The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

February 9, 2010

Forecast shows week’s worst weather coming

By Amelia A. Pridemore

Southern West Virginia’s latest winter nightmare will do its worst today, meteorologists say.

They say this weather pattern should persist, and not only because of El Niño. Conditions in Greenland combined with El Niño have added to the entire Mid-Atlantic’s misery.

One to three inches of snow were expected overnight, said Nick Webb, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. But between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. today, another 2 to 4 inches will fall. There could be more overnight Wednesday, but snow should begin easing up by that point.

Wind will also be a factor today, he said. Wind gusts could reach 35 mph. Because the snow expected to fall will be drier, this could lead to more blowing snow and reduced visibility.

By Thursday, any snow will be light and winds will die down, Webb said. The current weekend forecast does not show anything momentous — just a few showers, possibly.

This winter weather pattern will probably not change in the short term, he said. El Niño, a phenomenon characterized by unusually warm temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean, is not the only factor. In fact, this El Niño appears to be winding down.

El Niño spurs frequent storms in the Pacific that latch onto the United States’ southern jet stream, the Subtropical Jet. That jet moves the storms northeast.

But there is also a “blocking pattern” in Greenland, Webb said. That basically keeps storms from moving in Greenland’s direction. This also causes the United States’ northern jet stream, the Polar Jet, to bring its cold air farther south.

The El Niño storms and the cold air then combine, resulting in the huge snowstorms, he said.

The Greenland block also prevents storms from moving out as quickly as they could and helps maintain colder air.

“You put those two together, and interesting things come out of it,” he said. “The Mid-Atlantic has been pounded, and it looks like it’s going to happen again.

“This will definitely be a winter to remember.”

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