Saturday, May 20, 2023

Will The Front Make It? Models Say Yes!

As we get deeper into May, it becomes more difficult for fronts to push down to the Gulf South as the main Jet Stream lifts farther to the north taking away the upper support/push to drive fronts through.  I'm beginning with the upper air off both coasts since they show why I believe this front will struggle to get through us.  We continue to have troughs off both coast with a ridge in between.




The bottom satellite view shows my concerns regarding this front as the upper energy over Michigan is pulling to the east while another upper disturbance is moving through Mexico.  That SW upper flow (green arrows) should slow the front to a crawl as it staggers through SE LA/MS.





For sure, there are both temperature and moisture differences either side of the front.  What might happen is an area of low pressure off Florida's east coast next week finally pulls in some drier air?




The top view is today's satellite view that has some clouds with an upper low.  Zack showed the computer model thinking for later next week.






In the short term, we're hot & humid with some showers developing ahead of the front.   The wind shift line appears to have passed McComb.  It should be cooler/less hot the next several days mainly due to increased cloud cover along the dissipating front.  The Weather Channel mentioned an interesting fact this morning.


10 years ago today, an EF-5 tornado roared through Moore, Oklahoma.  Since then, we have not seen another EF-5 tornado, the longest streak in modern history.  Must be our changing climate?  Finally...


It was announced that Ed Muniz has died at the age of 83.  Ed founded the Krewe of Endymion and was very successful radio owner & politician.  I got to know Eddie back in the 80s when he invited me to be the "Endymion Meteorologist".  I would attend the Krewe's get together the Tuesday night before the Saturday parade and deliver the parade weather forecast.   I always (only 3 times did I call for rain) would close my forecast with ..."and no rain!  Hail Endymion!".  Ed loved it and I loved Mr. Ed.  Without Blaine Kern & Ed Muniz, Mardi Gras isn't the same.  But carry on we must.  Hail Endymion!
Stay tuned!


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