Local expert's take on the weather

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - We're dealing with another soggy day in the Miami Valley and while most of us are ready for some sunshine, one local expert is checking the forecast with a certain satisfaction.

The University of Dayton professor had no way of know that this wet weather was right around the corner, but it sure is ironic, considering the predictions she made after finishing her climate research last year.

University of Dayton Assistant Professor, Schueng-Ye Wu, uses computer models and weather data to predict the future. Last year, her research resulted in an interesting prediction. "What I found is the annual precipitation will increase slightly," said Wu.

Wu found that Ohioans are likely to see more precipitation in the spring and winter and less in the summer.

Those findings have certainly rang true this spring and the reasoning is fairly simple. It all comes down to a warmer climate.

"You get more evaporation from the Great Lakes, so you have more moisture in the air and this is particularly prominent in winter and spring because you get decreased ice cover on the lake, so without the ice insulating the moisture, the water will start to evaporate and get into the air," said Wu.

She also found that the risk of floods and severe weather events will increase even more than average precipitation events.

Wu wants to make it clear that one season can't make or break a climate prediction.

She won't really know if her research is proved true for another 100 years and she jokes, if she's wrong, she won't be around to hear about it!