:00:00] Welcome to another episode of The Weather Whys podcast, where we answer the whys and whats of weather. I’m your host, Ed Oswald, and today, we’re unraveling the often misunderstood difference between weather and climate, if you’re a weather enthusiast, or just curious about our planet, this episode is for you.

[00:00:16] Thanks for joining us. So, what is weather? In simple terms, weather refers to the short term atmospheric conditions we experience on a day to day basis. Think about the temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility you encounter every time you step outside.

[00:00:35] Weather is highly variable, and can change from sunny to stormy in a matter of minutes.

[00:00:41] Climate represents the long term patterns of weather in a particular area. When we talk about climate, that’s the average conditions and trends over decades, even centuries. For instance, the National Weather Service averages temperature and precipitation records over 30 year periods to determine the climate normals for a location.

[00:00:57] Time is a key difference between weather and climate. Weather is all about the short term, minutes to weeks. It’s the rainstorm that ruins your picnic, or the heatwave that has everyone flocking to the beach.

[00:01:08] Climate, however, is the long term picture, encompassing years to millennia. It’s the gradual shift in seasonal patterns, or the stable average temperatures you can expect over decades.

[00:01:19] Weather is also variable. One day it’s sunny and people are outside enjoying it. The next day it rains.

[00:01:26] On the other hand, climate is relatively stable and changes slowly over long periods. We measure weather with instruments like weather stations and satellites. Climate is analyzed using historical data, climate models, and long term trends to understand the patterns.

[00:01:40] That’s still pretty technical, so let’s look at some real world examples. Weather is what you experience when a thunderstorm rolls through. It’s immediate, it’s tangible, and it directly affects your daily life. Should you carry an umbrella, wear a jacket, or reschedule that outdoor event?

[00:01:57] Now, consider a Mediterranean climate.

[00:01:58] It’s characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This climate pattern influences everything from the types of crops grown to the architecture of homes designed to stay cool in the heat.

[00:02:09] Understanding these patterns helps us plan for agriculture, manage water resources, and adapt to seasonal changes.

[00:02:15] Understanding weather is crucial for our daily lives. It helps us plan our activities, stay safe during extreme events, and make informed decisions based on short term forecasts. On the flip side, understanding climate is vital for long term planning.

[00:02:29] It impacts our agriculture, conservation efforts, and policy making. In the context of global issues like climate change, grasping the difference between weather and climate is essential. It helps us appreciate the urgency of sustainable practices and the need for informed environmental policies.

[00:02:44] One question you may have is if weather isn’t climate, then how does climate change affect weather?

[00:02:51] It’s important to remember in this context that a changing climate also means changing weather patterns. Climate change doesn’t just make a strong hurricane even stronger, but leads to long term changes in all kinds of weather.

[00:03:04] Often we focus on the most extreme weather events as evidence, but there’s proof of it in everyday weather.

[00:03:09] For example, research has shown that heavy rainfall events have become more common, and nighttime temperatures are trending warmer. Those long term changes in how the climate operates trickles down into individual weather events.

[00:03:21] We hope our explanation of these two often confused terms, helped you understand the difference. But that’s all the time we have for today’s topic. Check our show notes for more resources to learn more.

[00:03:32] Before we go, we wanted to quickly remind everyone that Prime Day is coming up. If you’re looking for a home weather station, this is a great time to pick one up. Be sure to follow us at the Weather Station Experts. That’s all one word on YouTube, Pinterest and TikTok on Instagram and now Threads. We’re at weather station experts. We’ll be on YouTube and TikTok frequently, so be sure to follow so you don’t miss any of the deals.

[00:03:56] We’ll also have a special episode of the WeatherWise podcast the Friday before Prime Day.

[00:04:01] Prime Day has just been announced as July 16th and 17th, so that episode will

[00:04:05] be on Friday, July 12th. You can visit our deals pagee using the short link. W x l dot i n k forward slash w w prime day all one word.

[00:04:17] We’ll include that link in the show notes. Thanks for joining us.

[00:04:22] Weather Whys is a production of the Weather Station Experts and the Weather Whys Company. Today’s episode was produced by Derek Oswald and myself from our studios here in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. If you’d like to learn more about Weather Whys, please visit our website at weatherwhys that’s W H Y S dot show.

[00:04:41] Our website has links to this episode and past episodes.

[00:04:44] We’d also love to hear from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We may respond to your comments in a future podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Again, thanks for listening, and as always, stay weather wise.

