Questions tagged [weather]
233 questions
44
votes
5 answers
Have we figured out how to analyze turbulent fluids?
I was surprised to read that we don't know how to analyze turbulent fluids. On page 3-9 of The Feynman Lectures on Physics (Volume One), Feynman writes:
Finally, there is a physical problem that is common to many fields, that is very old, and that…
43
votes
5 answers
Without seeing the lightning, can you tell how far away it struck by how the thunder sounds?
Is there any way to tell how far away a lightning strike is by how its thunder sounds? I thought one way might be by using the fact that higher frequencies travel faster than lower frequencies. Would you have to correct for the fact that thunder may…
user48301
- 531
42
votes
8 answers
Why do small patches of snow remain on the ground many days or weeks after all the other snow has melted?
I often notice small patches of snow that remain on the ground in seemingly random locations, many days or even weeks after all other snow in an area has melted, and even when temperatures have been well above freezing for some time. What makes…
user3091
- 529
41
votes
5 answers
Why aren't rainbows more common?
Why are rainbows relatively rare? On any given day, there are billions of water drops in the air of varying sizes and dispersions, all of which light is passing through and refracting. What physical phenomenon has to occur so that these drops…
DanGoodrick
- 517
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41
votes
2 answers
Why is the sun brighter in Australia compared to parts of Asia?
Background:
I've lived in Philippines for several years, and visited other parts of Asia occasionally (Singapore, Indonesia, Hongkong).
I just moved to Western Australia a few months ago and I realized that the sun is brighter here, in the sense…
Zaenille
- 863
39
votes
4 answers
Why are rain clouds darker?
I was taught in school that clouds are white due to the scattering of light. Since all rays are reflected it appears as white. But I am wondering about rain clouds. Why are rain clouds darker?
user247360
39
votes
1 answer
Why does wind direction significantly affect sound propagation?
I live about 2 miles from a race track.
Some days the noise from testing is extremely noticeable, Other days despite the exact same testing activity, there is little-to-no noise at all.
This is mostly effected by the direction of the wind.
How does…
36
votes
3 answers
Why does snow stay after a snowfall?
I have just experienced a snowfall and I am not so clear on how it works.
Three days after a short day of snowfall, and having 2 min | 17 max degrees Celsius, full sunny scarcely cloudy each day, there is still some snow persisting in shadow and…
Brethlosze
- 723
33
votes
8 answers
Why aren't rainbows blurred-out into nothing after they are produced?
I understand how a prism works and how a single raindrop can scatter white light into a rainbow, but it seems to me that in normal atmospheric conditions, we should not be able to see rainbows.
When multiple raindrops are side-by-side, their…
spraff
- 5,256
29
votes
5 answers
Why is the air inside an igloo warmer than its outside?
An igloo is not only used as shelter from snow but also to keep warm. Perhaps, a simple igloo is made of ice and nothing else still, why is its interior warmer than the exterior?
user6760
- 13,214
28
votes
1 answer
What are these strange rays in the sky?
While driving, I noticed the sky had weird rays that appeared converge at some point on the horizon. I took a few pictures in hopes I could figure out what they were. There was a storm coming from the other direction if that's relevant…
David Starkey
- 1,093
28
votes
2 answers
Why doesn't Earth's atmosphere form bands due to different rotational speeds?
If the Earth's atmosphere is rotating at the same speed as Earth, then the atmosphere must be rotating much faster at the equator than at the poles. If you spin a ball covered in oil, it will form rings. Also Jupiter has rings. So why doesn't the…
Kelly Clifford-Banks
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27
votes
4 answers
The Density of Clouds
Clouds are made up of tiny water or ice droplets, depending on temperature. This implies that cloud density is greater than that of dry air. Why don't clouds sink through their surrounding atmosphere rather than float by in a variety of formations?
Michael Luciuk
- 5,812
25
votes
1 answer
What did I just photograph? (rainbow way out of place)
I just captured the following two pictures. Straight above me, almost directly above, was a rainbow, about 120 degrees of it were visible.
The thing is, the sun was completely out, low on the horizon and not centred. What explains this? My…
Jeffrey
- 1,003
25
votes
3 answers
Why is snow white when water has no color?
I just don't get it. Isn't snow just another form of water? Also are all ices transparent or do they go white after a certain temperature?
Huzo
- 995