Climatologists try to predict long-term weather picture

Within the past week, I’ve been asked by several people the difference between a meteorologist and a climatologist.

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and its phenomena, plus its interaction with the Earth’s surface oceans and life in general.

The term itself goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He wrote a book about 340 B.C. on natural philosophy titled “Meteorologica.”

It was the sum of weather and climate at that time.

Meteorology became a genuine natural science toward the end of the 16th century (1583) when a crude thermometer was invented by Galileo. It wasn’t perfected, however, until 1714 by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit.

In 1643, the barometer was created to measure air pressure. In the late 1700s, the hygrometer, an instrument to measure the air’s water vapor content, was also invented.

The science of meteorology progressed as better instruments were developed. It became more widely recognized by the 1950s as high-speed computers were created to help solve equations that described the atmosphere’s behavior. Today, computer models have become so sophisticated that short-term and even long-term forecasts have become more accurate.

There are several schools that offer degrees and courses in meteorology that often take up to four years of study to obtain a degree.

The science of climatology deals with the statistical side of the weather. It involves the long term, or historical research of a particular region’s climate. Many vital meteorological factors are studied, such as temperature, wind direction and velocity, cloud cover, relative humidity, barometric pressure and precipitation patterns.

We also chart sea-surface temperatures in the oceans, particularly in the Pacific (El Nino and La Nina), jet stream patterns, dendrochronology (tree rings), volcanic cycles, tidal cycles, solar (sunspot) cycles, lunar cycles, etc.

Climatology takes what is learned from a specific region’s weather history and attempts to apply this data to what is likely to occur in the future. In other words, this science deals with long-term and historical weather events and cycles.

Some of the data analyzed will show the possible social and economic effects of such long-term predictions in regards to agriculture, business, commodity markets and other weather-related entities.

Many Fortune 500 companies often use climatologists for long-term forecasts to increase their business sales or to make higher profits in the commodity markets. For example, a well-known soda company used a service to find out where it was going to be hot many summers ago in order to send more soft drinks to that particular location.

Others will want to know if long-term heat or cold cycles will affect food crops that would soon lead to higher prices.

Applied climatology has developed quite rapidly in recent years and has become an extremely sophisticated science. Climatologists use computer model technology as well as their own climatological forecasting experience.

Accuracy depends on finding the right matching pattern or cycle for a particular region.

Using climatological cycles, the rest of March should see a rather normal month with typically changeable conditions. Rain and snow showers will continue for another week.

By the middle of the month, don’t be surprised to see temperatures climb to near 60 degrees as we’ll get a welcome break to the cloudy and wet weather.

The second half of March may be quite windy at times with frequent light rain showers occasionally mixed with snow in the overnight hours. Thunderstorm activity also may increase at this time.

The first part of April will have cooler temperatures, but much warmer weather is expected toward the end of the month. Overall, April should be drier than normal despite some increased precipitation during the first part of the month.

May and June look cooler and wetter but not nearly as damp as last year.