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Mountains & Valleys


"What Goes Up, Must Come Down"



Whether or not you believe in gravity, the concept of the rise and fall is still the same. In every aspect of life we can apply that there are "ups" and "downs" and they wouldn't be possible without each other.

This ties into our forecast in many ways. We're currently in a weather pattern that is known as "meridional." The polar jet stream  which separates the cold, arctic air of the polar latitudes and the warmer, subtropical air in the lower latitudes takes on a high amplitude wave formation. When the jet stream meanders like a snake, the movement of different air masses becomes more apparent and therefore you start getting active weather.



Warm air tends to want to move towards the poles, which in turn dislodges cold air to move south. It can do this as the jet stream exhibits troughs and ridges. The clash of these air masses are what causes the "activity." As you've seen with many cold fronts, as the cold dense air digs under the warmer air mass, showers and thunderstorms form from the buoyancy and forcing of air.

Sorry...I tend to get a little long-winded when the science gets flowing...

FORECAST:

Our forecast will consist of many ups and downs due to the meridional flow. Temperatures have fallen 5-10 degrees today due to the front of last night. Light and scattered rain showers were out ahead of the cold front that pulled in a plunge of cooler air. That was the "trough" of the jet stream moving over us. Now, we're heading back into the "ridge" portion of the pattern as warmer air and sunny skies return.


Now, I say warmer, but we're still going to have chilly days. Temperatures in the mornings will start in the 30s or 40s and top out around the mid-50s or even low 60s through Friday.

But, what goes up, must come down...

Another trough digs in by the upcoming weekend and that will bring back another taste of winter temperatures. This is the type of weather that gets people sick.



Stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy the roller-coaster of weather this week!

-Meteorologist Seth Phillips

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