Weather It Is (High Clouds and then the Storm)

Good Morning:

The sky is streaked with high clouds ahead of our next winter storm.  As previously mentioned, the separation between the northern and southern Jet Streams has come to an end and we are seeing cold air (previously locked up in northern Europe) stream southward.

The interaction of the southern and northern streams has brought gale force winds to the Mediterranean, as well as severe winter cold to central Europe.  The stormy weather will move eastward towards our area by the end of the week.  Shabbat will likely be rainy and windy, with a small chance of rain mixed with snow at the highest elevations.  A ridge of high pressure will then build into western Europe which will allow the trough of lower pressure to strengthen over the eastern Mediterranean.  This will allow the coldest air of the winter season to spill southwards and possibly develop a an even stronger winter storm that will last several days. (In any case, next week looks to be a wet week.)

While we know it will be wet and windy, we don't know yet how cold it will get as the storm possibly reintensifies early next week. This will depend on just much the ridge to our west sharpens, which itself will depend on the influx and movement winter time system over the western Atlantic.

In summary, we know it will be quite wet with strong, possibly gale force winds.  Will it snow on the Hermon -- yes.  Will it snow elsewhere, most likely not -- but there's a chance it will.

Barry Lynn