The science behind a wintry intrusion this week
Any time the pattern gets as anomalous as it is forecast to get over the next several days, a meteorologist’s job becomes very interesting. We can either simply say “It’ll be very cold this week”, or we can take the time to explain the science behind it. We’ll choose the latter. The pattern change, which will undoubtedly be noticeable by the middle to end of the upcoming work week, is occurring as a result of several impressive atmospheric events. Global circulations are changing the pattern — and it will be a sight to see. But the change goes far beyond the fact that unseasonably low heights will dip into our area by Thursday morning.
The pattern is already unbelievably anomalous well to our west, over the Northeast Pacific and British Columbia. The extratropical transition of Typhoon Nuri and its phase with a piece of Pacific Energy led to a tremendously anomalous trough — and an incredibly strong storm system with minimum central pressures down to 924mb (The strongest storm in the history of the Bering Sea and the North Pacific). But, more importantly, the anomalous storm system is amplifying a tremendous ridge to its east over the West Coast of the United States, northward into British Columbia and toward the poles.