Letter to the Editor

Watching the weather

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Dear Editor,

Weather forecasting is important because a change in weather affects all living things here on earth.

Human beings have carefully observed the weather since ancient times.

Matthey 16:2 states “it will be fair weather: for the sky is red.”

Our modern-day saying is “red at night, sailor’s delight.” Matthew 16:3 points out that in the morning, it will be foul weather, because the sky is red. The modern adaptation of this is “red at morning sailor’s warning.”

Since May of 1955, computers have helped us make weather forecasts. They can predict some of the basic changes of weather. Weathermen use different kinds of maps to explain forecasts of weather conditions.

Thunderstorms are common here in Nebraska. For example, viewers of TV weather forecasts may learn that a major storm is forming over the Atlantic Ocean over the Cape Verde Islands.

During the next few days, the area of thunderstorms increases. Air pressure falls. Winds begin to whirl around the center of low pressure. A tropical cyclone occurs.

U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots fly out to examine storms and their positions.

Then can estimate the strength of winds and report their observations of a hurricane to a hurricane warning center.

A storm model for Omaha, Nebraska, shows wind temperature, pressure, dew point and cloud conditions for that city.

Weather forecasters analyze weather maps and weather systems. They study previous maps so they are able to determine how the weather system is moving.

In the northern hemisphere, the earth’s rotation changes air that drops to the earth and continues moving toward the poles.

During the winter, extra-tropical cyclones enter North America along the Pacific Coast. They cover areas that are 600 miles wide. Lows are carried along on prevailing winds. They bring in moist air, rain and snow to the western states and the Rocky Mountains.

Then, they generally turn southeast of the middle of the U.S.

This explains why Denver’s recent blizzard traveled to Nebraska, causing flooding in eastern Nebraska, along with heavy snow.

Helen Ruth Arnold,

Trenton, Nebraska

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