December 21, 2015 | Here's a look at 10 of the most popular stories from 2015, as measured by traffic to our website. This year, we've also added a bonus category: Visualization of the Year.

1. Invisible waves visualized For the first time, an NCAR-led team of scientists has found a way to simulate the propagation of gravity waves toward space.
2. Sun experiences seasonal changes The discovery that the Sun's activity waxes and wanes nearly every two years provides clues that could help improve forecasting of solar storms.
3. Picturing the forecast Introduced by the National Weather Service this summer, the graphics draw on research by a team of risk communication experts at NCAR.
4. Extreme heat on the rise The interaction of a warming climate with a growing, shifting population could subject more people to sweltering conditions.
5. Printing weather stations in 3D UCAR and NCAR are using advanced technology to create inexpensive weather stations for developing nations.
6. Mysterious nighttime storms Researchers armed with more than 100 scientific instruments spent six weeks during the summer probing nocturnal thunderstorms on the Great Plains.
7. Ensemble forecasts go online NCAR scientists are generating daily, high-resolution ensemble forecasts for the continental United States and making them available online.
8. Europe's winter weather history NCAR research could move scientists closer toward projecting weather patterns in Europe months to years in advance.
9. Thunderstorms pour down ozone Thunderstorms move ozone from the stratosphere down toward Earth's surface, affecting air quality and climate.
10. Dengue and climate As dengue fever moves north with a warming climate, scientists are looking at multiple factors that can limit outbreaks.

Visualizing El Niño: 1997 vs 2015

The El Niño brewing in the tropical Pacific is on track to become one of the strongest such events in recorded history and may even warm its way past the historic 1997-98 El Niño. 

See all News