CNN
By Haley Brink and Jennifer Gray, CNN Meteorologists
Despite the calendar saying it’s mid-November, winter has arrived throughout the Lower 48 and will stick round by way of Thanksgiving subsequent week.
This week, snow flurries and an arctic chill are within the air for thousands and thousands throughout the nation. A low-pressure system throughout the Southwest will sweep throughout the central Plains immediately, bringing with it rain and snow showers.
It would be the first notable winter climate occasion of the season for many within the area, based on the Weather Prediction Center.
“While uncertainty remains regarding the location of the heaviest axis of snow, the potential exists for snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across west-central Oklahoma,” the prediction middle mentioned. “Light snow totals are also possible across southern Kansas and the Texas panhandle.”
Winter climate alerts are in place throughout the area, together with Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Wichita in Kansas, Amarillo in Texas, and Fort Smith in Arkansas. The falling snow will result in lowered visibility and dangerous driving circumstances immediately.
The system will push east this week and with well-below-normal temperatures already in place. Ice, sleet, and snow showers are attainable throughout the Midwest and into inside elements of the Northeast Tuesday and Wednesday.
Coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast are at the moment forecast to see a cold rain, as temperatures are anticipated to stay simply above freezing.
If you haven’t already, you could need to pull out your winter coats and sweaters. More than 225 million folks throughout the Lower 48 will expertise temperatures at or beneath freezing this week, which is about 70 p.c of the US inhabitants.
The cold temperatures are already in place with readings operating 10 to twenty levels beneath regular for a lot of, highs beneath freezing throughout the northern Plains and higher Midwest, and highs solely within the 50s throughout the South.
The Central Plains are seeing the coldest temperatures in comparison with common with highs 25 to 30 levels beneath regular immediately.
Only Florida is escaping the early winter chill, however even the Sunshine State will get in on the cooler air later this week.
By Thursday, one other bout of arctic air will surge south from Montana into the central Plains and Midwest by Friday, reinforcing cold temperatures of 25 to 35 levels beneath regular.
If the cold air helps you get into the vacation spirit, you might be in luck! This arctic air is anticipated to stay round for a lot of the nation by way of Thanksgiving week. The bull’s-eye of the arctic air subsequent week will stretch throughout the Great Lakes, south to the Tennessee River Valley.
We could have extra particulars on how cold your Thanksgiving week may very well be and any journey hazards to be ready for in next Monday’s Weather Brief.
In the meantime, now that cold and wintry climate has begun, we needed to share with you a number of climate phrases you might be more likely to hear loads about this season. And it would provide you with somewhat one thing to impress your pals together with your climate information.
Polar Vortex
It will not be a brand new time period, however the polar vortex is at all times current and at all times has been.
It’s a big space of low stress and cold air surrounding the Earth’s North and South poles and is situated tens of hundreds of ft into the ambiance. This counterclockwise move of air helps maintain the very cold air close to the poles.
“Many times, during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream,” the National Weather Service explained. “This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States.”
February 2021 was a classic example of the polar vortex weakening, sending a surge of Arctic air very far south. One week in February, each state within the US skilled temperatures beneath freezing.
Sometimes the cold air will dive down and meet heat, moist air touring north from the Gulf and Atlantic, and you find yourself with a Nor’easter.
Read more about the Polar vortex.
Nor’easter
If you might be one among our mates within the Northeast, you might be no stranger to nor’easters, that are storms which journey north alongside the East Coast. It will get its identify as a result of winds over coastal areas are typically out of the northeast.
“They nearly always bring precipitation in the form of heavy rain or snow, as well as winds of gale force, rough seas, and, occasionally, coastal flooding to the affected regions,” the climate service famous. “The heavily populated region between Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, the ‘I-95 Corridor,’ is especially impacted by nor’easters.”
Nor’easters can cripple this area of the nation by snarling visitors, bringing flights to a halt and generally leading to energy outages.
If the nor’easter strengthens rapidly, we are able to find yourself with a bomb cyclone.
Watch as our very own Meteorologist Jennifer Gray explains more about a nor’easter.
Bomb Cyclone
A bomb cyclone is a quickly strengthening storm which drops 24 millibars (a unit of stress) in 24 hours. It’s as easy as that. Nothing explodes, however they are often harmful.
We have seen bomb cyclones have an effect on the Northeast as properly as West Coast with hurricane-like furry.
Just final yr, this West Coast bomb cyclone introduced hurricane-force winds, 20-foot seas, rain and snow to an enormous chunk of the West.
Our Meteorologist Brandon Miller explains what you need to know about these bomb cyclones.
Winter climate is attention-grabbing, regardless of the way you categorize it. But if Mother Nature throws a punch through the winter, you is likely to be fortunate sufficient to listen to thundersnow!
Thundersnow
While winter thunderstorms are far much less frequent than summer season thunderstorms, they’ll happen.
“Thundersnow occurs where there is relatively strong instability and abundant moisture above the surface of the Earth, such as above a warm front,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mentioned. “The ingredients that create thundersnow are similar to the dynamics of a typical thunderstorm — moisture, instability, and a lifting mechanism.”
We’ve heard thundersnow a number of instances whereas protecting massive snow occasions, and it sounds completely different from summertime thunder. The heavy snowfall can muffle the sound of the thunder, making it sound extra like a sluggish rumble and never as booming.
And sure, thundersnow does point out lightning is in your proximity, so deal with it the identical as you’d a thunderstorm and search shelter.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
publish credit score to Source link