In figuring the
Bowen Ration for this location, I used a daily temperature (sensible heat) of
55º F. For the wet bulb temperature
(latent heat), I used a calculator from the web (http://www.4wx.com/wxcalc/)
which gave me a wet bulb temperature of 45º F.
The resulting ratio, 55 divided by 45, equals 1.2. This ratio is indicative of a fairly strong
continental climate. And Grand Island,
Nebraska does have this type of climate with cold winters and hot summers.
Grand Island's annual data is an average temperature of 55 ºF with annual high 61.8 ºF and low 38.3 ºF; the annual precipitation is 24.9 inches. Here is a link to the climate data for Grand Island for 2011.
Grand Island's annual data is an average temperature of 55 ºF with annual high 61.8 ºF and low 38.3 ºF; the annual precipitation is 24.9 inches. Here is a link to the climate data for Grand Island for 2011.
In the
Minigeebitt_b3 program, with the Earth’s albedo at 0.306 and the Greenhouse
Effect at 1.0, the average global temperature is 58.9ºF. When the albedo is increased 10% to 0.406,
the temperature decreases to 39.1ºF; when decreased 10% to 0.206, the
temperature increases to 76.7ºF. When
the Greenhouse Effect is increased to 1.10, the temperature increases to 63.9ºF;
when decreased to 0.90, the temperature decreases to 53.8ºF.
What would
these hypothetical global temperature changes mean for Grand Island’s
weather? The weather of the Great Plains
is very dependent on the flow of the jet stream. This jet stream’s flow is influenced by the
Icelandic Low and the Bermuda High. For the location
of Grand Island, Nebraska, any change that decreases the global temperature
would most likely weaken the Bermuda High and strengthen the Icelandic
Low. This would most likely result in the jet stream staying north or approximately over Nebraska which would create windy, drier and milder winters with cooler summers and shorter growing seasons. An
increase in global temperatures would do the opposite with a stronger Bermuda High
and weaker Icelandic Low. I believe this would
result in the jet stream coming further south carrying colder Arctic air in the winter; however the winter would be shorter with much longer and hotter summers. I think it is very probable that precipitation
would be affected with snowier winters and possible summer drought.
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