Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Current Conditions:
Temperature: 29°F
Feels Like: 20°F
Wind: West @ 10 mph
Humidity: 41%
Pressure: 1021.4 mb é

Cold temperatures remain in the area as we wait impatiently for the arrival of a small warm front. Currently, a string of weak high pressure systems is leading to partly cloudy (cumulus humilis) and chilly conditions. The jet is dipping down significantly still over our area, helping to keep temperatures chilly. Over the next few days we should see a small rise in temperature, couple with an increased chance for precipitation through the end of the week. The expected trend is due to a large low pressure trough pushing across from the northwest. Thanks to this trough, we can maybe expect a shift in wind direction from north winds to southwest winds, if the trough tracks to our north.

Over on the east coast there are some interesting things going on. There is a very large cold front that is spanning from into Canada, down along the Eastern Seaboard, through the Gulf of Mexico. This is being fed by the maritime tropic air mass in the Gulf of Mexico. Where the cold front and the mT air mass meet there is a very long line of storms. This is due to frontal lifting of the air, since the cold air is denser than the warm mT air. The warm air rises, condenses, and falls as precipitation.

This map shows the current pressure and frontal trends over the country. The low pressure trough in the northwest is currently pushing east/northeast. This could aid in bringing some relief from the cold temperatures currently being experienced in the Midwest. The string of high pressure systems is currently pushing through the center of the country on the edge of the low pressure trough. Finally, there is a cold front and a line of low pressure systems out east, bringing precipitation to most of the region.

This Accuweather map shows the current expected trends with the jet stream. This predicts the jet to shift northward, allowing for warmer temperatures to move northward again. The eastern coast is still expected to stay cool, however.

This shows the current trend of the jet stream. Currently, the deep trough prevails over the central and eastern parts of the country. As we saw, the line of high pressure systems lines up with the trough, while the low pressure systems to the west are on the windward side. This is expected to shift northward, allowing for warmer air to move back in.

This map shows the surface data for the Midwest. Currently, most of the areas to our west are reporting mostly sunny conditions. Wisconsin and east of Wisconsin are reporting cloudy conditions, with snow being reported in the easternmost extent of the viewing area.

This sounding from Minneapolis, Minnesota shows the current atmospheric conditions in the area. As expected with the current conditions, the LI and KI values are reporting very stable conditions, with little to no atmospheric activity.