wow! big weather change in central pacific tonight

[msongs]

we like to watch the satellite video loop for the southwest US and the mid pacific and notice a big change tonight.

normally just north of the equator the weather pattern is stuff moving west towards asia.

tonight however that band of weather known as the inter tropical convergence zone ITCZ the flow is moving towards central america, a reversal in direction. might have begun earlier but we just noticed it tonight.

you can watch it at the page below, under satellite image loops select infrared and 16 km (loop)

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/sat/satellite.php

for a month the subtropical jet stream has been dragging clouds into west texas and colorado, where it met the cold low pressures coming from the pacific northwest, creating the blizzards

this el nino pattern is typical where the subtropical jet steers storms from the mid pacific into southern california during january through march.

on the loop you can see a low forming directly south of california and another mass of east moving clouds west of hawaii.

perhaps this is the beginning of the wet weather cycle for southern california. hmmm

Msongs
www.msongs.com
democrats 2007 calendars

[Selah]

1. Interesting

Just returned from Central America where it was raining well into the beginning of the normal dry season. Local media forecast rain all throughout the dry season due to el nino.

[BeHereNow]

2. Someone posted an article saying as much- (Global Warming etc..)

The article included a forecast by a scientist stating that both India and
California would be hit by MAJOR rain storms...all this as FEMA
announced that they didn't think some levees would hold in the event
of a flood.

BHN

[Robbien]

3. Aw crap, I just read that about California's levees

Just didn't put two and two together with this satellite weather change.

[AlCzervik]

4. it's not good, i live south of Sacramento, not by much but enough

so my house won't flood but my street probably will. there is a whole huge housing development called Natomas and when we moved here i went up there and looked and asked about flood insurance after seeing a lot of standing water--"Oh you don't need that anymore, they just changed it" and that did for me--"No thanks, i'll look else where" and that area is going to have some major problems soon if the levees aren't dealt with. IMO that area never should have been developed but Sacramento like many places are run by developers.

[Ecumenist]

10. Amen Chimps

I LIVE IN NORTH NATOMAS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! Not my idea...himself insited we rent here due to his job. Please understand that the first thing I did wa get an 80K insurance policy. Now he's actually starting to worry because of the Natomas bothtub. thing... I tried to tell him...

[BeHereNow]

5. I just happened across both threads yesterday and linked them up-

I read the levee thread in LBN and then saw the other article
mentioning the probability of the deluge in California.
Katrina anyone?
I'm sure the government will do a "heck of a job"
helping the people in California if the levees break-not.

BHN

[kestrel91316]

6. I wish we WOULD get some rain this winter. So far we have had

three wimpy little fake storm fronts come through.

El Nino typically brings biblical flooding. I've been wondering where the heck it has been since they said this WAS an El Nino year.............

[Bobbieo]

7. Natomas was a dam some 40 years ago - now it's a community????

Am in SW AZ now and we sure could use some rain. Maybe it will say to the south and not go near Natomas.

[Hekate]

9. It's been so dry here on the Central Coast; lots of wind lately, so fire danger is in the red zone

We certainly could use some of that rain soon. I'm sorry that the levees are in bad shape, though they are far from us.

Hekate

[kestrel91316]

11. I'm SOOO sick of this endless strong wind. It's about 8% humidity

here, and windy as hell, and everything is statickey. I shock my poor kitties every time I touch them, my hair stands on end, and I shock myself getting in and out of the car all day long.

Please send rain. Quick.

[pa28]

8. Interesting. Thanks for posting.

I watch the weather too because it applies to my hobbies but I can't recall seeing anything quite like that particular pattern.

Maybe it explains some of the extreme weather we've been getting in Seattle. Looks like every bit of moisture in the north Pacific is being funneled straight at us.

Break out the coffee.