Good morning bloggers,
We are about to experience a 110° warming over how it felt just one week ago. A week ago we had wind chill factors around 35 degrees below zero. On Tuesday the actual temperature in the sun will be 75°. This is a feeling of 110° warmer than it was a week ago. The actual air temperature that we report to you each day is not the actual air temperature we experience. The official temperature that is taken at all locations around the world is a reading taken in the shade five feet above the ground in a ventilated box. Yes, this is how temperature is measured. So, this afternoon when we tell you it is 55°, that is actually the shade temperature that you may feel if you are standing in a shaded area. The actual air temperature on thermometers that are in the sun will read around 10 degrees warmer, or 65°.
On Tuesday, we are forecasting a high of 65°. Again, that will be in the shade, so the actual air temperature will be around 75° in the sun Tuesday. This means it will truly feel 110° warmer tomorrow than it did one week ago when the wind chill was 35 degrees below zero.
This warming trend will last just today and tomorrow with colder air arriving Wednesday.
We identified the likely Arctic Blast on January 21st right here in our blog. The Arctic Oscillation was dipping deep negative and blocking formed over northern Canada and Greenland. The indications were there well before the devastating Arctic Blast impacted Texas and other locations with rare snowfalls and brutal cold. For Kansas City, we once again had some of the least impacts, but we did have rolling power outages to help with the power grid over the middle part of the nation.
The Arctic Oscillation (AO) dipped deep negative a week ago, and it has flipped way positive. What does this mean?
When the AO dipped deep negative, it indicated that there was blocking in the upper levels of the atmosphere over northern Canada and Greenland. This block formed and it was identified in this blog on January 21. The models didn't show the Arctic blast yet, but we knew something was brewing then. A few days later it turned much colder, and then a week after that we had our Arctic Blast.
The AO has since surged up to positive for the first time since November. It turned warmer than average in November and that lasted all the way into when our Arctic Blast arrived just over two weeks ago. So, we can expect the winter that we had been experiencing to return, and we are experiencing it today and tomorrow. This means that thunderstorms can't be that far away. We will discuss this possibility in tomorrow's blog.
Kansas City's Weather Time-Line:
- Today: Mostly sunny and much warmer. High: 59°
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny and even warmer with south winds 10-20 mph. High: 65° to 70°
Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day reading the Action Weather Blog, featuring the LRC and the cycling weather pattern. I am so ready for this warming trend. How about you? Have a great day!
Gary
