How is Natural Snow Created?

Natural snow falling from the sky is one of mother natures most beautiful creations. But why does it sometimes snow when the thermometer is over 32? Why does it rain when the temperature is below freezing? It's all really quite simple!

Snow is nothing more than frozen water - basically frozen clouds. The moisture condenses in the clouds until it is too heavy to stay airborne so it begins to fall. As it falls, some of the vapor forms the nucleous of a snowflake while the rest simply latches on to help grow the flakes. Some people think that a speck of dust starts the process but no one knows for sure. The six sided classic snowflake is just the natural crystal structure that forms in the right conditions. It is probably a myth that no two snowflakes can ever be the same - there are so many that no one will ever know for sure. But like all crystals, given identical conditions the crystals should form identically.

However, since the air is seldom consistent all the way down, many different things can happen to the flakes. If the air is fairly consistently cold and stable, the flakes float slowly and have time to create the classic snow flake shape we all know. If the air below is warmer, the snowflakes may melt into sleet or even rain. If the flakes fall from cold, to warmer, to cold again, they tend to get distorted into little ice balls or grains. Freezing rain happens when the moisture falls through a warmer layer but then hits a cold layer of air just above the ground. Temperature inversions, where the colder air is capped by a warmer air mass above it are fairly common in areas where cold and warm air masses collide. Sometimes it can appear to snow when it the thermometer says it is too warm. That is because there is a cold air mass above with a very thin layer of warm air near the ground.

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Tropical Cyclones

We call them by sweet-sounding names like Firinga or Katrina, but they are huge rotating storms 200 to 2,000 kilometers wide with winds that blow at speeds of more than 100 kilometers per hour. Weather professionals, or meterologists, know them as tropical cyclones. They occur in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Large ones have destroyed cities and killed hundreds of thousands of people.

We know that tropical cyclones begin over water that is warmer than 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) slightly north or south of the earth's equator. Warm, humid air full of water vapor moves upward. The earth's rotation causes the growing storm to start to rotate around its center (called the eye). At a certain height, the water vapor condenses, changing to liquid and releasing heat. The heat draws more air and water vapor upward, creating a cycle as air and water vapor rise and liquid water falls. If the cycle speeds up until winds reach 118 kilometers per hour, the storm qualifies as a tropical cyclone.

Most deaths in tropical cyclones are caused by storm surge. This is a rise in sea level, sometimes seven meters or more, caused by the storm pushing against the ocean's surface. Storm surge was to blame for the flooding of New Orleans in 2005. The storm surge of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 in Myanmar pushed seawater nearly four meters deep some 40 kilometers inland, resulting in many deaths.

The goal is to know when and where the next tropical cyclone will form. "And we can't really do that yet," says David Nolan, a weather researcher from the University of Miami. The direction and strength of tropical cyclones are also difficult to predict, even with computer assistance. Three-day forecasts are still off by an average of 280 kilometers. Forecasters do know that storms are often energized where ocean water is deep and warm, that high waves tend to reduce their force, and that when tropical cyclones move over land, they begin to die.

Long-term forecasts are poor; small differences in the combination of weather factors lead to very different storms. More accurate forecasting could help people decide to evacuate when a storm is on the way.

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Useful Disaster Shelters in Case of Floods

Global warming will paradoxically increase the frequency of rain phenomena and floods because of the meltdown of the icebergs. During these life-threatening situations, a course in emergency flood instructions might turn out very useful as it might save your life.

If you live in an area where floods are frequent or you simply want to be prepared, the first thing you need to do is find a good, preferably high area where you can erect a disaster relief shelter and furnish it with supplies of water and medicines. Shopkeepers have anticipated your needs and they have come up with easy to set up humanitarian tents which are now incredibly affordable.

Extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes and floods or man-made disasters have made humanitarian shelters a profitable industry, determining merchants to offer a wide range of tents, based on the type of catastrophe. These one-piece relief shelters are very appreciated especially by firefighters and soldiers because they no longer contain small parts that can be lost and they can be erect in less than 3 minutes.

It is best if you purchase larger relief tents as you may need to shelter other families as well. Once the tent has been erect you can add as many beds or sleeping bags as possible and gather covers for all the people in the shelter, taking special care of children and ill persons.

