March Blows Out

After a few days of respite, the March winds are headed back to the East Coast for one final blowout.  Possible one inch rain totals will arrive first, followed by wind gusts over 40 mph and, you guessed it, snow showers in the mountains.  With the record busting winter we’ve had it’s difficult to fathom that the current weather is fairly normal for this time of year.  Last year a surprise snow storm occurred on April 4.  I can also remember putting up hummingbird feeders around the 15th and having the water freeze overnight.  Which brings up the point of when to switch out bird feeders. Those with limited feeding areas will note that it’s normally best to remove regular feeders before putting up the hummingbird feeders. The hummingbirds are frequently intimidated by the larger birds so there are some territorial issues. There is also the timing of the switch.  Songbirds are beginning the nest building process and will go through a feeding frenzy before weaning off the feeders as natural food sources appear.  With careful attention to bird behavior, weather conditions and budding plants, the transition can be smooth and we’ll be able to welcome the hummingbirds back on a warm April breeze.  

The Next Bombogenesis

The winter that won’t let go is sending another blast of cold into the upper East Coast this week.  The combination of a cold front from the northwest and low pressure off the coast could bring near blizzard conditions to the New England area by Wednesday.  A key factor in this storm will be the wind.  Low pressure enhanced by winds aloft from two jet streams will spin tighter and tighter causing the winds to barrel around the system in what is known as “bombogenesis”.  Pressure in these systems can drop over 24 millibars in less than 24 hours which is similar to what can happen in a hurricane.  Most of the worst weather will occur offshore although there could be some beach erosion and blizzard like conditions near the coast.  Warm air is set to move in over the weekend so whatever winter precip falls won’t last long.  Hopefully, this meteorological ‘bomb’ will spell the end to this cantankerous winter season.

Springtime See Saw

The West Coast continues to see warm weather and drought conditions.  In fact, it is their high temps that have kept this winter from going into the books as one of the coldest on record.  Across the rest of the country, we’ve been on a temperature see saw that goes up up for a while but lands back down in a big pile of snow and sleet rather than sand. This last storm on the East Coast featured both high pressure to the north and low pressure to the south that funneled cold air in off the Atlantic to form the dreaded wedge that banks the cold and clouds up against the mountains.   Looks like the we’ll get some relief in the form of a front that will push the clouds out to sea and set up a return of warm air from the southwest just in time for the first day of spring on Thursday.  A couple of warmer days will ensue until a cold front on Sunday sends the see saw back down. Forecasters are hinting of yet another winter event the middle of next week.  I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for Mother Nature to kick Old Man Winter off the playground once and for all.

Ides of March

The Ides of March is supposed to be around the fifteenth of the month.  Shakespeare told us to ‘beware’ that date and it certainly wasn’t too fortuitous for Julius Caesar.  Although we are a few days away from the Ides there is plenty to beware of in this weather forecast.  Many areas from Illinois to Georgia have gone from highs in the 50’s and 70’s back into cold snow and whipping winds.  Squall lines ahead of the front produced thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes.  The weather looks to calm down over the weekend but long range forecasts call for a continuation of this weather pattern through next month.  That means we will have short warm ups followed by another blast of the winter that won’t quit. By the way, Ides is a Roman term that refers to the 15th day in the month, not just the month of March.  Lets hope the remaining Ides will be warm and sunny without a hint of snow.  Et tu, Brute.

Spring Ahead!

Tonight we usher in one of the sure signs of spring – Daylight Savings Time.  Not everyone enjoys the change back and forth and some would be content to just leave the clock alone. Back in the 70’s the government experimented with year round DST but the dark winter mornings contributed to unsafe conditions at school bus stops and back we went to the twice-yearly change. Temperatures look to follow the springtime pattern at least for the next few days. Forecasters are hinting at a revival of El Nino, the Pacific ocean warm-up that usually results in more temperate weather. Crocuses and daffodils are starting to break ground as well in the Mid-Atlantic, and further south pollen is already making an appearance. So has this area of the country seen the last snow of the season? The groundhog’s six-week extension of winter is just about up, so a much anticipated thaw could be in the works. We’ll see if Old Man Winter has anymore tricks up the sleeve of his parka or if spring will finally take hold. Either way, don’t forget to set those clocks forward an hour before bed tonight.

Titan Takes Aim

It’s safe to say that if you live in the continental U.S. and are not impacted by this latest winter storm you will be in the minority.  The Weather Channel has named this one Titan.  It originated in the Pacific and quickly took on the classic comma spin of a low pressure system on the make. It is already bringing drenching rains to the California coast and into the desert southwest. Farther north, ski resorts are bracing for yet another snowpack.  The storm looks to march across the country, join with a cold front coming from the north to spread snow and rain from west to southeast as the week begins.  There could be floods with this storm, there could be tornadoes, there could be coconuts falling from the sky. No wait, that’s just at the Zulu parade in New Orleans on Tuesday.  All kidding aside, these nationwide weather events just keep coming and this one bears watching with both eyes.