Good Questions: Partly Sunny, License Plates & Top 10 Weather Days
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Joann from Arden Hills asked: What's the difference between partly sunny and partly cloudy?
"This is kind of a gray area," said WCCO-TV Meteorologist Matt Brickman. "I think meteorologists give themselves a little leeway. I always think in terms of percentages."
For example, when it's 10-25 percent cloudy, Brickman calls it "mostly sunny." From 25-50 percent, it's partly sunny and 50-75 percent is partly cloudy.
Any more cloud cover he simply calls "overcast."
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Nancy from Cedar wants to know: Why does Minnesota require two license plates?
The Department of Public Safety says it's primarily a law enforcement issue. Two plates make it easier for officers to run plates or identify cars used in crimes, especially when surveillance video is used as an investigative tool.
Minnesota is one of 31 states that require a front and back license plate. According to a study from the Texas A & M Transportation Institute, two license plates saves time and money when it comes to law enforcement and automated tolls and parking.
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Bob from Minneapolis asked: How many Top 10 Weather Days have there been this year?
So far, there have been 10.
1. May 23
2. May 30
3. June 13
4. July 9
5. Aug. 2
6. Sept. 7
7. Sept. 16
8. Sept. 26
9. Sept. 28
10. Oct. 16
But ultimately, WCCO-TV will declare 20 Top Ten Weather Days a year: 10 for warm weather (April to October) and 10 for cold weather (November – March).
Brickman says, obviously, the standards will be different in the different seasons.