While we don't get hit with frequent winter storms like some parts of the country, it only takes one major storm to cause an inconvenience, even death.
This is Winter Weather Preparedness Week in the state of Virginia. With a clipper system headed our way Wednesday, I thought I'd share some information the National Weather Service sent out about the topic.
THE ALBERTA CLIPPER.
DURING MOST WINTERS...A LARGE POLAR VORTEX ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER
HUDSON BAY CANADA...AND EXTENDS ITS INFLUENCE SOUTHWARD INTO THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE U.S.. SMALLER SCALE LOW PRESSURE
AREAS BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE LARGE CIRCULATION AROUND THE POLAR
VORTEX AND DROP SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE U.S. FROM THE CANADIAN
PRAIRIE PROVINCES OF ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN.
APPROPRIATELY TERMED "ALBERTA CLIPPERS"...THESE FAST MOVING STORM
SYSTEMS USUALLY PRECEDE A SURGE OF COLD POLAR OR ARCTIC AIR...AND
CAN PRODUCE BURSTS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOW ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS. IN
MOST INSTANCES...ALBERTA CLIPPERS PRODUCE LIMITED PRECIPITATION IN
OUR AREA DUE TO THEIR FAST MOVEMENT AND INABILITY TO TAP
MOISTURE FROM EITHER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OR GULF OF MEXICO.
WHEN SNOW OCCURS WITH AN ALBERTA CLIPPER...IT IS USUALLY ON THE ORDER OF
A DUSTING TO FOUR INCHES...OR A "NUISANCE" SNOW. HOWEVER...IF THE POLAR
VORTEX IS STRONG ENOUGH...AND ITS INFLUENCE EXTENDS SOUTHWARD INTO THE
DEEP SOUTH...STRONG ALBERTA CLIPPERS CAN BECOME MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS
FOR OUR AREA.
IN THESE SITUATIONS...THE ALBERTA CLIPPER TAPS THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE
SOURCES FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. THE SURFACE LOW
REDEVELOPS AND INTENSIFIES NEAR THE MID OR SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST...AND
BECOMES A FULL BLOWN NOR'EASTER. THE ENSUING NOR'EASTER SPREADS SNOW...
SOMETIMES RAIN NEAR THE COAST...AND STRONG WINDS UP THE EAST COAST...
PRODUCING MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS
UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT:
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BLACKSBURG
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS HOME PAGE IS FOUND
HERE: WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER/INDEX.SHTML
This is Winter Weather Preparedness Week in the state of Virginia. With a clipper system headed our way Wednesday, I thought I'd share some information the National Weather Service sent out about the topic.
THE ALBERTA CLIPPER.
DURING MOST WINTERS...A LARGE POLAR VORTEX ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER
HUDSON BAY CANADA...AND EXTENDS ITS INFLUENCE SOUTHWARD INTO THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE U.S.. SMALLER SCALE LOW PRESSURE
AREAS BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE LARGE CIRCULATION AROUND THE POLAR
VORTEX AND DROP SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE U.S. FROM THE CANADIAN
PRAIRIE PROVINCES OF ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN.
APPROPRIATELY TERMED "ALBERTA CLIPPERS"...THESE FAST MOVING STORM
SYSTEMS USUALLY PRECEDE A SURGE OF COLD POLAR OR ARCTIC AIR...AND
CAN PRODUCE BURSTS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOW ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS. IN
MOST INSTANCES...ALBERTA CLIPPERS PRODUCE LIMITED PRECIPITATION IN
OUR AREA DUE TO THEIR FAST MOVEMENT AND INABILITY TO TAP
MOISTURE FROM EITHER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OR GULF OF MEXICO.
WHEN SNOW OCCURS WITH AN ALBERTA CLIPPER...IT IS USUALLY ON THE ORDER OF
A DUSTING TO FOUR INCHES...OR A "NUISANCE" SNOW. HOWEVER...IF THE POLAR
VORTEX IS STRONG ENOUGH...AND ITS INFLUENCE EXTENDS SOUTHWARD INTO THE
DEEP SOUTH...STRONG ALBERTA CLIPPERS CAN BECOME MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS
FOR OUR AREA.
IN THESE SITUATIONS...THE ALBERTA CLIPPER TAPS THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE
SOURCES FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. THE SURFACE LOW
REDEVELOPS AND INTENSIFIES NEAR THE MID OR SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST...AND
BECOMES A FULL BLOWN NOR'EASTER. THE ENSUING NOR'EASTER SPREADS SNOW...
SOMETIMES RAIN NEAR THE COAST...AND STRONG WINDS UP THE EAST COAST...
PRODUCING MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS
UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT:
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BLACKSBURG
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS HOME PAGE IS FOUND
HERE: WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER/INDEX.SHTML
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