Weather Headlines
Wednesday October 24, 2001
*** Major Spring/Winter storm moving through the Midwest. Record warm
temperatures to be replaced by an unseasonably cold air mass. However,
pattern remains progressive so everything changes again next week.***
     I try to avoid the hype that many use in regards to storms. But,
POTENTIALLY, this storm system could be one to remember. The Storm
Prediction Center in Oklahoma has placed parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Kentucky and Michigan in a "High Risk" for severe weather this afternoon
and evening. This is a large area and very unusual for late October.
Significant Tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are possible. Farther East
along the Eastern Seaboard, a day of near record highs are expected before
the cold front arrives Thursday night. There is also a winter component to
this storm. Arctic air pouring into the upper Plains has produces some snow
and near zero wind chills in North Dakota. Very gusty winds and a 20-30
degree temperature drop will shift South and East over the next several
days. There is very little to write about in the West. The current pattern
is zonal coming in from off the Pacific. The Northwest may be a little
damp, but the rest of the West remains dry and close to seasonal. This
weekend, as the East Coast trough reaches maximum amplitude, the jet in the
Eastern Pacific should start to buckle allowing for a weak ridge to form in
the Rockies.
The 6-10 day outlook should bring the atmosphere back to roughly the
current state(minus the big storm. I think it is important to mention that
the arctic air forecast for the East in the short term is NOT the beginning
of an endless winter. Winter forecasts continue to be released showing a
cold and snowy East. That may be the case, but the calendar is just now
approaching November or the middle of Fall. In fact, most medium range
models redevelop the Eastern ridge and Western trough for this period. We
will be starting cold East of the Mississippi, but should warm rapidly. I
suspect the models are a little fast and strong with the ridge/trough set
up, but the trend looks good. The MRF has a weak trough progressing into
the Midwest by day 10 and this looks reasonable.
For the period October 24 through October 28, expect the following
temperature trends:
Average 7 to 9-degrees below normal: Great Lakes, Northern and Central
Plains, Ohio Valley...
Average 4 to 6-degrees below normal: Southern Plains, Northeast,
Mid-Atlantic, Mississippi Valley...
Average 1 to 3 degrees below normal: Gulf Coast, Southeast, Rockies,
Pacific NW...
Average 1 to 3-degrees above normal: California, Intermountain West, Desert
SW...
Unspecified areas will average close to normal...
Andy Weingarten, Meteorologist... APB Energy / True Quote Weather Desk