Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

         

123 Street Avenue, City Town, 99999

(123) 555-6789

email@address.com

 

You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.
Link to read me page with more information.

backlit-stratus-clouds-2013-04-05.jpg

Blog

Weather forecasting and analysis, space and historic events, climate information

Filtering by Category: Medium Range Outlooks

10:00 AM (Tuesday) | ***Severe weather outbreak next couple days likely to include numerous tornadoes… significant snow in the cold sector…strong storms possible near east coast on Thursday***

Paul Dorian

One of the key ingredients in this upcoming severe weather outbreak will be the intensification of an upper-level jet (300 mb) which will combine with an low-level jet (850 mb) to generate deep-layer wind shear in the atmosphere. Map courtesy ECMWF, Pivotal Weather

Overview

There have been back-to-back weeks with severe weather outbreaks in the US and another one is on the way. Severe weather including the threat for tornadoes is likely from later today into the overnight hours across the Mississippi Valley and then the risk shifts to the Ohio Valley on Wednesday.  One of the key ingredients for the severe weather outbreak will be a strong surface cold front and it reaches the east coast later Thursday and there can be strong-to-severe storms in that region as well.  Other ingredients include multiple jet streaks in the atmosphere which will enhance the chance for rotation and tornadic activity.  In the cold sector of the storm, significant snow is going to fall during the next couple of days from the Rockies to the Dakotas/northern Minnesota. Looking ahead, this may be the end of the severe weather outbreaks for awhile warm air may finally flood the central and eastern states later next week.

One of the key ingredients in this upcoming severe weather outbreak will be the intensification of a low-level jet (850 mb) which will combine with an upper-level jet (300 mb) to generate deep-layer wind shear in the atmosphere. Map courtesy ECMWF, Pivotal Weather

Details

There is a risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from later today into the overnight hours across the Mississippi Valley region from Iowa/Illinois to the north and eastern Texas/Louisiana in the south. In much the same manner as with recent severe weather outbreaks, a vigorous upper-level trough will help to spawn cyclogenesis in the middle of the nation at the same time high-level ridging intensifies over the eastern states.  An intensifying upper-level jet streak (southwesterly) will push into the Great Plains and then the Mississippi Valley region and a low-level jet (southerly) will become involved as well.  The combination of these two jet streaks will lead to deep-layer wind shear in the warm sector of the surface low pressure system potentially leading to supercells capable of producing tornadoes. In addition, torrential rain and hail will be on the table with this severe weather outbreak.

Severe weather is a threat from later today into the overnight hours across much of the Mississippi Valley region and this risk will shift to the Ohio Valley/Great Lakes/Midwest on Wednesday. Map courtesy NOAA/Storm Prediction Center

By tomorrow, the threat of severe weather will shift slightly to the east with thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes extending from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley and southwestward back into the Lower Mississippi Valley. As the cold front pushes to the east on Wednesday, the cold and dry air mass on its backside will clash with warm and humid air all the way up into the Great Lakes region from the Gulf of Mexico.  This same front will push towards the eastern seaboard on Thursday and there can be strong-to-severe thunderstorms in the I-95 corridor later in the day or early Thursday night. 

The cold front clears the east coast by Friday and sets the stage for quieter weather in the northeastern states on Friday and through the upcoming Easter weekend. It will turn cooler on Friday with a chilly air mass moving into the Northeast US/Mid-Atlantic anchored by high pressure with its origins in Canada. There should be plenty of sunshine on both days; however, it’ll feel quite cool in the shade or during the nights. Looking ahead, there are signs for a widespread warm air surge later next week into the central and eastern US - eliminating that “battleground” region in the middle of the country - and this could very well make this upcoming severe weather outbreak the last one in an extended period of time.