In this episode of The Weather Whys podcast, host Ed Oswald explains the often misunderstood differences between weather and climate. Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions that change frequently, while climate represents long-term patterns over decades or centuries. Ed highlights how weather impacts daily life and how climate influences long-term planning and global issues like climate change.

Key Points

  • 00:00 Introduction to The Weather Whys Podcast
  • 00:22 Defining Weather: The Short-Term Atmospheric Conditions
  • 00:41 Understanding Climate: The Long-Term Weather Patterns
  • 00:58 Key Differences Between Weather and Climate
  • 01:41 Real-World Examples of Weather and Climate
  • 02:15 The Importance of Understanding Weather and Climate
  • 02:44 Climate Change and Its Impact on Weather
  • 03:22 Conclusion and Additional Resources
  • 03:33 Prime Day Announcement and Special Episode
  • 04:20 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Weather Whys Podcast Episode 7: How Changes in Earth’s Orbit Affects Our Climate

The Weather Whys Podcast
The Weather Whys Podcast
Weather Whys Podcast Episode 7: How Changes in Earth’s Orbit Affects Our Climate
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In this episode of the Weather Whys Podcast, host Ed Oswald delves into the fascinating topic of Milankovitch cycles—patterns in Earth’s rotation and orbit that drive long-term climate change. Learn about the Earth’s axial progression, obliquity, and eccentricity, and discover how these cycles impact seasonal contrasts, global warming, and historical climate events.

Explore the intriguing hypothesis linking these cycles to human evolution, and understand why they are not responsible for current climate change. Tune in to grasp how these massive celestial patterns shape our planet over tens of thousands of years.

[00:00:00] While it might not play a role in our day-to-day weather, changes in the Earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun affect our long-term climate. Did you know that the Sahara desert was once a rainforest? Or that Greenland was once regularly ice-free?
[00:00:13] This is the weather-wise podcast. I’m your host ed Oswald. And in this episode, we’re going to explain how that was, and why that will be possible again in the far distant future. Stay tuned. We have a great episode ahead.
[00:00:25] We take the seasons for granted. Winter becomes spring, spring turns to summer, and summer leads to fall. These changes are a result of the Earth’s orbit around the sun, which happens every 365 days.
[00:00:42] But what if I told you the Earth’s orbit isn’t constant? It’s true. Over long timescales, our planet’s orbit and tilt changes. It’s way too small to detect it in a human lifetime, but on geologic timescales, there’s a pattern.
[00:00:55] These patterns are called the Milankovitch cycle Named after Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch. He was the first to theorize that the Earth’s orbit on its axis and around the sun changes over time.
[00:01:07] Milankovitch’s findings suggested earth’s orbit changes in one to three ways with progressively longer timescales, wobble, tilt, and orbital shape, or in scientific terms, axial progression, obliquity, and eccentricity.
[00:01:22] The shortest of these it’s axial progression, or our planet’s wobble. Let’s use a spinning top to illustrate this. As it spins, the top wobbles in a circular pattern. Planets do the same thing, just much slower. Our planet takes 26,000 years to complete a rotation.
[00:01:38] The next cycle is obliquity or the amount of tilt that the earth rotates on its axis. over 41,000 years, this tilt varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. This changes the amount of sunlight that the Earth’s surface sees.
[00:01:54] Using the spinning top analogy again, it’s like somebody spun it at an angle. But we’ll have to ditch this analogy for the longest and final cycle, eccentricity.
[00:02:02] Eccentricity is how circular an orbit is, with zero being a perfect circle. Our orbit varies from almost circular to slightly more oval shaped and then back to circular again for a hundred thousand year periods.
[00:02:15] Now that we’ve explained these cycles, let’s put these together in climate terms.
[00:02:19] Planetary wobble affects how extreme the contrast between seasons are. right now, seasons are more extreme in the Southern hemisphere. around 13,000 years from now, the opposite occurs, and seasons become more extreme in the Northern hemisphere.
[00:02:33] The Earth’s tilt may help moderate that, though. When tilt is larger, more sunlight in summer reaches the surface when it’s tilted towards the sun, and less in winter. Right now, the Earth’s tilt is roughly at average science believe the Earth’s tilt is decreasing, however, which will make seasons milder over the next 10,000 years.
[00:02:51] Orbital shape also plays a role in seasonal extremes. Within nearly circular orbit, seasons are generally mild. However, in about a hundred thousand years, the Earth’s orbit will be considerably more elliptical. As a result, the earth receives 23% more sunlight at its closest approach, causing extreme changes between seasons.
[00:03:11] One thing is certain, however: Milankovitch cycles are not the cause of current climate change. Its cycles are too long to explain current changes. However it is a driver of natural change, and one of the reasons why some parts of earth planet change from less rainforests to deserts and a matter of few thousand years, this happens in the Sahara desert. The Earth’s ice ages and their cyclical nature are also thought to be caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit as well. There’s even research supporting the hypothesis that a Milankovitch cycles may have helped human evolution, too.
[00:03:42] However, these cycles are most notable in long-term natural climate change. They seem to explain some, but not all, of these cycles. So, where is the earth headed climatologically over the next one, 10, a hundred thousand years? Scientists have several theories. In general, seasons will moderate overall in the short term, and the planet will continue to warm.
[00:04:04] But this happens on such a long timescale, perhaps tens of thousands of years, that our ecosystem will slowly adapt. That isn’t what’s happening now, where climate change happens in a matter of decades.
[00:04:15] As we move further into the future, the Earth’s tilt will lessen, bringing more sunlight to the poles. The rainforest will move northward as well, bringing deserts to life.
[00:04:25] But at some point tens of thousands of years from now, these trends will be overpowered by a much more elliptical orbit, which may trigger the dawn of a new ice age.
[00:04:33] Luckily humankind has a long time before that becomes possible..
[00:04:37] The Milankovitch Cycles are only a part of our complex climate system. However, understanding how Earth’s rotation and orbit changes with time Allows scientists to better understand our planet’s cyclical climate patterns.
[00:04:50] This was a pretty detail heavy episode, so we have plenty of links in our show notes for you to read further on today’s topic. We’ll certainly return to the subject of climate cycles again in the future, but that’s all the time we have for this episode. We hope you learned something today.
[00:05:05] Weather Whys is a production of The Weather Station Experts and the Weather Whys company. Today’s episode was produced by Derek Oswald and myself from our studios here in West Lawn Pennsylvania. If you’d like to learn more about Weather Whys, visit our website at weatherwhys that’s w H Y s.show. We’d also love to hear from you. You can email us at [email protected].
[00:05:27]
[00:05:27] On our website, you can listen this episode or any past episode. Don’t forget to subscribe to weather-wise wherever you listen to podcasts, you can find those links to apple podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and more on our homepage. That’s all for today. And as always, stay weather-wise.

