Sunday, January 13, 2008

The return of the "POLAR VORTEX"

The Polar Vortex is a complex weather system that we don't like seeing in North America. It is an upper air circulation that brings extremely cold air to the area. This is when we get temperatures well below zero and it's now in the medium range forecast models to head our way by next Saturday.

This is a very interesting study to those who are interested. The "Polar Vortex" is an elongated area of low pressure which takes place in the eastern regions of North America. Sometimes we can go a Winter without seeing it but right now it doesn't look like that is going to be the case. Temperatures can be in simple terms BRUTAL with our 850 mb temperatures at -24! That's -11 on the Fahrenheit scale. Hopefully, if we do have to see this pattern it moves out fairly quickly. I can remember my first Christmas here in 1989 we had several days of below zero temperatures.

I love to forecast for big changes like this but I don't enjoy living in it.

2 comments:

Bob G. said...

Greg:
The word "havoc" comes to mind , as in issues with vehicle batteries, children at bus stops, the elderly that might have to venture outside...that kind of thing. Time to get out the "longjohns".

Just one question: DO these vorteses tend to be fast moving as a rule, or are they at the mercy of other influences?

B.G.

Greg Shoup said...

I think the answer to your question Bob is other influences. It really depends on the movement of upper air. The 'polar' jet stream is faster moving then in the Summer. It also depends on what is happening on either side of this pattern. Fortunately, this pattern will just give us a quick blast of cold air. The 'Polar Vortex' does not completely release this time but it something that I'm always on the look out for during the Winter.