Since water resources are very scarce you need to deposit as many supplies as possible. For that, you may use portable reservoirs as they are extremely resistant and capacious, being able to securely store thousands of liters of water.

You might want to add other facilities to the shelter such as, toilets and showers if you are dealing with a disaster of biblical proportions. Facilities can be separated from the rest of the tent through detachable doors. Space problems arising from the need to harbor large number of refugees may be solved by connecting shelters through zipped doors.

Losing your lifetime savings in the whirlpool of angry waters is always a dreadful experience. Disaster relief shelters and other facilities available at the moment provide you with all the support you need to start everything all over again without worrying about survival.

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Hong Kong Weather - Beware of Monsoon Season!

Located with Mainland China to the North and surrounded by the South China Sea to the South, West, and East, Hong Kong has a subtropical, humid climate. HK enjoys four distinct seasons, but frost is pretty much unimaginable. Here's some advice for when to travel to Hong Kong based on the weather!.

Winters tend to be sunny and mild-temperatured. February gets cloudier, with some cold fronts that bring cool dry air from the North. February may feel chilly with average temperatures near 60°F / 15°C, but it is an anticipated month for shoppers, because there are the holiday sales (Chinese New Year usually falls towards the end of January or in February).

Springtime in Hong Kong is pleasant temperature-wise, although it can be unpredictable with mist, light rain and also possible humid days. It is a moderately popular time to visit, although riskier than autumn. Pack light clothes in general, but don't be surprised if you get rained on at some point.

Summertime is hot hot hot! and sticky, with rain, thunderstorms, and warm air currents from the Southwest. Spring is also when hurricane-like typhoons are most frequent, especially from July to September. May through September when HK gets 80% of its rain when HK sees 80% of its rainfall) are months particularly to be avoided due to the risk of these tropical storms - monsoons) which now and then result in flooding and landslides. With temperatures in the 80s / about 30°C but feeling much warmer with the humidity, you'll want to pack very light summer clothing. However, keep in mind that it will be kept very cold with air conditioning indoors, so always bring a pullover, no matter how warm it feels! A small umbrella is also a good idea since you can expect rain - it rains about four days per week, and on dry days it will cover you from the sun.

Autumn in Hong Kong (from September to December) is very nice with bright, sunny, dry days. It is not as humid as in the spring. November is probably the most enjoyable time of year to visit Hong Kong, with temperatures usually in the low to mid 70s (between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius) and low humidity. In fact, the most common times to vacation in Hong Kong extend from October until February.

Hong Kong is an amazing travel destination, whether you spend the whole time in the Central district, near the beach, or exploring the many parks. Whatever you intend to do, you'll definitely make the most of your trip if you know what temperatures and conditions to expect, carry a jumper, and remember to avoid monsoon-season!

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3 Realistic Reasons Why You Might Need a Survival Kit

What is a Disaster?

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, and destruction and devastation to life and property

1. It completely disrupts the normal day to day life

2. It negatively influences the emergency systems

3. Normal needs and processes like food, shelter, health, etc. are affected and deteriorate depending on the intensity and severity of the disaster.

4. Traumatic stress disorders can follow all disasters.

Earthquake

This disaster can be among the most destructive natural disasters. There are two types of earthquakes that have been identified: thrust and slip quakes. It's unfortunate, but there are no precise ways of predicting when an earthquake may occur. The most effective tactic to minimize the effects of earthquakes in human lives is to make adequate earthquake emergency preparations.

Believe it or not, earthquakes occur every day. Luckily, the vast majority of them are minor causing little or no damage. Large earthquakes can cause serious destruction and massive loss of life. Buildings and bridges collapse, gas line disrupted, electric and phones lines down and often cause landslides, flash floods, fires, avalanches, and tsunamis. They may lead to disease, lack of basic necessities, property damage and loss of life.

Preparation for an earthquake is the best method for minimizing injury or damage.

Tornadoes

These storms are among the most devastating phenomena of nature. Your chances of surviving a tornado can greatly increase if you have prepared in advanced for such a destructive disaster. More than 800 tornadoes are reported each year, occurring throughout the United States. Though more common in spring and summer months, twisters can happen in any season.