Key Points

  • 00:00 Introduction to Earth’s Climate Changes
  • 00:55 The Milankovitch Cycles Explained
  • 02:15 Impact of Milankovitch Cycles on Climate
  • 03:51 Future Climate Predictions
  • 04:38 Conclusion and Further Reading

Show Notes

Weather Whys Podcast Episode 5: Tornado Alley is Shifting East. Here’s Why That Matters.

The Weather Whys Podcast
The Weather Whys Podcast
Weather Whys Podcast Episode 5: Tornado Alley is Shifting East. Here's Why That Matters.
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Is Tornado Alley shifting east? In this episode of Weather Whys, we delve into the shifting patterns of tornado activity in the United States. We thought this episode would be especially relevant with the traditional peak of tornado season upon us.

Tornado Alley has traditionally meant the Great Plains, but tornadoes are becoming more frequent in the Southeast US, moving towards more densely populated areas and starting earlier in the year. This episode discusses research findings on this eastward shift, links to climate change, the increased risk of damage in urban centers like Memphis and Nashville, and why this all matters.

This episode is a short one but on an important topic!

[00:00:00] Ed Oswald: “Tornado Alley” has long been associated with tornadoes, with May and June the busiest months. However, Tornado Alley is shifting towards the southeast U. S. and toward population centers. It’s also starting earlier than ever. What’s behind this shift? Hi, I’m Ed Oswald, host of the Weather Whys podcast. We’ll look into this in today’s episode.

[00:00:24] Thanks for joining us. So what is Tornado Alley? The term traditionally refers to an area roughly from South Dakota southward to north central Texas. However, tornadoes are becoming more frequent to the east and north.

[00:00:36] Scientists documented this eastward shift. A 2018 study found that tornado frequency generally decreased over The past four decades across Tornado Alley, while increasing to the east across the Lower Great Lakes, and into the Deep South.

[00:00:49] Northern Illinois University researchers found that supercells, the origin of most tornadoes, will become less frequent across Tornado Alley, and more frequent across the eastern U. S. as the planet warms.

[00:00:59] Others have noted the frequency of tornado outbreaks have shifted dramatically eastward since 1950, and they increasingly occur in clusters, or multiple tornadoes in the same area. Research also suggests tornadoes are now more common in the late winter and early spring, and less common in the late summer and early fall.

[00:01:17] The biggest consequence is a significant increase in damage risk. While people live in Tornado Alley, it’s far less densely populated than areas to the east.

