With the MJO lingering in the west/central Pacific warm phases, this forced a strong and sustained polar vortex, which resulted in the 6th warmest winter on record for the US.
This enhanced the mid latitude subtropical ridge and forced the lowering of heights across the high latitudes, hence the strong polar vortex which bottled polar air within the source region.
Lack of polar air kept Gulf of Mexico waters much warmer than normal.
So, summer-like Gulf of Mexico waters led to a summer-like upper high above. The ocean-atmosphere system has led to drought throughout the US Gulf Coast as well as much of Mexico and the Caribbean. Drought and stronger than normal high pressure leads to record breaking heat.
Warm GOM.
A weekly average Gulf of Mexico sea surface temperature anomaly greater +2.0°C (relative to 1971-2000 climatology) is exceptional — in fact, it's the highest (absolute) anomaly of the satellite record for the Gulf. The warmth this Spring in the southeast U.S. is no coincidence! pic.twitter.com/KNavL35O67
— Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) April 11, 2020
Stronger than normal high.
Leads to drought.
Record heat!
Warmest March on record from Brownsville, TX to Naples, FL.
100 degrees in March? Happened yesterday in Oklahoma. Summerlike heat dome has swelled from the Southern Plains through the Southeast.
* New Orleans has seen four straight days of record warmth
* 34 records set on Thursday across Southhttps://t.co/PYTdZcePbL— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) March 27, 2020
All these Mexican cities also recorded their warmest March on record.
Many cities on the surrounding landmasses of both Gulf and Caribbean have not only seen record warmest month but also hottest March or April days on record.
Apr 20 @ 425 pm – #Miami breaks its highest temperature ever for April today with a scorching 97 degrees! #flwx pic.twitter.com/0BjoGrr5uZ
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) April 20, 2020
#Miami had a low of 81 last night. On pace to shatter the April monthly record warmest low by 2 degrees, pending any pre-midnight surprises. The previous earliest 81 for a low in Miami is May 23(!) ~40 days ahead of previous record if it holds. pic.twitter.com/JfdUUir32N
— Eric Blake ? (@EricBlake12) April 13, 2020
Another All-time temperature record in Cuba
Veguitas (province Gramma) 39.7 °C, 12/04/2020
—> 39.3 °C Veguitas 11/04/ —> 39.2 °C Palo Seco 10/04/2020 —>39.1 °C, Jucarito 17/4/1999What matters is record weekly average the Gulf of Mexico sea surface temperature anomaly. pic.twitter.com/lbMZGQFenc
— Zdenek Nejedly (@ZdenekNejedly) April 13, 2020
Cuba, 10/04/2020
New All-time temperature record
39.2 °C Palo Seco (Camagüey province)
—> 38.8 °C Jucarito, 17/04/1999 https://t.co/TtnIvzChe2 pic.twitter.com/Sfwr6BQODm— Zdenek Nejedly (@ZdenekNejedly) April 11, 2020
March 2020
Earth's 2nd warmest March
Earth's 3rd warmest month on record
3 nations all-time heat records in 2020:
Jerusalen, Colombia: 42.6°C 19Feb
Navrongo, Ghana: 44.0°C 6Apr
Cuba – 3 days straight:
Palo Seco 10Apr 39.2°C
Veguitas 11Apr 39.3°C
Veguitas 12Apr tie 39.3°C pic.twitter.com/nzgmcl9Fn3— Prof Ray Wills ? ? ? (@ProfRayWills) April 14, 2020
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