Average vs. Above or Below

Q:  How do meteorologists define below/above normal and much below/much above normal?  I suppose it depends on both time of year and the particular city involved. 

A:  Those are two criteria one could use.  Without an established guideline, above/below average and much above/below average is subject to one's interpretation.

Rainbow without Rain

Q:  I noticed a cloud that looked like a rainbow but it wasn't raining. 

A:  Most clouds are made of millions of water drops. In your case, the cloud was thin enough for light to pass but not full of enough raindrops to produce rainfall.  The raindrops refracted (or bent) the light producing a rainbow without rainfall.

Dangerous Heat Update - Thursday

Excessive Heat Warning today from Noon to 8 p.m. for the immediate Bay and Santa Clara Valley.

Heat Advisory today from noon to 8 p.m. for the rest of the Bay Area. 

Wind Advisory until 7pm for East Bay Hills.

Excessive Heat Watch for the Bay Area through Friday.

Dangerous Heat Today Through Friday

Excessive Heat Warning today from Noon to 8 p.m. for the Santa Clara Valley.

Heat Advisory today from noon to 8 p.m. for the immediate Bay. 

Wind Advisory tonight through tomorrow morning for the North and East Bay Hills.

Excessive Heat Watch for the Bay Area Thursday through Friday.

Record highs are possible the next three days. You can find comfort along the Coast today, highs hit the middle to upper 70s. Highs reach the middle 80s to near 90 around the Bay with lower to middle 90s elsewhere.

Tonight's temperatures bring limited relief, middle to upper 60s.

Excessive Heat Watch for Bay

Recording breaking high temperatures are possible Wednesday - Friday.  High temperatures will hit the upper 80s to upper 90s from north to south across the Bay.  An Excessive Heat Watch has been for the immediate Bay through the Santa Clara Valley for Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.  Greater attention should be paid to young, elderly, and infirmed during this time.

Dry April in Central and Southern California

The exceptionally dry April hit the Central Valley and Southern California even harder than us.  Fresno, Sacramento, and San Diego recorded no rain.  In an average April, Fresno records 0.76", Sacramento 1.02", and 0.75" for San Diego.  Los Angeles recorded 0.04", short 0.79".

Hurricances, Typhoons, and Cyclones

What we call hurricanes have different names across the Earth's oceans.  They are called typhoons in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, severe tropical cyclones in the Southeastern Indian and Southwest Pacific Oceans, severe cyclone storms In the North Indian Ocean, and tropical cyclone in the Southwest Indian Ocean.

Water Phases and Changes

When water vapor changes to liquid it is called condensation.  The opposite, liquid water changing to water vapor, is called evaporation.  Deposition is when water vapor converts to ice.  Its opposite, ice converting to water vapor, is called sublimation.  When water becomes ice, we call it freezing.  The opposite is melting.