Fog in Kassel: weather phenomenon or just a prejudice?

Fog in Kassel: weather phenomenon or just a prejudice?

In the current discussion about the weather in the Kassel basin, the phenomenon of the inversion weather situation plays a crucial role. According to an article by HNA , the widespread prejudice that the weather in Kassel is worse than in the surrounding area. In particular, it occurs that while the sun is shining on the Hercules, the city itself is often wrapped in fog.

The meteorologist Jürgen Schmidt explains that inversion weather conditions often occur in winter. In these phases, the temperature in higher layers of air is warmer than on the ground, which prevents the cold air and the fog from escaping from the Kassel basin. Kassel records a slightly above-average tendency to fog in Germany with 45 fog days per year, as Thomas Kesseler-Lauterkorn states.

inversion weather conditions and their effects

The inversion weather situation, as described in mein-lernen.at , often arises on quiet and clear nights. The strong cooling of the soil means that warmer air lies over cool air. This layer blocks the air exchange and ensures poor air quality, especially in valleys and urban areas. Pollutants and fine dust remain trapped in the air near the ground, which results in a further deterioration in weather perception.

The meteorological conditions in the Kassel basin are favored by the topographical pelvic position of the area, less wind and proximity to the Fulda. According to Sebastian Egli from the University of Marburg, Kassel is often affected by radiation fog, which also favors fog formation. Radiation fog is caused by cold high weather locations when clear nights cool down the surface of the earth.

Why does the fog stay?

As in a contribution by Weather.com can cause temperature differences of over 10 degrees between high altitudes and the ground. While it is often sunny and mild on the altitudes, permanent frost can occur in the valley area. Such temperature differences can be observed particularly frequently in autumn and winter when high pressure systems lie above the region and hardly blows wind.

In these times, the fog often remains for days. If the sunlight is not sufficient to heat the cold air lakes, the view is severely restricted. These long -term fog periods feed the impression of bad weather in the Kassel basin and at the same time contribute to the increased pollutant concentration in the air.