Tag Archives: WRN

Weather and Health: Allergies

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Spring weather arrived early this year in many parts of the United States. Our warm winter followed by record high March temperatures triggered an early bloom for the many plants and trees that release pollen.  As a result, allergy season was off and running ahead of schedule.

Pollen is a fine powdery substance that is part of a flowering plant’s reproductive process. It is also a type of histamine that causes seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay-fever. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports that roughly thirty-five million people suffer from seasonal allergies across this country.

Allergy victims even have a difficult time in the urban environment of New York City, as street trees line almost every block.  The city’s ubiquitous Norway Maples and London Planes are both major pollen producers. According the National Allergy Bureau, yesterday’s concentration of tree pollen in NYC was ranked as “high”.

The early start to allergy season this year does not necessarily mean an early end. Doctors say that even after tree pollen production slows down, grass and ragweed pollens can cause reactions for allergy sufferers until the first frost of next winter.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale for Rating Tornadoes

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Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms.  They damage or destroy everything in their path, including weather equipment.  Therefore, in order to gauge the strength of a tornado, experts use the Enhanced Fujita Scale.  It infers wind speeds from the damage left in the wake of a storm.

Dr. Ted Fujita, a severe weather research scientist at the University of Chicago, developed the original Fujita scale in 1971. The National Weather Service used it from 1973 until 2007, when they adopted the Enhanced Fujita scale. A commission of meteorologists and structural engineers formulated the new model.  It maintains the original scale’s six categories, but refines their wind speeds to reflect differences in construction quality and improved damage survey techniques.

The different categories, EF-0 through EF-5 represent increasing wind speeds and escalating degrees of damage.

Chart Data: NOAA

Weather and Health: Influenza

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Last week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the flu-season is officially under way in the United States.  This is the flu’s latest arrival in twenty-four years.

Flu-season typically lasts from November to March, winter in the U.S.  For this reason, many people believe that cold weather causes illness.  However, the fact is that viruses, not weather, cause influenza, a respiratory infection that is commonly called the flu.

In the colder months, people tend to gather indoors and interact in close proximity.  This increases the chance for spreading germs.  This winter, however, mild conditions have dominated the weather across much of the country.  As a result, people have been spending more time outdoors. Some medical experts cite this as one of the reasons for the reduced spread of the virus. Nonetheless, the flu is still active.  Cases have been reported in all fifty states with Colorado and California showing widespread activity.

Influenza is an infectious disease that usually affects millions of people each year. To defend against it, the CDC recommends getting an annual vaccination.  Other preventative actions include staying away from anyone who is infected and washing your hands frequently.

Image Credit: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Avalanches

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Backcountry winter activities such as skiing and snowmobiling are exhilarating adventures, but can also have serious risks.  This winter, avalanches in the Unites States have claimed the lives of seventeen people, including four this past weekend.

A product of weather and topography, avalanches depend on the steepness of a terrain. A slope between 25° and 60° is considered most favorable for a dangerous slide.  A steeper gradient will cause more frequent, but smaller events.  Snow, the other key ingredient, accumulates on mountain slopes in layers, forming a snow-pack over time.  Each layer is different in texture and weight, depending on the moisture content of the snow. Once on the ground, the snow remains subject to atmospheric conditions.  As temperatures rise and fall, the process of melting and re-freezing can form seams of instability in the snow-pack. Eventually, something will trigger an unstable slab to overcome the delicate friction holding it in place.

Triggers can be natural or man-made.  Some natural triggers include the weight of additional snow, sudden changes in temperature, and falling trees.  People can set off avalanches when their activities traverse an unstable snow slab.  Once a slab breaks away, it will cascade down the mountain engulfing anything in its path. So, if you are heading out to the back woods, it is vital to heed the avalanche warnings in your area.

Climate Change: A Global Issue with Local Impact

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There are a wide variety of climates and micro-climates around the planet. Rising global temperatures will affect each one in different ways.

In the US, the federal government has drafted a report called, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.  It highlights how each of the diverse regions of our country will be affected by changes in their traditional climate conditions.  These impacts are varied and include public health, agriculture, ecosystems, infrastructure, and the economy.

ClimAID, a report from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is even more narrow in scope.  The three-year study makes recommendations to state policy-makers, urban planners, and local residents on how they can adapt and better prepare for the impacts of a changing local climate. 

By examining climate change through the lens of our own neighborhoods, the popular phrase, “think global and act local”, seems even more poignant than ever.

Global Warming v. Climate Change

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We often hear the terms “Global Warming” and “Climate Change” used interchangeably to describe our current environmental conditions.  They are, however, slightly different in scope.

Global warming refers to the rising average temperatures of the atmosphere and oceans across the entire planet.  Scientists report that the Earth’s average surface temperature increased 1.4°F in the last century.  The largest increases have been noted over the past 30 years.

Climate Change refers to the diverse impacts that these increasing temperatures are causing around the globe.  As the additional heat trapped in our atmosphere is circulated around the planet, established weather patterns are being altered.  Different regions, therefore, are being affected in different ways.  Some are getting wetter and others dryer. Many areas are also seeing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.  In addition, coastal regions are being impacted by rising sea levels.

While the Earth’s climate has changed numerous times throughout its long history, the change happening now is occurring very quickly and the vast majority (97%) of experts agree that human activities are the main cause. Regardless of what we call it, Global Climate Change is a subject of great concern that affects us all.