Friday, February 18, 2011

18 February, 2011

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TODAY'S TOP WEATHER STORIES
On Weather & Climate Through the Eyes of Mark Vogan

NEWS FEED... Dallas, TX is currently 82 degrees, 75 degrees in Washington DC, 67 degrees in Philadelphia and even 59 degrees at Boston whilst Arctic air presses south and into the Northern Rockies. It's 2 degrees at Glasgow, MT and 0 degrees at Cut Bank, MT, a large spread in temperature across the US this afternoon...

In Eastern Europe, it's currently 9 below zero in Moscow, Russia (-23C), 6 below zero in Helsinki, Finland, 4 below zero at Tallinn, Estonia and5 degrees at Riga, Latvia

OLD MAN WINTER CATCHING UP WITH MOSCOW AFTER A TAME START AS LOWS PLUNGE TO -27C THIS MORNING, MAY GET LOWER TONIGHT
-Mark Vogan


Over the past several days now I've been monitoring closely the temperature readings from Oslo, Stockholm and into where the core of coldest air has been stationed which has been from Helsinki, Finland eastwards and southeast into Moscow and down into the Ukraine. This very strong Arctic air mass is growing stronger with lows dipping to the lowest levels this morning for Helsink at around -28C and Moscow -27C. There's been plenty of sun with the odd passing flurry but days persistently are starting out clear and below -23C with highs barely making it to -15C. Whilst it's still cold over western Scandinavia with at least -8C and snow in Oslo before sunrise this morning and at least -9C (Likely cooler) in Stockholm, the core resides over Helsinki, Moscow and on southeastwards. Unfortunately it looks likely that Moscow may not see a high over -12C for at least the next 5 to perhaps 7 days and over the weekend we may well see highs struggled to warm to -20C and lows which may take a run at -30C. It was said that readings dipped to -30C in Moscow's south subrubs this morning!

Moscow lowers heating despite Siberian temperatures
ASSOCIATED PRESS

More Brutal Cold For Moscow into Next Week
ACCUWEATHER NEWS

TODAY'S WEATHER ACROSS UK & EUROPE
By Mark Vogan

UK currently In Battleground between Mild Atlantic Air & Cold Continental Air

Higher Routes of Scotland, northern England to see snow, possibly significant accummulations.

Roads include the M74 between Blackwood and Beattock Summit and all Highland routes north of Central Belt

Significant snow is possible over the hills of Scotland and the north of England tonight and into tomorrow as yet another band of heavy rain pushes in off the Atlantic along a frontal boundary. As this large band of rain pushes into colder air that's crossing the North Sea and into the eastern side of the UK, the collision of milder, moist Atlantic air and drier, colder air flowing in off the continent will mean, anywhere over perhaps 500, 1000 ft will see snow and perhaps several inches of accummulation. Higher roads including those in the Highland, just north of the Central Belt, even the Campsie Fells just north of Glasgow as well as the M74 from Blackwood/Lesmahagow southwards and particularly the stretch between Happendon and Abington services as well as over Beattock Summit may see treacherous driving conditions by morning.

This will be whilst the southwest of Britain sees temperatures as warm as 10 or 12C with brisk southeast winds and heavy, persistent rain for a good part of tomorrow morning. Though, the coolest areas will be eastern Britain, especially along the North Sea coast where that raw east wind will whistle in, it's going to feel cold but actual air temps will be above freezing. Cold enough for snow to fall but not particularly nasty as the milder air flowing in from the west will modify the eastward moving colder air.

BBC Meteorologist John Hammond explains a the volatile clash of air masses currently over UK airspace

BBC UK Forecast

BBC Europe Forecast

TODAY'S WEATHER ACROSS AMERICA
From AccuWeather


Snowstorms Bury The Mountains of the West
By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist


Snowstorms, Winter Fighting Back in Midwest, Northeast
By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Northeast High Wind Event Into Saturday
By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist



2011 Flooding Risk Elevated For Midwest, New England
By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

WEATHER TALK
By Mark Vogan

Altus, Oklahoma tops 85 degrees yesterday, that's 116 degrees difference from the all-time record low of -31 degrees at Nowata reached a week ago to the day!


Last Thursday morning saw Oklahoma City fall to a record low of -5 degrees, the first sub-0 low in 15 years, then yesterday, one week later, the city reaches a summer-like and record-breaking 80-degree high! Life on the American Plains.

Ponca City, OK reached a warm 81 degree high and this was an incredible 106-degree rise from last Thursday after the low here dipped to -25 degrees.

GEOGRAPHY AND TIME OF YEAR PLAYED ROLE IN SUCH A HUGE TEMPERATURE JUMP

It's amazing to see the huge flip in temperature that can occur in this part of the world, thanks to geography and indeed time of year. Had last week's frigid cold hit in late December or early January, we likely wouldn't have seen 80s this week, why? well because it's much tougher to drive warm tropical air north in the heart of winter where it would being typically beaten down by colder northerly air mass or would weaken in lack of daylight etc. However though it remains winter, it's late on and not only do we have increased sunlight and solar energy getting to the ground, thus sub-tropical ridges are both intensifying and commencing their northward journey, we also have, on the American Plains the huge influence of the Rocky Mountains to the west and with a Pacific flow, we see downsloping and anhancement of warming. Both very warm air surging north out of the Mexican desert and a strong southwest flow off the Pacific which went up, over and down the east face of the Rockies compressed the air and therefore heated it up further and this was why we saw 80s show up across a large chunk of Oklahoma yesterday.

WHAT'S REACHING TODAY'S BLOGS?

Snow Map for Both Storms Sunday to Tuesday
Henry Margusity, AccuWeather

Computer Model Outlook through End of Winter
Brett Anderson, Canada Expert, AccuWeather

THE EXTREMES OF THE DAY

TODAY'S US EXTREMES
COURTESY OF ACCUWEATHER

HIGH: 89 degrees at Laredo, TX
LOW: -17 degrees at Wolf Point, MT

TODAY'S UK EXTREMES
COURTESY OF THE MET OFFICE

HIGH: 51 degrees (10.5C) at Chivenor (Devon)
LOW: 23 degrees (-5.2C) at Altnaharra (Sutherland)

TODAY'S EXTREMES HERE AT MY HOUSE


HIGH: 42 degrees
LOW: 39 degrees

Thanks for reading.
-Mark

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