Pattern Shift Means Warmer Temps Next 10-14 Days

For the past 3 weeks, an upper trough has been persistent over the Great Lakes & eastern states, bringing colder air and lots of snow.  The Western states, on the other hand, have been dry and mild.  That is about to change as the eastern trough retreats back into Canada with a ridge shifting over us.  You can see the current pattern on satellite views.

Now look at how computer models are lifting the trough/cold air back into Canada.

That pattern change should mean mild to warm weather through Mardi Gras.

There will be a couple of days with rain chances, but temperatures should be in the 60s & 70s, making for comfortable parade watching.   Look at the change in the upper air pattern according to the GFS model.  We begin with today on top, followed by the flow for Saturday.

The eastern trough lifts out, taking the Arctic cold with it.

Another trough develops over the Northeast with a building ridge shifting over the South.

So the eastern states are covered in clouds and cold temps, while the West is sunny and mild.

The past 3 weeks have had no snow falling over the main ski areas, with many locations not having enough snow to ski.  That should change beginning this weekend.

Just to point out how unusually warm the West has been, Montana is in the 60s in February!  Even Denver is 60+.  With parades starting tomorrow night, this weekend's weather looks near perfect.

Unlike previous years when the weather was a factor for Family Gras in Metairie, this weekend should bring out some huge crowds.  I have the honor of introducing Peter Noone & Herman's Hermits Friday night at 7 PM.  

The party kicks off at 3 PM, and I hope to see you there. Saturday will be a little cooler, but with sunny skies, if you're dressed for it, it'll feel great!  Stay tuned!

Brief Cool Down, Huge Weekend Warm Up

A cold front brought us some much-needed rainfall overnight, even though amounts were only 1/4 to 1/2".  North winds are bringing in cooler air, but the higher February sun angle has moderated the chill with many areas 60+.  This front is not like the Arctic front of last week.  It will bring some freezing temps to the North Shore, but most areas south of Lake P. should stay above freezing. I may bring my tropical plants back into my He-Shed just in case temps get lower than predicted.

After Friday morning, Temps really recover to give us a Spring-like feel to the air for this weekend.  In fact, the road to Mardi Gras looks very mild with no real cold coming back.

That does not mean Winter is over and we'll have no more freezes.  It just means the current pattern of a cold East Coast trough will lift out with an upper ridge forming over us.

 

The upper ridge currently over the West will shift over us.  You can see that warming across the western states.

It remains cold over the Great Lakes & Northeast, but the core of that cold will stay to our north and east, unlike last week.

 

As you can see, the warm-up next week will get us back way above normal (64).  There might be a day or two that we'll have to deal with showers, but overall, the Road to Mardi Gras is looking good.  finally...

The John Snell podcast from yesterday was well-liked by most of my subscribers.  You can always join to see that podcast plus all the others by visiting bobbreck.com and signing up ($2/month).  During hurricane season, it will be priceless!  But why wait and miss my discussing future topics like FOX 8 personalities, global warming, and other weather features that you want to know about?  Suggestions are always welcome. Stay tuned!