[00:01:26] People used to worry about a tornado in downtown Dallas. These studies suggest downtown Memphis and Nashville are more likely to see one instead . Millions more Americans now live in an area where tornadoes are common.

[00:01:36] Is climate change to blame? Yes, but it’s complicated. Nationwide Doppler radar is a powerful tool for detecting tornadoes, even when there’s no one there to see them. This could be responsible for part of the increase.

[00:01:48] The Southeast U. S. is also far more populated as we mentioned, so tornadoes are easier to detect. Severe weather awareness is higher, and in our social media age, videos provide much faster confirmation of tornadic activity.

[00:02:01] But the increase is too significant to pin on these reasons alone. We can likely pin some of the blame on climate change. But is it natural or man made variability the cause?

[00:02:11] One school of thought suggests the uptick is part of an overall increase in severe weather across the U. S. due to climate change. Models have been forecasting this for years.

[00:02:20] However, others argue the variability may stem from bigger cycles, such as differences in Pacific sea surface temperatures. This could also be shifting Tornado Alley, but we don’t have enough data to make a clear judgment.

[00:02:31] No matter what the reason, is, the data suggests that Tornado Alley is no longer just limited to the Great Plains. It’s more important than ever to stay “weather aware.”

[00:02:39] When a tornado warning is issued, take it seriously. Head to an interior portion of the building or your home. If you hear the tornado approaching, get low and protect your head.

[00:02:49] A weather radio is also invaluable during severe weather. Our favorite is the Midland WR 120 NOAA Emergency Weather Alert Radio . It can receive weather alerts directly from the National Weather Service using SAME technology, which allows the weather radio to display the type of warning even after the broadcast message ends.

[00:03:06] That’s the easiest way to keep yourself safe and is far more dependable than the often incorrect weather app. Tornadoes happen quickly, and getting the warning early gives you time to prepare.

[00:03:15] We’ve included links in our show notes to this weather radio, as well as other reviews, but we hope we’ve given you a better understanding of why tornadoes seem to be more frequent and more destructive.

[00:03:23] Weather Whys is a production of the Weather Station Experts and the Weather Whys Company. Today’s episode was produced by Derek Oswald and myself from our studios here in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. If you’d like to learn more about Weather Whys, please visit our website at Weather Whys, that’s w h y s dot show.

[00:03:41] On our website, you can listen to this episode and any past episodes, and also get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you. Don’t forget to subscribe to Weather Whys to get the latest episodes as soon as we release them.

[00:03:52] You can find those links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and more on our website as well. That’s all for today, thanks for listening, and as always, stay weatherwise.

Key Points

0:19 – What’s causing Tornado Alley to shift? The research
1:19 – The impact of this shift
1:38 – Climate change’s possible role

Show Notes

Quick plug: Be sure to like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

We wrote an article about this very topic! Tornado Alley is Shifting East: What’s Happening?

The original study from 2018. The map from that study shows the increase across the Deep South (red), and the decrease in activity in Tornado Alley (blue).

Northern Illinois University study on supercells – https://newsroom.niu.edu/how-supercell-storms-might-change-this-century/

Even under a good emissions reduction scenario, supercells increase in nearly the same area as the 2018 study.

Another study pointing to the eastward shift – https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ac50c1

US is experiencing more tornado outbreaks, despite fewer tornado days overall, researchers say – ABC (US), includes video

The increase in tornado counts could be a function of a more “weather-aware” society, but climate change could be playing a role. It’s complicated, and the answer isn’t quite clear – Tornadoes and Global Warming: Is There a Connection?National Geographic

What we recommend: a weather radio. The Midland WR120 is perfect, and inexpensive too!

Weather Whys Podcast Episode 4: When is Hurricane Season Where You Live?

The Weather Whys Podcast
The Weather Whys Podcast
Weather Whys Podcast Episode 4: When is Hurricane Season Where You Live?
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If you live near the East Coast, hurricanes are a fact of life during the summer and early fall for most. In this episode of Weather Whys, host Ed Oswald looks at the Atlantic hurricane season in detail. Where hurricanes are most likely to form shifts throughout the season, leading up to a dramatic peak during September.

[00:00:00] While hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic Ocean during every calendar month, June 1st is the official start of hurricane season. In this episode of the Weather Whys podcast, we’ll explore the hurricane season month by month.

[00:00:22] If you’d like to watch a video of this podcast episode instead, we’ve included that in the show notes. We’ve also included graphics for you to follow along.

[00:00:30] I’m Ed Oswald, host of the Weather Whys podcast. I’m glad you could join us. Let’s get started.

