Sunday, February 12, 2012

StormTrack: Long Range- Active Weather Pattern (2/12/12)

An active weather pattern will continue through likely the rest of the month as we see a deep low pressure system and a deep ridge fight each other in the Pacific.
What will happen is that this deep low pressure system will be shifting around but generally staying in or just west of Alaska. The ridge on the other hand, will be staying pretty much right where it is shown here. The ridge will occasionally be attempting to make a move north into Alaska to push the deep low pressure system away, but the low pressure system will push back, and in the process send out several storm systems that will ride the jet stream into the US. This means that there should be several potential snow-producers in the country over the next few weeks. I have marked the path of where most of the storms should go, with some wiggle room for storms to take a more southern pattern than what I have marked on here.
The point is that I expect to see a lot more chances for snow and severe weather in the next half of February. I am anticipating a battleground of sorts to set up as these storms push through to make for some strong to severe thunderstorm events, namely in MO/AR/TN/KY/MS, as well as some strong storms possibly stretching back into TX/OK.
The line that I have marked is not necessarily the jet stream, as I anticipate it to be more southerly than the line. The point I am getting across with the line is just the possible areas affected by this train of storms.

-Andrew