Classic Storm

The current storm system over that has been getting lots of attention on the news and on our watercooler weather blog, has been for good reason. This storm is just a classic mid-latitude cyclone. I'm sure many current synoptic and mesoscale meteorology classes being taught in Universities are studying this storm. This storm just has it all, warmth, cold, rain, snow, and severe weather. The above surface map is a classic as well. It shows the primary Low over Michigan with a trailing cold front down to the Gulf of Mex. and a warm front extended Eastward. The Low pressure over Iowa is weakening but will be associated with the upper-level portion of the system.

The area ahead of the cold front and South of the warm front is known as the warm sector. This is where the Southerly winds are and warm air mass. This area becomes unstable and is where you find severe weather outbreaks. On the backside of the low pressure, the air can become cold enough to snow this time of year, and that is what happened with this storm. Now once the cold front passes, the main threat for heavy precipitation ends. But then you still have to deal with the upper-level portion of the system.

So here is how it breaks down for us. Cold front comes through by Saturday evening ending the rain chances on Saturday night. Initially we will clear out for early Sunday but then the strong upper-level portion approaches. As it does, expect clouds to increase again and colder air moves in as the upper-level portion has a core of cold air with it. This system will move through very slow and keep skies partly to mostly cloudy Monday and Tuesday. it is possible that there could be a spotty shower both days as well as the atmosphere remains unstable as the system moves through. Cold air over warm air is unstable, so expect cloudy skies at times before the systems moves offshore on Wednesday.