weather

The compressibility of water is a function of pressure and temperature. At 0 °C, at the limit of zero pressure, the compressibility is 5.1×10−10 Pa−1. At the zero-pressure limit, the compressibility reaches a minimum of 4.4×10−10 Pa−1 around 45 °C before increasing again with increasing temperature. As the pressure is increased, the compressibility decreases, being 3.9×10−10 Pa−1 at 0 °C and 100 megapascals (1,000 bar)

Wonder how this plays out on the scale of weather. Does water that reaches 0degC in the atmosphere cause minimum compressibility? Is this why ice cracks concrete?

Weather, at its most basic level, sometimes comes down to watching how areas of high atmospheric pressure and low pressure move around the planet. Low atmospheric pressure allows ground heat to rise, which leads to more unstable air and cloud formation. That's why we typically get rain with low pressure systems. (View Highlight)

Intuitively, it seems to me that water vapor (hot air) has a low amount of compressibility, since it is hard to contain volume as gas.

The different global circulation models of the Earth’s changing climate agree that temperatures virtually everywhere will increase, and in most places so will rainfall, in part because warmer air can carry more water vapor. However, “There is one major exception, and that is the Mediterranean area,” Eltahir says, which shows the greatest decline of projected rainfall of any landmass on Earth. (View Highlight)

watching these blizzard cars stuck on highway videos feels like it needs a David Attenborough voiceover. This time of year, drive safe out there, or don't drive at all! ^198d6d

An uncommon characteristic of Austin's climate is its highly variable humidity, which fluctuates frequently depending on the shifting patterns of air flow and wind direction. It is common for a lengthy series of warm, dry, low-humidity days to be occasionally interrupted by very warm and humid days, and vice versa. Humidity rises with winds from the east or southeast, when the air drifts inland from the Gulf of Mexico, but decreases significantly with winds from the west or southwest, bringing air flowing from Chihuahuan Desert areas of West Texas or northern Mexico. (View Highlight)

Walking on the traul two days in the same week has a completely different vibe to it. Hot and dry or hot and wet -- one is tolerable, the other is very much not.

Also creates insane supercell storms