Low Pressure System...high barometer??? (storm, city, USA, moving)

[joqua]

According to the NOAA and NSW gurus, a "low pressure" system just spent a week slowly passing over my area of southwest USA. But the barometric readings from various weather stations, including the "official" one for my locale, showed very high pressure readings - as high as I've ever seen them.

I hope someone can suggest a reason for this seeming contradiction?

[Patricius Maximus]

Although they should've been more specific, it's not a contradiction, since there is a weak low pressure system in the upper levels of the atmosphere moving through, which is (or at least was) producing cool weather and rain in the region. Upper-level low pressure systems often do not translate to low surface pressure.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by joqua

According to the NOAA and NSW gurus, a "low pressure" system just spent a week slowly passing over my area of southwest USA. But the barometric readings from various weather stations, including the "official" one for my locale, showed very high pressure readings - as high as I've ever seen them.

I hope someone can suggest a reason for this seeming contradiction?

Yes, what PM said. The "low Pressure" is not at the surface, it's at the upper levels. High pressure is at the surface. So that means barometer is higher where we live but lower as you go up in the atmopshere. Think of it as a spinning storm but way up in the atmosphere

Here's a post I wrote regarding the rare pressure over the Ohio valley (different from the system your speaking about). http://www.city-data.com/forum/30514430-post1316.html

Here's a post showing the westward movement of the pattern. http://www.city-data.com/forum/30519884-post1324.html