FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports02.15.12 Cold/Snowy Europe to Shift?

02.15.12 Cold/Snowy Europe to Shift?

Still.  Waiting.

Burlington, Vermont has yet to get a 5-inch storm this year and I'm not ruling it out yet.  The weather pattern has continued to be mild, with February so far running about six degrees warmer each day compared to the 'norm' and also about six inches short on snow.  For now, Europe continue to get slammed with deadly cold weather and abnormal snow.

I cruised through the following pictures from the AP and some other sources and grabbed a few.  The courtesies are on the banner if you'd like to know where they came from.

The global weather pattern has continued to pour arctic air across Europe while it is withheld from the United States. 

Here is the Day 3 forecast for 500 millibar heights across the northern Hemisphere. It is valid for Saturday, February 18.  The green lines are 'millibars' which show lines of constant pressure.  Colder air is more dense and more condensed, thus has lower 'heights' when picturing the air in a column.  Warmer air is 'taller' with less density. So look for the dips and rises in the green lines to show where the cold and warm air is.  The forecast shows a big dip in the heights across eastern Europe on Day 3.  Meanwhile the continental United States is in a flat pattern with a slight dip in the green lines.  I have, in my forecast, temperatures milder than average.  However take a look eight days later on Day 11.

Both of these images are courtesy NOAA/NCEP.  The long-range pattern shows a dip of cold air building into the eastern United States.  Since early January I have been looking two to three weeks in advance and expecting a change in the weather pattern.  However it has never come to fruition.  I do have a pretty good feeling about this one, but we'll wait and see.  It doesn't automatically mean snow for us, but it is one important component.  Since the cold is forecast to settle in, it could set the stage for accumulating snow from any passing storms.  Don't doubt winter just yet, it may just be really behind schedule.  :)

-Meteorologist Steve Glazier

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