Fog formation accidents compose 24% of all aviation accidents. The monetary impact of accidents, injuries, delays and unexpected costs from fog is about $720 million annually. Visibility of less than one mile – called fog – is far more obstructive than mists – visibilities greater than one mile. Most accidents aren’t from hitting structures protruding
Read MoreHeavy lake-effect snowfalls can shut down entire cities and drastically impede our ways of living. In particularly prone areas, feet of lake-effect snow can arrive within a day and pin people indoors. The mechanisms that manifest lake-effect snow can be thought of as components of a unified atmospheric machine. Its creation begins when wind meets
Read MoreHow Midwestern blizzards are born. A Midwestern blizzard, the most common type, is born when a cyclonic, deep low spins next to a very cold, very high-pressured anticyclonic Canadian air mass while it pushes southeasterly into the upper Midwest. If the pressure gradient between the two air masses tightens, wind speeds increase. Moisture in the
Read MoreFrontal squall lines form just ahead of surface cold fronts and dry lines, and also ahead of upper-level fronts. If the necessary conditions exist, they may stretch to hundreds of miles in length. They may bring tornadoes and hail but they’re more commonly associated with strong straight-line winds. If the flow along a squall line
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