Have you ever sat outside on a hot summer day and seen a line of ominous dark clouds rapidly approaching? The wind picks up, the temperature drops down, and you check the Doppler radar and see that a thunderstorm is nearing your location.
The clouds then roll right over your head, but there's not a trace of rain, lightning, or even thunder. After several minutes the sky lightens, and the supposed storm has already moved on. What happened?
That's exactly what one Redditor asked when posting to the r/FortWayne subreddit. In the post, the concerned Indiana resident was perplexed by the presence of what they call a "weather dome."
"Why is it that severe weather seems to dissipate right before us and build back up once outside of city limits?" the original poster asked.
While the Redditor titled their post "Conspiracy Theory," the truth is more likely grounded in reality.
It's difficult from the post to know exactly what was happening, but according to climate experts, there could be a few explanations regarding the apparent disruption of storms around Fort Wayne.
In a 2018 study, a team of researchers investigated the variations of rainfall events in Mumbai, India. As the team studied eight separate extreme rainfall days between 2014 and 2015, it noticed the occurrence of what they describe as spatial variability across Mumbai. "The gradients in these instabilities become the locales for intensifying rainfall patterns and lead to extreme precipitation at few urban pockets," the study read.
In a 2022 interview with CBC, Douw Steyn, a professor emeritus of atmospheric science at the University of British Columbia, described another possible explanation. They noted the occurrence of virga clouds, where rain falls from the clouds but evaporates before reaching the surface. This event can happen when precipitation passes through dry or warm air.
"You're more likely to see the rain evaporating over the city than over … surrounding countryside because the city is warmer and its air drier," Steyn said.
A few commenters also offered up their suggestions. "It is called the Urban Heat Island effect," wrote one Redditor. Similar to the study in Mumbai, urban centers can often increase temperatures, which may alter the structure of approaching storms.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
|
When was the last time you weatherized your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
This year 👍 "This is a natural occurrence in cities that are surrounded by rural areas like Fort Wayne," wrote another commenter. "The air pressure and temperature is going to be higher in the city than out. This causes storm systems to move right around the city."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
