Cloudy
Stalled Cold Front Spotted from Space
The front brought snow to the southeast; will be followed by frigid weather
Jan. 18, 2013
The GOES satellite captured the stalled cold front causing wintry weather in the Eastern United States. (NOAA)
A cold front sweeping across the United States stalled out over the East Coast on Thursday, causing flash floods in the Southeast and bringing heavy snows to the North.
The GOES satellite snapped the stagnant system yesterday as it draped across the eastern states.
The mass of cold air is dropping snow across the southern Appalachians and into parts of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Accuweather.com reported. Flash floods are hitting parts of eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas.
The heavy rains and snow result from the brutal trough interacting with a ridge of high pressure centered over Bermuda, climatologist Jeff Weber told OurAmazingPlanet in an email interview.
The stalled front finally will be pushed farther east by a new blast of Arctic air expected early next week, said Weber, a scientist with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colo. This could bring freezing temperatures to areas as far south as northern Georgia by Jan. 22.
The system sitting over the East Coast was produced by an extreme southward dip in the jet stream, which allowed cold air to travel south into California earlier this week. After setting a record daily low in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, the air mass marched across the country, settling in for a predicted week of havoc in the East.
Reach Becky Oskin at boskin@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @beckyoskin. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
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Copyright 2013 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PHOTOS ON SKYE: Breathtaking Images of Earth from Space
The GOES satellite captured the stalled cold front causing wintry weather in the Eastern United States. (NOAA)
A cold front sweeping across the United States stalled out over the East Coast on Thursday, causing flash floods in the Southeast and bringing heavy snows to the North.
The GOES satellite snapped the stagnant system yesterday as it draped across the eastern states.
The mass of cold air is dropping snow across the southern Appalachians and into parts of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Accuweather.com reported. Flash floods are hitting parts of eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas.
The heavy rains and snow result from the brutal trough interacting with a ridge of high pressure centered over Bermuda, climatologist Jeff Weber told OurAmazingPlanet in an email interview.
The stalled front finally will be pushed farther east by a new blast of Arctic air expected early next week, said Weber, a scientist with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colo. This could bring freezing temperatures to areas as far south as northern Georgia by Jan. 22.
The system sitting over the East Coast was produced by an extreme southward dip in the jet stream, which allowed cold air to travel south into California earlier this week. After setting a record daily low in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, the air mass marched across the country, settling in for a predicted week of havoc in the East.
Reach Becky Oskin at boskin@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @beckyoskin. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
Weirdo Weather: 7 Rare Weather Events
Weather vs. Climate Change: Test Yourself
The World's Weirdest Weather
Copyright 2013 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PHOTOS ON SKYE: Breathtaking Images of Earth from Space
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8 Comments
"The mass of cold air is dropping snow across the southern Appalachians and into parts of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore." Not very accurate reporting. I can't say about Baltimore, but I live within 5 miles of downtown D. C. in the Va. 'burbs and the news reports that the snow is to the south of Fredericksburg, Va., about 50 miles away. Furthermore, since D. C. is only about 10 miles across, that would have to be a very localized storm to impact "parts."
January 18 2013 at 4:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnd still can't predict the weather.
January 18 2013 at 4:10 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyLooks like another round of back and forth bickering is about to begin among those who understand climate and weather differences, and the relationship between them on a daily and long term scale.
January 18 2013 at 3:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOh my, satellites are so sophisticated that they can now draw state boundaries in photos. WOW! (sarcasm)
January 18 2013 at 3:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnd very useful too, you can see a cloud bank that is over your head without looking up. WOW! (sarcasm)
NASA says NO GLOBAL WARMING for past 12 years... go smoke that Al.
January 18 2013 at 1:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDon't know what you are smoking James, but a look at NASA data for just one example, does not support your statement here. A quote from that NASA URL: "January 2000 to December 2009 was the warmest decade on record."
January 18 2013 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIf a child resulting from rape is God's will, then I guess the freeze being delivered to the Red States is God's will too. Sunny and in the 60's today inCalifornia.
January 18 2013 at 3:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNice looking dog.
Cold fronts? Frigid weather? Must be that "global warming" thing.
January 18 2013 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply