Friday, July 12, 2013

Weather It Is (A Corduroy Summer)

Good afternoon:

The other day I was asked why I am wearing Corduroy pants in the summer time.  My answer was simple: it's not hot.  In fact, it hasn't been hot at all this summer.

The reason is that the circulation pattern has shifted from its normal summertime position.  Normally, we have low pressure situated just off to our east, with a northeasterly flow, turning to northerly, and then northwesterly as one transverses from north to south and then just west of our area. However, the typical low pressure area that is normally situated over the hot desert is far to our east. Instead, strong low pressure is located over the northern shore of the eastern Mediterranean.  The result is a steady,  moist, and relatively cool flow of air from the northwest.

Looking ahead a bit, this pressure pattern will strengthen late next week and there will actually be the possibility of showers.  The following week the pressure pattern will back off a bit and warmer air will flow westward, but not very much.

One might think that global warming is a thing of the past -- just something to talk about but not worry about.  Yet, those who are on the other side of these cool systems have been unusually warm (i.e, hot). Just ask the people in Portugal (where my parents just visited) or in the US southwest (where unusual dryness has been accompanied by more forest fires).

Elevated greenhouse gasses has led to changes in cloudiness (there has been generally been more rain and more extreme rain), and surface and atmospheric heating.  This has led to changes in circulation patterns.  As greenhouse gases continue to elevate, contrasts from one location to another will probably grow larger.

Shabbat Shalom,

Barry Lynn