Tuesday, December 6, 2016

First Arctic Blast of the Season Arriving as Pattern Change Brings Colder Temperatures from Coast to Coast

The record warmth that much of the U.S. experienced this fall is becoming a distant memory this week. A change is arriving, courtesy of the first arctic blast of the season, engulfing the western states early in the week, then spreading east throughout much of the Lower 48 by this weekend.
The pool of arctic air that has begun to invade the Lower 48 originated in Alaska and northwestern Canada.
Parts of Alaska saw frigid conditions over the weekend, with lows dipping to minus 36 degrees in Fairbanks on Sunday. Though very cold, it's still quite far from their daily record of minus 53 degrees for the day. Arctic Village, Alaska, saw their temperature dip to minus 42 degrees Sunday.
A pattern change has now dislodged that arctic air, allowing it to spill southward in the days ahead.

Current Temperatures
Specifically, a southward dip in the jet stream, or upper-level trough, that originated in the Gulf of Alaska and western Canada is now slipping into the western U.S., and will then slide eastward as the week progresses. High pressure at the surface is also diving southward, allowing arctic air to spread into parts of the Lower 48.

https://www.wunderground.com/news/early-december-first-arctic-blast

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