There will be significant accumulating snow over the next couple of days in the cold sector of this storm from the Rockies to the Dakotas/northern Minnesota. Map courtesy ECMWF, Pivotal Weather

One final note, this unfolding weather pattern will not only produce numerous tornadoes from later today into Wednesday in the latest in a series of severe weather outbreaks, it is likely to also result in significant accumulating snow. Specifically, the region from the Rockies to the Dakotas/northern Minnesota will see some substantial snowfall during the next 72 hours or so with as much as 1-2 feet in some locations. Ultimately, the accumulating snow will reach the northern part of New England with Maine, for example, likely to receive several inches by late in the week.

Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Arcfield
arcfieldweather.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Video discussion:


 

10:30 AM | ***Another severe weather outbreak on the way from later tomorrow into Wednesday likely to include numerous tornadoes…substantial accumulating snow from the Rockies to the Dakotas***

Paul Dorian

There have been back-to-back weeks with severe weather outbreaks in the US and it looks like another one is on the way from later tomorrow into Wednesday.  The areas of concern include the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and the ingredients that will come together to destabilize the atmosphere include jet streaks at multiple layers, cold, dry air mass charging to the south and east, and warm, humid air flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Tornadoes are running at above-normal levels across the nation so far this season thanks in large part to the recent two outbreaks and, unfortunately, many more are likely from later tomorrow into Wednesday. Meanwhile, in the cold sector of the storm system, the air will be cold enough for accumulating snow all the way from the Rockies to the Dakotas and, in some spots, this could amount to as much as 1-2 feet.

Read More

10:00 AM | ***Damaging wind gusts possible this morning with rain/scattered thunderstorms… sun this afternoon to boost chances for late day/evening severe weather including isolated tornadoes***

Paul Dorian

Strong low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes this morning continues to wreak havoc across the nation. Last night, tornadoes broke out from the Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley and, in the cold sector of the storm, accumulating snow fell across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.  Snow continues today across the Great Lakes region this morning and powerful potentially damaging winds have reached the Mid-Atlantic region to along with rain, scattered strong thunderstorms, and very mild conditions.  A dry slot should result in some sunshine this afternoon in the I-95 corridor which will only boost chances for late day/evening severe weather with damaging wind gusts, hail and even isolated tornadoes on the table.

Read More

9:30 AM | ****Severe weather/tornado outbreak on Friday night in the Mississippi Valley…damaging winds gusts Ohio Valley/eastern US later Friday and Saturday associated with strong cold front****

Paul Dorian

Tornadoes are running at above-normal levels across the nation so far this season and there is the likelihood for another outbreak on Friday night centered on the Mississippi Valley region. In much the same manner as at the end of the last week, the atmosphere will become very unstable by Friday night in the Mississippi Valley region with a multitude of ingredients coming together including vigorous upper-level support, an intrusion of warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of a strong surface cold front, and an influx of cold, dry air from the north and west behind it. A similar weather pattern late last week resulted in an outbreak of tornadoes across Mississippi and Alabama that tragically resulted in the death of at least 26 people. The powerful cold front that will play a major role in the severe weather outbreak on Friday night will plow eastward through the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and into the eastern states possibly resulting in damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph in those sections of the country.

Read More

9:30 AM | **Potential exists for a severe weather outbreak on Friday night in the Mississippi Valley…powerful cold front reaches the eastern US on Saturday with possible damaging wind gusts**

Paul Dorian

Tornadoes are running at above-normal levels across the nation so far this season and there is the potential for another severe weather outbreak at the end of this week.  In much the same manner as at the end of the last week, the atmosphere will become very unstable by Friday night in the Mississippi Valley region with a multitude of ingredients coming together including vigorous upper-level support, an intrusion of warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico, and an influx of cold, dry air from the north and west. A similar weather pattern late last week resulted in an outbreak of tornadoes across Mississippi and Alabama that tragically resulted in the death of at least 26 people. The powerful cold front that will play a major role in the late week severe weather threat in the Mississippi Valley will plow through the Ohio Valley and into the eastern states on Saturday possibly resulting in damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph in those sections of the country.

