Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Strongest ridge in 60 years, what makes this so unusual?

Thursday, September 27, 2018, 5:52 PM - This isn't a run-of-the-mill anomaly, or an ordinary ridge of high pressure. The resiliency and amplitude of the ridge that blossomed over parts of Alaska in early September is one for the record book, so what's going on?

RIDGE HIGHLIGHTS

  • September 1st-20th: most positive 20-day height anomaly on record anywhere in the northern hemisphere
  • Strength of ridge has had a profound impacts downstream, specifically the Prairie provinces
  • Ridge approximately 5 standard deviations from what's considered normal

Can we really lay some blame towards this ridge on why Alberta has been so cool and at times snowy this September? Yes, it's much easier to move colder air from the poles in a high amplitude pattern, such as the setup the past several weeks across North America.

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