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Why wouldn't we warm up significantly in the east if the jet stream leveled out? When the jet stream is level in winter we have quite mild temps, highs in the 40's lows in the low 30's or upper 20's. Never the teens.
Temperatures in the teens are not a regular occurrence imo in Philadelphia looking at this:
Wouldn't be too bad. Jan averages of 44/29. I bet record lows and winter standard deviation would change though. Not as high deviation of temps from the averages, and record lows much higher. A more stable winter regime would take place.
With american climates i've learn't never to look at the average high ever.
Considering Asia is a much larger continent, you'd expect to have more severe winters on the east side. Northern Asia is different than North America that the coldest winter temperatures are far more to the eastern edge of the continent in Asia than in North America, where they're in the middle.
They do have more severe winters. There are places at 26n with average highs of 8c and okymogen or however you spell it has -60c highs.
One thing I find really fascinating about the continental climates in Eastern North America vs. East Asia is the fact that even though latitude for latitude, the continental climates in Asia are colder (sometimes considerably so), the standard deviation from the norm in winter these climates isn't that great.
For example, Shanghai has an average high/low of 47/34F in January and a record low of 10F. Brunswick, GA has an average high/low 63/42 in January which is much warmer on average than Shanghai but has a colder record low at 5F.
It makes sense why Shanghai is colder on average than Brunswick due to the Siberian anticyclone but why does Brunswick have a colder record low? The Siberian anticyclone is much colder and stronger than the North American equivalent. Do the Rockies have something to do with this?
Well it's better the asian way. All this time I had thought that america was very cold in the winter, but actually it isn't. Places with 1c average highs don't really have 1c averages highs, they have a few days in the winter with -10c which skews the average to make it look like that, when in actual fact its 18c one day and 5c the next. I don't like places with big massive standard deviations because then you can't relay on the snow staying.
Why wouldn't we warm up significantly in the east if the jet stream leveled out? When the jet stream is level in winter we have quite mild temps, highs in the 40's lows in the low 30's or upper 20's. Never the teens.
If the Jet stream leveled out we would. Not sure about significantly (maybe the averages would) As you mentioned even in the winter when we get that zonal flow across the country we do not get cold. The question I think I'm hearing is, "are the mountains causing the Jet stream not to be flat all the time" which in turn is making it cold.. I think the answer is No. Much more in getting the Jet to buckle than just mountains.
I think the warm winter of 2011-12 we were fluctuating from a Ridge and zonal in the East. The Rocky mountains didn't move that winter.. The Polar Jet stream stayed north in Canada.
Here's a typical La Nina setup with 2 separate jets but the sub tropical jet is flat across the U.S
Here's the jet stream pattern for next week. The buckle is coming and that means cold air dropping down.
But we do have locations in Siberia that are colder in winter (for their latitude) than equivalent locations in N. America. I think the maritime effect quickly disappears east of St. Petersburg.
. The question I think I'm hearing is, "are the mountains causing the Jet stream not to be flat all the time" which in turn is making it cold.. I think the answer is No. Much more in getting the Jet to buckle than just mountains.
I think the warm winter of 2011-12 we were fluctuating from a Ridge and zonal in the East. The Rocky mountains didn't move that winter.. The Polar Jet stream stayed north in Canada.
Obviously there are other factors that affect jet stream position, and like all weather, there's some variability. But what I'm getting is the Rockies shift the average position of the jet stream to a somewhat NW direction instead of just due west.
Siberia is colder than North America at any latitude. It is not a good idea to compare Moscow with a place like Minneapolis (which, however, is warmer year-round), given Moscow's proximity to the sea compared to the position of Minneapolis practically on the center of the continent.
However, without the Rockies North America would still be colder in winter than Western Europe, which is surrounded by water (and thus has overall milder/cooler summers). There are no places in Western Europe too far away from a sea; for example, Minsk is perceived to be far inland but its distance from the Baltic Sea is similar to Atlanta's distance from the Atlantic Ocean.
To me the presence of a cold continent right to the NNW instead of a warm ocean with a warm stream and its heavy influence on the climate can't be ignored. It's not only the absence of a "warm spring" to make Eastern US' climate colder in winter than Western Europe's, but also the presence of a "cold spring" that we DON'T have.
With american climates i've learn't never to look at the average high ever.
Leading inevitably to the conclusion that Phoenix and Minneapolis share the same climate.
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