Storm Science, Explained
Short, accurate explainers for the questions every storm season raises — written to pair with the live tracker. No fluff, sourced from NOAA/NWS definitions.
The forecast cone shows where a hurricane's center will probably track — not where impacts stop. How to read the cone correctly, and the mistake that gets people hurt.
Spaghetti models are dozens of computer forecasts of a storm's track drawn together. What the spread means, which lines to trust, and how the official forecast uses them.
Rapid intensification means a storm's winds jump 35+ mph in 24 hours. What fuels it, why it's getting more common, and why RI near the coast is the forecaster's nightmare.
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 – November 30, the East Pacific starts May 15, and the statistical peak is September 10. What the dates mean and when risk is actually highest.
Why La Niña years usually mean busy Atlantic hurricane seasons and El Niño years quieter ones — and why the East Pacific behaves exactly the opposite.
A watch means conditions are possible within 48 hours; a warning means they're expected within 36. What each one should trigger in your preparations.
What Category 1 through 5 actually mean in wind speed and damage, and why the category understates flooding hazards.
Storm surge is the abnormal sea-level rise a hurricane pushes ashore — historically the deadliest hurricane hazard. How it works and why elevation, not distance, is what matters.
Six rotating alphabetical lists, maintained by the World Meteorological Organization — and permanent retirement for the deadliest storms.
A blizzard warning is about wind and visibility, not snow totals. How the NWS winter warning ladder works and what each level should trigger.
How cold air crossing warm lake water creates narrow snow bands that can drop several inches an hour — and why totals vary wildly within a few miles.
Freezing rain totals sound tiny but a half inch of ice can snap power lines and close cities for days. The damage thresholds, explained.
Nor'easters are named for their wind, not their origin. How these coastal storms form, why they bomb out, and what 'bombogenesis' means.
Wind chill is the rate your skin loses heat, not a real temperature. How it's calculated, what the danger thresholds are, and what it means for frostbite time.
A derecho is a long-lived, straight-line windstorm that can produce hurricane-force gusts across hundreds of miles. How they form and why they're so destructive.