>
Steam rises from the Atlantic Ocean off of Broward and Palm Beach Counties this weekend. The same could be seen off Miami Beach and over Biscayne Bay. Info courtesy of David Bernard’s blog and photo courtesy of the Sun Sentinel
It’s that kinda winter, It ain’t over till it’s over – M.V
historic British, European and Floridian cold of January 2010.
Well, we can safely say we’re warm again! We rose from 34 degrees early this morning to 38 degrees by mid afternoon and then dropped back to 37 degrees before the rise into unusual territory… The Atlantic air has finally gained ground and finally pushed Arctic air outta here as we slowly climb into the 40s for the first time in 29 days. December 17th saw the last 40-degree day.
Since then 20s and 30s has been the rule and nights in the 20s and teens. Sustained cold not seen in at least 30 years in Scotland and possibly 50 years with frequently impulses of very “ususually” cold air and a near month long snowpack.
A build up of cold air over the pole whilst we remained mild and very stormy during November led to the eventual release of all that intense cold air when the Arctic Osillation flipped from positive to strongly negative.
Asan actual fact the pattern now shaping is is very similar to November as storminess appears to be the key force of our pattern for the next 2 weeks or so, whilst Alaska chills out again. The USA and Asia are also warming as the oceanic driver charges the continents with warm air and storms. A massive storm system riding a 240MPH jet on steroids is ready to blast the American west with feet of rain and likely 100+mph winds.
This very pattern NOW taking pace is not a good thing if you wanted winter to end for the rest of the season. The atmosphere remains primed for a repeat performance of November into December with mild and storms before a flip to negative AO and NAO… remember folks the AO holds the key to releasing Arctic air away from it’s source region, that is the pole. The NAO holds the key to building a warm pool/Greenland block and therefore pulls the ridge and cold air into Britain and western Europe.
MANY in Britain and possibly even forecasters will think this is winter done and all that cold of the past 3 weeks is what we will see this winter. I’m affraid the cold is likely more than not to hit again sometime between Jan 25 and Feb 1. It basically ran out of steam down here and now the atmosphere retreated it so it can reload before returning to it’s primed locations of this winter which is the Eastern US, Great Britain and eastern Asia.
Looking behind us….
How cold?
Departures from normal between Jan 1-13th, 2010. Highest and lows temps
UK Sites
London Heathrow -8.8 32/21 degrees
Glasgow -11.5 21/10 degrees
Edinburgh -10 27/12 degrees
Belfast -9.7 31/15 degrees
Birmingham -9.7 30/14 degrees
Manchester -11.9 21/5 degrees (outstanding low of 5 degrees, likely one of coldest ever lows there)
Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham remained in the 30s through this period. Manchester hit 26 below normal when the high was just 21 and the low amazingly fell to 5 degrees… Glasgow’s 21 degree high and 10 degree low put them 22 below normal…
As for Europe
De Bilt, Netherlands -9.2
Rotterdam, Netherlands -10.4
Oslo, Norway -16.5
Warsaw, Poland -8.5
Copenhagen, Denmark -7.1
Prague, Czech Rep -6.8
Brussels, Belgium -8.8
Dresden, Germany -11.8
Leipzig, Germany -12.9
Some very impressive depts from normal, especially Oslo’s stunning -16.5…
All these depatures are going to be risen by warmer times the next few weeks but we’re likely to still see well below normal for the close of the month.
Did Florida experience it’s worst cold spell in 100 years?
From the frosts forming on car windshields in sub-tropical Miami, A 42-degree low in even more tropical, Key West, flurries in Orlando and surrounding areas, a bitter 13 degree low at Lake City to an ultimate 12-degree low at Crestview on the panhandle. Folks that’s the coldest we achieved HERE.. -12C….
Across Miami-Dade and Broward counties in South Florida, during the height of the day on Jan 9 or 10th, temperatures were only between 40-43 degrees which is 30-35 below normal… Normal in Miami is 76 degrees!
Snow Flurries?
Two locations across South Florida reported flurries mixed with rain by trained spotters at West Kendall and Oakland Park which is the first time this has occured since 1977 and only the second time in 110 years of record keeping.
Due to cold air and water temps in the low 70s still, rare steam fog was reported rising off canals and the Atlantic.
Significant lows
Miami Opa Locka 33
Miami Apt 36 (urban location)
Key Largo 36
Homestead 31
Punta Gorda 28
West Kendall 26 (urban location)
Big Cypress 27
Orlando Int Apt 29
(RAWS) Lake George 17
Tallahassee 14
Cross City Apt 15
Mossy Head 13
Lake City 13
Numbers courtesy of the NWS.
Thanks for reading.
-Mark
Email me at [email protected]
>Having been a part of the Online Universal Work Marketing team for 4 months now, I’m thankful for my fellow team members who have patiently shown me the ropes along the way and made me feel welcome
http://www.onlineuniversalwork.com
>2009 in Lochgelly was warmer than the mean between 2006 and 2009 [1]. This shows that despite a fortnight of snow showers, the cold spell, in the context of temperature trends, was insignificant.
Regards
Lochgelly weather statistician, MPhys, MSc, MIPEM, MIOP
[1] http://www.fifeweather.co.uk