But, as it increases, so does the moisture and that is the fuel of bad weather because, as it condenses, it releases latent heat energy and that keeps the air buoyant and rising. The weather is, simply, the thermodynamic effects of air masses with different temperature, moisture and pressure. read more
Rising temperatures have something to do with it — and here's how. 1. Rain patterns are changing. In the northeast United States, the combination of more moisture in the atmosphere from a warmer world and changes in circulation patterns are contributing to more rain. read more
The main forces behind these disasters have been natural weather cycles, such as back-to-back La Niñas in 2010 and 2011 that routed storms away from drought-prone parts of North America, and a massive high pressure system, known as a heat ridge, that parked itself over the U.S. this summer and refused to budge. read more