The next week to 10 days is looking much colder for the upper Midwest and the Northeast US as a cyclonic vortex or upper level low pressure is forecast to set up over eastern Canada. This is act to funnel down cold air from the polar regions across central Canada and then to the US for the remainder of this week and through much of next week. The first map above is the forecast 500 mb pattern (forecast wind field at approximately 18,000 ft.) for 168 hours out and then to 288 hours out or December 22, 2009. The pattern indicates a counterclockwise rotation over eastern Canada and a northerly flow of cold air across the continental US. The southern branch of the jet stream is not forecast at this time to be active so for the next week or so, no significant storms are expected. A light precipitation event in the form of rain and or snow may occur Sunday night and Monday morning and again next Wednesday.
George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. Our website is WrightWeather.com.