Tornadoes can tear through a city, leaving a trail of property damage and human casualties. It is not a force of nature to be ill-prepared or underestimated. Winds generated can be up to 300 miles per hour-packing enough force to hurl vehicles the length of a football field or to crush a home in seconds. Unlike many other weather events, tornadoes don't give us much warning. They can appear suddenly, directly over homes and towns. The average warning of about 18 minutes is quite minimal.

Preparation for a tornado is the best method of minimizing injury.

Hurricanes

These tropical storms can have winds that reach a constant speed of 74 or more miles per hour. The winds blow in a large spiral around a relative tranquil center known as the eye of the storm. This eye is generally 20 to 30 miles wide and the storm may extend 400 miles. Along the ocean coast, a storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and/or property. A storm surge is a large dome of water about 50 to 100 miles wide that sweeps along the coastline where a hurricane makes landfall and the waves are devastating.

HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours. At this time, prepare to protect family and property in case warnings are issued.

HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. Complete your preparedness plans or if local officials direct, evacuate.

As with other emergencies, educate yourself about typical disasters in your locale and take the necessary steps for preparedness. Create or purchase an emergency supply kit and a family disaster plan.

If you take a look at this article, you would think that I'm tracing disasters from the west coast of the U.S. to the east coast. If only these devastating disasters actually occurred that way. Just think, we would actually what to expect. and how to prepare. But, nature doesn't work that way, so, it's not really all that easy. We all have a pretty good idea of hurricane season, the months of tornadoes, but anyone of these storms can actually strike anywhere, anytime. Of course, there are numerous other disasters that can effect us all without warning. War, fire, flooding, landslides, mudslides, volcanoes, drought and many more.

I hope this article encourages everyone to prepare for disasters. All disasters! Among the many things needed are food, water, blankets, shelter, first aid supplies, flashlights and the list goes on. There are many publications and websites available to help you with your preparedness. A very good website for research is the American Red Cross.

Remember, the key to survival is planning!

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Unique Way to Start Off With Offline Marketing

The offline marketing world is becoming more and more open to online marketing gurus. As more and more online marketers figure out how powerful offline marketing and promotions can be, it becomes a much easier approached field. Over the last few years, interest in offline marketing has gotten much bigger. Web marketers are getting real results by taking the offline path and there is no doubt that it is going to work. For lots, however, offline marketing still sounds like something that will fail. Talking over the phone, cold calling, connecting in real-time, having face to face meetings - all of this seems to be stopping aspiring marketers to explore this area. Of course, it doesn't need to be this way. This article is going to teach you a few ways that you can get offline marketing to work for you.

One unique way to start off with offline marketing is to rant about your blog whenever you get a chance. This especially helps when you're networking with people from your industry or if you meet a lot of people on a regular basis. Then you just bring up your blog in the conversations you have with people so that they will be interested in it. For example, if a particular topic comes up that interests everybody then you could probably say, "Oh yes, I should blog about that soon". This could be a great way to get people interested in your blog as well as what you have to offer through it. All you have to do then, if they are interested, is hand your business card to those people. Or you can also verbally let them know the URL of your blog.

Flyers--both posting and handing them out--can be a great way to get more exposure. Malls, public places, etc are great places to hand out flyers. Bulletin boards in department stores, grocery stores, etc are all good places.

You never know who might spot them. Print them in yellow and be sure that they include both your URL and your email address so that people will know how to get in touch with you if they want to do so. Your overall goal in this situation is to get the word out about what you have to offer to as many people and in as many places as you can. It's also good to get in touch with Internet browsing places and distribute your flyers there.

If you want to generate lots of attention for yourself, the easiest and most effective method of doing so is using word of mouth. Get people to talk about the product, service or whatever you're offering on your website.

You want to be so good at what you do that people can't help but talk about you. Ask your customers to tell other people about you. It's important to get your friends, family and even colleagues to tell their friends, family and colleagues about your website. It will take some effort to get the word of mouth jump started but that effort will really be worth it. Don't just depend on word of mouth happening on its own, initiate it if you can. You can get so much from offline marketing if you have the right approach. Whether it is targeted exposure or building your brand that you want to do, there is lots of success to be found here. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is not just depend on offline marketing. You need to take your efforts up to the next level by milking both online and offline marketing. Try to marry them and use them together. Try to figure out how to gain even more success by using online and offline marketing in tandem. Make sure that you take consistent action so that you can get consistent results, as much as you would if you used Google Places optimization.

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