Read More

10:30 AM | *This Thursday is Opening Day for Major League Baseball and it’ll be quite chilly in the Northeast US/Mid-Atlantic and across California…some big time rule changes this year*

Paul Dorian

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day for all thirty teams is this Thursday, March 30th and it looks like it may be quite chilly in two parts of the nation with below-normal temperatures for several games. One region that is likely to feature colder-than-normal conditions is the Northeast US/Mid-Atlantic following the passage of a mid-week cold frontal system and a second region is the western US where it has been quite chilly for weeks compared to normal.  In the Northeast US/Mid-Atlantic region, home openers include the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the Washington Nationals. California will host three opening games on Thursday in Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego and temperatures are likely to be below-normal all the way down to the Mexican border. This will be an interesting year for big league baseball as there will be major changes to the game including the restriction of the defensive shift, bigger bases, and – for the first time ever – the usage of a time clock.

Read More

11:30 AM | ****Active pattern continues…severe weather outbreak…flooding rains...weekend snow threats Upper Midwest/interior NE US…possible storms near both coasts by next mid-week****

Paul Dorian

We are now a few days into spring season and the active weather pattern that lasted through much of the winter across the nation looks like it can continue well into the month of April. California was pounded by yet another storm on Wednesday that the state brought heavy rain, significant snow, and even a rare tornado to the Los Angeles metro region. Some severe weather is possible later Thursday across Texas and Oklahoma, but it is even more likely from later Friday into Friday night across the Lower Mississippi Valley.  Meanwhile, in the colder climate of the northern US, there can be accumulating snow this weekend in the Upper Midwest and then upstate New York/northern New England.  And finally, while still in the speculation phase, this active weather pattern may result in strong new storms near both coasts by the middle of next week.

Read More

9:30 AM | *Cold air outbreaks to last into the first week of April from the Northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic/NE US…pattern to produce snow threats in some areas, severe weather in others*

Paul Dorian

Spring has officially sprung and there is some quite mild weather expected during the next couple of days in much of the eastern half of the nation. There are signs, however, that point to additional cold air outbreaks into at least the first week of April from the Northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US. The overall weather pattern across North America still features some high-latitude blocking over northern Canada and Greenland and this, in turn, is allowing for the transport of colder-than-normal air masses on occasion into the northern US from Canada. One of the consequences of additional cold air outbreaks is the high likelihood for additional accumulating snow events across the northern states and also the threat for severe weather outbreaks in the southern US. This pattern of normal to below-normal temperatures has been pretty commonplace during the last ten years in the months of March and April in the region from the Northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US.

Read More

4:15 PM | ****Low pressure to intensify on Monday off the Mid-Atlantic coastline reaching near Long Island by mid-day Tuesday…snow on Tuesday can swing all the way down into SE PA and southern NJ****

Paul Dorian

It was thirty years ago that the so-called “Storm of the Century” pounded the eastern US all the way from Florida to Maine after what was a relatively quiet winter season of 1992-1993.  In much the same manner, this winter season has been relatively quiet as well in much of the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US in terms of cold and snow. However, as was the case thirty years ago, it looks like there will be a late winter March storm that years from now could make this relatively mild winter much more of a memorable season…at least for many of those in the Northeast US.

Read More

12:45 PM | ****Active, colder pattern with multiple storm threats… possible burst of snow early Saturday eastern PA/NJ with inverted trough...second system can become a monster storm for NE US****

Paul Dorian

The overall weather pattern will remain quite active across the nation during the next couple of weeks with most sections experiencing colder-than-normal conditions. In the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US, there may be as many as three storms during the next week or so presenting chances of rain and snow. The first threat of rain and snow will come from Friday into Saturday, the second system from late Sunday into Tuesday and this could turn into a monster storm for the NE US, and the potential exists for a third storm around the end of next week.  In all cases, the most favored areas for accumulating snow will be the usual interior, higher elevation locations, but even the I-95 corridor can get some accumulating snow; especially, to the north and west of the big cities.  One interesting aspect about the first storm, it will likely feature an inverted trough extending from the low pressure center over the western Atlantic to the Mid-Atlantic coastline early Saturday and will undergo rapid intensification…both of which can lead to a last minute burst of heavier snow in such places as eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Read More