FORECAST DISCUSSION – Meteorologist Dontae Jones
A chilly day but at least it’s paired with quiet conditions and some sunshine. Mix of sun and clouds through the day. Staying dry. This evening we’ll be dropping into the 30s but winds should stay light. You’ll want the coat if you’re headed out.
Our next chance for rain moves in Wednesday evening. A weak cold front will bring a few showers and chance for a coating of wet snow, mainly northeast, just in time for the Wednesday evening rush hour. Thursday morning watch for slick spots on bridges and overpasses.
Here’s the latest 8-Day Forecast:
Why is the pattern so much colder now that we are in March? Scott has a detailed explanation:
It has to do with multiple factors: First since mid/late February, the temperatures in the upper atmosphere over the north pole started to warm. The sudden warming in the stratosphere over the north pole translate to high pressure over the north pole at the surface due to compression thus colder temperatures/high pressure and often a weaker polar vortex. These changes high in the atmosphere over the pole propagate to the lower levels and further south into the tropical regions. These changes coupled with a transition out of warmer phases along the equator from the Indians Ocean east into Indonesia to more favorable cold phases. (these changes were noticed as changes in the pressure readings between Australia and Tahiti in late February). The jet stream responded with more variability off of eastern Asia east over the northern Pacific and into North America. This has resulted in high pressure developing over Alaska and low pressure undercutting it north of Hawaii. Greenland high pressure merged with the Alaska high over the Northwest Territories which reinforced the undercutting northern Pacific storm track strengthening the jet stream and the trough as it moved east into the Ohio Valley along with colder air. All of this occurring in a decaying La Nina along the equatorial Pacific.
Complete Lake Erie daily ice coverage history on Scott’s Weather Blog
We look at many regions of the globe as we prepare our winter weather outlook.
