Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Current Conditions:
Temperature: 16°F
Feels Like: 5°F
Wind: East @ 8 mph
Humidity: 65%
Pressure: 1033.3 mb é

A trend of a slow, gradual rise in temperature is continuing to hang around, hopefully for the long run! The subpolar jet is starting to take even more of a horizontal path, bringing warmer Pacific air and allowing for warmer subtropical air to move northward. A high pressure dome is currently leading to mostly clear skies and (relatively) mild conditions. High temperatures are expected to range between 25-36°F for the foreseeable short-term forecast. Our current winds out of the east can be attributed to the fact that we are on the southern rotational zone of the high pressure system to our northeast. Soundings show that there is not much atmospheric activity today.

A high pressure dome to the northeast is currently affecting the Midwest, leading to clear skies clear skies and light winds. The winds may be bringing a slight chill to the air, due to the fact that they are bringing polar air down to the Midwest from central Canada.

The arctic air hanging over our region is being funneled down to us by a high pressure system to the immediate northeast of Lake Superior. A warm front is pushing across the Dakotas, hopefully moving towards our region.

The subpolar jet is currently taking a much more horizontal path, bringing warm, moist Pacific air from the west across the country.

Interpreting the current swirling wind pattern, we can determine that the high pressure dome is located just over Lake Superior. Conditions over Eau Claire show very minor cloud cover and winds out of the east.

Current LI and KI values from this sounding in Minneapolis, Minnesota show no significant atmospheric activity. Inversion seems to be taking place at about 850 mb, where the warm air is putting a lid on the current lower atmosphere.