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TODAY’S TOP WEATHER STORIES
On Weather & Climate Through the Eyes of Mark Vogan

BREAKING NEWS: Firefighters battle to contain Texas wildfires
CNN

Magnitude 6.6-quake jolts Japan coast
CNN

Red River crests on North Dakota-Minnesota border
CNN

U.S. hit with a weird combination of fire, water and ice
CNN

TODAY’S WEATHER ACROSS UK & EUROPE By Mark Vogan

Scotland shivers after yesterday’s 70s, Eastern Europe struggling to warm as northwest flow pushes cold Arctic air south

Today was a markedly different ‘feeling’ day across Scotland and much of England with highs today barely making it to 12-14C. A stiff west to northwest wind amde it feel pretty cold, especially due to the fact yesterday was so warm. Many awakened to rain as well as that fairly strong west wind this morning. Interestingly, the afternoon turned out fairly nice and not incredibly different in apperance to yesterday with the sunshine, though winds were blowing strong as compared to yesterday’s light southerly winds. The skies were actually clearer today as compared with a haziness yesterday and this was thanks to less moisture in the air behind the front. A cooler air mass contains less moisture than a warm one. The haze yesterday was summerlike when we pretty much all were seeing temperatures in and around 70 degrees (21C). Today’s air was of a North Atlantic, sub-polar origin, it felt downright chilly in that wind, whilst a southerly air flow blowing straight from Africa felt downright warm and humid.

Front introduces a more typical North Atlantic/Sub-Polar air to Scotland and northern England

That front which brought in that cooler air is continuing to progress southeastwards across southeast England and across the North Sea and into the Low Countries of western mainland Europe tonight. Today was the last warm day for the Southeast of England. The last area in the UK to see the front’s arrival. Today was another mild to warm day from London to the western cities of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam but tomorrow, many of these cities will have shaved 10C or more off today’s highs. Much of central Europe which finds themselves underneath the front should see hefty, thundery showers and a gusty northwest wind.

Spain holds on to upper 20s C

The places which remain warm and where that front won’t reach will be Spain where highs continue to reach the mid to upper 20s C.

The Eastern European cities stretching from St Petersburg, down to Moscow, Kiev and Budapest have seen the chilling effects of a large trough which has dominated this region at the same time the large high has been dominating western Europe with heat. Highs continue to 3-6C across the area with even snowfall occuring down to low levels. This appears likely to continue in coming days.

TODAY’S WEATHER ACROSS AMERICA By Mark Vogan

It’s a STORMY day from Alabama, Tennessee up into Ohio Valley, interior Northeast. Very warm afternoon throughout the Appalachains, coastal plain

As the front continues it’s eastward journey across the Tennessee/Mississippi and Ohio Valley through this afternoon, it’s all about the heat that’s being forcing northeastwards out of the Southeast thanks to high pressure off the coast and the presense of the front to the west. The two areas of south to north forcing air is pumpinbg heat up into the Northeast. Temperatures are climbing into the low 80s from eastern Georgia all the way to New York City, it’s even into the low 70s in Boston.

The above graphic shows current readings throughout the Mid-Atlantic, note the cooler green colour over Ohio, that shows the presence of the front which is causing problems up and down a region from the mid-south all the way to the Lower Great Lakes. Tennessee has reported tornadoes, damaging winds, torrential rains and large hail.

Front should finally reach Atlantic Seaboard Tuesday

Thankfully, what has seemed like a never ending spate of nasty severe weather outbreaks which commenced on Saturday by the same stubborn frontal system should be done with the US by tomorrow evening as it exits the East Coast. Evene today, left in it’s wake is a fine, dry, sunny and refreshing air mass. However at this time of year, that air soon warms up, especially across the Southwest and Texas. What won’t help is the fact that there’s likely more Pacific Storms brewing and will move onshore along the West Coast, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more 4-5 day severe weather outbreaks to follow.

WEATHER TALK
By Mark Vogan

With clear skies and light winds, a cold high pressure will produce a sub-freezing night easily, a warm high pressure rarely does

Last Night along with Tonight both have/had clear skies and light winds but the low only fell to 43F (around 5C) last night whilst tonight it’s already down to 36F (3C) and falling quickly… 

Over recent nights, it’s gotten chilly after sunset, perhaps dropping down to 3 or 4C. That’s quite a drop from daytime temperatures up at around 20 to 21C.

The air above the ground is warm when it’s from a warm origin as compared with a cold air mass which contains very cold air above the ground.

Since the front swung across Scotland last night into today and brought us a refreshing sub-polar origin air which has cold air aloft, when skies clear and winds lighten at night, temperatures fall away sharp. They also have a much lower threshold or ability to fall than within a warm air mass. Warm air masses at this time of year can cool close to freezing at night in rural areas, but there’s a limit as the air aloft is mild or even warm, plus there’s more moisture within that air which can vastly restrict it’s ability to cool. Cooler air masses with less moisture cools faster, more easily and to lower levels. Tonight compared with last night is a perfect exaomple of how two different origin air masses react different even though they both display the same conditions of clear skies and light winds.

Last night’s low fell to 43F after a warm daytime maximum of 71F. Today the air warmed to a mere 53F maximum despite sunshine, but the air mass in place is now sub-polar as compared to less than 24 hours ago. As of 10pm this evening, my thermometer is already reading 36F and will likely hit at least freezing (32F), it may even go below 30F, bringing a substantial frost to your car in the morning.

WHAT’S REACHING TODAY’S BLOGS?

Southern Appalachian Tornado Hole Gets Hit Again
Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather

The Spike of Warmth is Not This Spring’s Reality
Joe Lundburg, AccuWeather

new: what’s on today’s weatherbell blogs?

Raging Weather in the Heartland, and thats no Weather-Bull
Joe Bastardi’s Blog, WeatherBell.com

The September Surprise – The Great Hurricane of ’38
Joe D’Aleo’s Blog, WeatherBell.com

THE EXTREMES OF THE DAY

TODAY’S US EXTREMES
COURTESY OF ACCUWEATHER

HIGH: 97 degrees at Edinburg, TX
LOW: 0 degrees at Bowie, AZ

TODAY’S EXTREMES HERE AT MY HOUSE

HIGH: 53 degrees
LOW: 43 degrees

Thanks for reading.
-Mark