[00:00:35] Ed Oswald: Hurricane season begins in the Atlantic on June 1st and ends on November 30th. Activity begins in the late spring and increases dramatically through mid September. After this peak, things quiet down in the fall.

[00:00:49] An Atlantic hurricane season typically has 10 named storms, six of which become hurricanes, and three of those major hurricanes. That’s a storm that reaches category three or higher on the Safir Simpson scale.

[00:01:00] However, activity isn’t always confined to hurricane season. For example, every four seasons or so the first name storm occurs in may, and about once a decade, a storm develops as late as December, but most hurricane activity occurs between June and November.

[00:01:16] Now let’s take a look at what to expect month by month.

[00:01:19] We don’t look far from the coast for tropical development in June. Development is most likely in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, especially if the waters are warm. These storms often start organizing in the warm waters of the Western Caribbean before pushing northward. Activity is light, with typically a single name storm during June.

[00:01:37] The effects of the summer sun on water temperatures are apparent in July, as more of the tropical Atlantic Springs to life. While the Gulf of Mexico remains favorable, storms also have commonly formed in The Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean.

[00:01:52] Storm tracks become longer as more of the Atlantic warms above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing these storms to turn over the open sea and intensify. The Western and central portions of the Gulf coast see an increase in activity, and the Southeastern us is now under threat.

[00:02:07] While much more of the Atlantic can support tropical development, July still remains quiet. Expect an additional named storm during this month, but things are about to change dramatically.

[00:02:16] Waters are warm enough over a large section of the tropics by August to support development almost anywhere. Storms form further and further away from land, giving them more time to gain strength.

[00:02:26] Long track storms start to develop. Areas like the mid Atlantic coast and especially the outer banks come under threat.

[00:02:33] An average August has two to three named storms.

[00:02:35] September is even busier. Offshore waters off the Mid-Atlantic are now warm enough to support tropical development, the Cape Verde islands off the west African coast become the area to watch, and there aren’t many areas we’re tropical development can’t occur.

[00:02:49] Typical tracks come in three groups: storms in the Caribbean often head for the Western and central Gulf coast while Gulf storms typically move northward into Florida and up the east coast.

[00:03:00] Long track storms typically turn out to sea well before land, but must be watched, especially if you live on the Southeast or mid Atlantic coast or on Bermuda.

[00:03:08] The peak of the hurricane season is September 10th, and it’s not uncommon to see all of the three or four named storms that formed during the month, all churning through the Atlantic at that time.

[00:03:18] For most the transition into fall takes the attention off the tropics, but as we’ve seen in the past, Sandy, being the most well-known example, the season’s not over yet.

[00:03:27] While water temperatures are still warm in many places in October, wind shear returns, which is detrimental to tropical development. As a result, most development occurs closer to the coast, often due to old frontal boundaries.

[00:03:40] Storms in the Western Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico should be watched as they may turn up the coast, becoming strong nor’easters. about two named storms will form during an average October.

[00:03:50] Finally, in November things quite down with development limited to the central Caribbean. Most of these storms will push north and eastward. An average November has a storm about once every other season.

[00:04:01] But no matter where you live on the east coast, there is an increased chance for tropical development at some point during the summer or fall. The best thing to do is to keep a watchful eye on the tropics all season long.

[00:04:11] That’s all the time we have for this episode.

[00:04:14] Weather Whys is a production of the Weather Station Experts and the Weather Whys Company. Today’s episode was produced by Derek Oswald and myself from our studios here in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. if you’d like to learn more about Weather Whys, please visit our website at Weather Whys. show. That’s W H Y S. On our website, you can listen to this episode and any past episodes and also get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you. Don’t forget to subscribe to Weather Whys to get the latest episodes as soon as we release them. You can find those links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and more on our website as well.

[00:04:46] Thanks for tuning in, and as always, stay weatherwise.

Show Notes

Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. Activity isn’t always confined to this time period, though!

An average season:

  • 10 named storms
  • 6 hurricanes
  • 3 major hurricanes

That’s actually an increase from the past. See: The Average Hurricane Season is More Active Than EverThe Weather Station Experts

The graphics below will make the discussion on where tropical development is most likely easier to follow.

In June and July, tropical formation occurs closer to the coast, and generally in the warm waters of the Carribbean.

In August, as the water temperatures warm, more of the Atlantic springs to life.

The peak of the hurricane season is September 10th.

Don’t forget about October and November!

Superstorm Sandy: A look back at the devastating storm 11 years later, 6abc Philadelphia – October 29, 2023