The Temperature Range of Rainfall

The Temperature Range of Rainfall If youve ever wondered why getting soaked in a rainstorm makes you cold, its not just because the precipitation moistens your clothes and skin, the temperature of the rainwater itself is also to blame. On average, raindrops have temperatures somewhere between 32 F (0 C) and 80 F (27 C). Whether a raindrop is closer to the cold or warm end of that range  depends on a number of things including what temperature it starts at high up in the clouds and what the air temperatures are in the upper atmosphere where those clouds are floating. As you can imagine, both of these things vary from day to day, season to season, and location to location, which means there is no usual  temperature for raindrops.   Temperatures in the atmosphere interact with raindrops, starting from their birth high up in a cloud to their final target- you and the ground- drastically affecting the temperature of these droplets of water. Cold Beginnings and Cold Descents Surprisingly, most of the worlds rainfall begins as snow high up in the clouds overhead- even on a hot summer day! Thats because temperatures in the upper portions of clouds are well below freezing, sometimes as low as -58 F. The snowflakes and ice crystals found in clouds at these cold temperatures and heights warm and melt into liquid water as they pass below the freezing level, then exit the parent cloud and enter the warmer air below it. As the melted raindrops continue to descend, they can become cooler through evaporation  in a process that  meteorologists call evaporative cooling,  wherein rain falls into drier air, causing that airs dewpoint to increase and its temperature to lower. Evaporative cooling is also one reason why rainfall is associated with cooler air, which explains why meteorologists sometimes claim it is raining or snowing high up in the upper atmosphere and will soon do so out your window- the longer this happens, the more the air near the ground will moisten and cool, allowing the precipitation a path to fall to the surface. Air Temperatures Above Ground Affect Final Raindrop Temp In general, as precipitation nears the ground, the atmospheres temperature profile- the range of air temperatures that the precipitation passes through- from around the 700 millibar level down to the surface determines the type of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or freezing rain) that will reach the ground. If this temperature is above freezing, the precipitation will, of course, be rain, but how warm above freezing they are will determine how cool the raindrops will be once they hit the ground. On the other hand, if the temperature is below freezing, the precipitation will fall as snow, sleet, or freezing rain depending on how much lower than freezing the range of air temperatures is. If youve ever experienced a rain shower that was warm to the touch, its because the rains temperature is above the current surface air temperature. This occurs when temperatures  from 700 millibars (3,000 meters) down are quite warm but a shallow layer of cooler air blankets the surface.

Majority Government in Canada

Majority Government in Canada The way Canada elects its representatives and head of government is different from the process we follow in the United States. Winning a majority of seats in the Canadian Parliaments House of Commons has different ramifications than winning a majority in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. In our presidential system, the head of state and the head of government is the same  person, and he or she is elected independently of the members of the American legislature (Senate and House of Representatives). But in a parliamentary system, theres a head of state and a head of government, and the head of government derives its power from the ruling party. In Canada, the head of state is the Queen, and the prime minister is the head of government. The ruling party determines who will be prime minister. So how does a party become Canadas ruling party? Majority Party Versus Minority Party in Canada The political party that wins the most seats in a general election becomes the governments ruling party. If that party wins more than half of the seats in the House of Commons or legislative assembly, then the party forms a majority government. This is the best-case scenario as far as a political party is concerned (but may not be ideal for voters, depending on how they voted), since it ensures they will be able to steer the direction of policy and legislation without much input (or interference, depending on your point of view) from other parties.  The parliamentary system of government makes party loyalty from Canadian politicians  all but assured. Heres why: A majority government can pass legislation and maintain the confidence of the House of Commons or legislative assembly to stay in power much more easily than a  minority government. Thats what happens when a party wins half or fewer than half of the seats in the House of Commons or legislative assembly.   In order to retain the confidence of the House of Commons and remain in power, a minority government has to work a lot harder. It will have to negotiate more frequently with other parties and possibly make concessions and adjustments in order to win enough votes to pass legislation.   Choosing Canadas Prime Minister The entire country of Canada is divided into districts, also known as ridings, and each one elects its representative in Parliament. The leader of the party that wins the most ridings in a general federal election becomes Canadas Prime Minister.   As head of the countrys executive branch, Canadas prime minister chooses the cabinet, deciding who should oversee the various government departments, such as agriculture or foreign affairs. Most of Canadas cabinet ministers come from the House of Commons, and occasionally one or two come from the Senate. The prime minister serves as chairman of the cabinet. Canadian federal elections are usually held every four years on the first Thursday in October. But if the government loses the confidence of the House of Commons, a new election may be called.   The political party which wins the second highest number of seats in the House of Commons becomes the official opposition party.   The prime minister and cabinet are the key decision-makers in Canadian government. Having a majority party makes their jobs much easier.