Why is Ian so much more unpredictable than past storms? It’s not.
Do you have a question you want to Ask Amy? Click here and fill out the form. Then come back to see if you get an answer in an upcoming "Ask Amy" post.
ASK AMY #9 – What’s An Invest?
Every year when hurricane season approaches, you’ll start to see tropical talk centered around something called an “invest.” Invest is short for “investigation” and it refers to a weather feature that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is investigating. It should be noted that it is NOT necessarily an area that is expected to develop into […]
ASK AMY #8 – What’s So Special About the Total Solar Eclipse in August 2017?
Have you heard the news about the solar eclipse happening in August? Since the Earth and moon are constantly moving around the sun, it’s not that uncommon for the moon to pass between the Earth and sun, blocking out a portion of the light received on Earth. In fact, on average, at least two eclipses […]
Top 10 Misconceptions About My TV Weather Job
Every time I speak to groups about my job, I get asked some of the same questions. I’m always surprised by how many misconceptions there are about television weather jobs. This is my attempt to clear up some of the confusion.
ASK AMY #7 – What and When is the Central Florida Dry Season?
The Dry Season: It’s the reason most people say they live in Central Florida. From mid-October to mid-May, the temperatures cool, the humidity drops, and the daily afternoon storms come to an end.
ASK AMY #6 – Why Is The Weather Forecast Sometimes Wrong?
I know what you’re thinking…. “Sometimes?!? Those weather people are the only ones I know who get paid to be wrong every day!!” Sure, we laugh about it, but I also understand an incorrect forecast can be frustrating. We plan so much of our lives around the weather… backyard BBQ’s, outdoor festivals, sporting events, yard […]
ASK AMY #5 – How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?
Here is the list of storm names for the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season: There are six lists of Atlantic hurricane names that are decided well in advance of the current year and get rotated every six years. If a storm is memorable and its name is “retired” by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), that name […]
ASK AMY #4 – What is the Central Florida Rainy Season?
The wet season in Central Florida lasts an average of five months. It generally begins in late May and runs through mid-October. It’s exactly what its name indicates: Wet!61% of our total annual rainfall is received during these five months. There really isn’t a definitive start date or time, but there are a few signals […]
ASK AMY #3 – Why Don’t Cold Fronts Always Make Florida Cold?
Cold front. The name implies what it should be, right?The front (or beginning) of a mass of cold air moving through an area. A cold front is generally shown on a weather map on TV as a curvy blue line with little blue triangles on it. This weather symbol indicates where areas of cold air […]
ASK AMY #2 – What Is A Meteorologist?
Have you ever wondered why someone who studies weather is called a “meteorologist” rather than a “weather-ologist?” If a Cardiologist studies the heart and a Paleontologist studies fossils, then WHY doesn’t a Meteorologist study meteors? When you add the suffix -ologist to the end of a word, it refers to a person who studies a […]