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I have a co-worker who get's migraine headaches which she says many times are caused by weather "fronts" that move through our area of the country (we're in Minnesota). Evidently the changing barometric pressure between one front and the next causes her problems.
It got me to thinking, after having watched the TV weather as well as checking out various online sources over the years, it sure seems that we in the upper Midwest get more "fronts" than the Western and especially South Western US do. It seems ever day or two or at most three days we get hit with another weather front that changes our weather....sometimes in very dramatic ways very quickly :-)
When looking at the maps, these fronts always seem to come down from Canada and hit somewhere not much further west than somewhere in Montana or North Dakota and then move towards the Southeast generally avoiding much of the Northwest and especially the Southwest.
Can anyone with any knowledge about weather and how things work explain if my observation is right or wrong ? Does the Southwestern US get less "fronts" than any other area of the country ?
Yes your correct more or less, the jet stream is responsible for stirring areas of low pressure across the planet. The jet stream typically doesn't pass over the Southwestern parts of the USA. You said the PNW gets less 'fronts" that isn't true but its just in your location the temperature differences is much more extreme being inland and more continental... So when a front passes behind that front temperatures will drop/rise more dramatically than the PNW - which is oceanic.
I have a co-worker who get's migraine headaches which she says many times are caused by weather "fronts" that move through our area of the country (we're in Minnesota). Evidently the changing barometric pressure between one front and the next causes her problems.
It got me to thinking, after having watched the TV weather as well as checking out various online sources over the years, it sure seems that we in the upper Midwest get more "fronts" than the Western and especially South Western US do. It seems ever day or two or at most three days we get hit with another weather front that changes our weather....sometimes in very dramatic ways very quickly :-)
When looking at the maps, these fronts always seem to come down from Canada and hit somewhere not much further west than somewhere in Montana or North Dakota and then move towards the Southeast generally avoiding much of the Northwest and especially the Southwest.
Can anyone with any knowledge about weather and how things work explain if my observation is right or wrong ? Does the Southwestern US get less "fronts" than any other area of the country ?
"surface" fronts and Jet streams are 2 different things.
No, southwestern US does get fronts, not always the same ones we're thinking about.... and Canadien fronts do make it down south.
Albuquerque, New Mexico discussion mentions one coming up.. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TUE NIGHT INTO THE E WOULD ADD EVEN MORE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ENHANCE POPS
Take a look at the current surface map.
That "H" over MO was the first High pressure to move down and in front of it was a front that pushed all the way down south. It's now turned into a stationary front.
The new one is over Kentucky now. Not sure how far south that will go (haven't checked) but I think not far since there's the other front and the High around.
A low pressure system will sometimes drag a front with it. Maybe the image below might help. They do happen in the southwest
As far as headaches, I wont ignore that a front can trigger them, but more likely than not its not the front.... It's about the surface "pressure". Storms and High pressures change the barometer. So when this front came through, High pressure followed and your pressure should of been on the rise past couple days. Some get them during storms, some during calm days.
As far as headaches, I wont ignore that a front can trigger them, but more likely than not its not the front.... It's about the surface "pressure". Storms and High pressures change the barometer. So when this front came through, High pressure followed and your pressure should of been on the rise past couple days. Some get them during storms, some during calm days.
Note that going from sea level to 450 feet is roughly the same pressure change as a frontal system dropping the pressure by 20 mb.
Isn't it unusual for the jet stream to head into the SW USA? And how are the fronts that cross SW USA different? @ Cambium
Not unsual but unsual at different points in the year (for instance summer). Fronts are different in the way of type, origination, and strength. Take the front that's down south now. Its weakened and didn't have enough cold air behind it as it moved down from Canada. Its 80s/90sF down south now with a stalled front.
As far as Southwest US fronts being different there's really only 4 types and they can happen anywhere.
Very cool animation here. Click which front you want to see. Weather Fronts
Not unsual but unsual at different points in the year (for instance summer). Fronts are different in the way of type, origination, and strength. Take the front that's down south now. Its weakened and didn't have enough cold air behind it as it moved down from Canada. Its 80s/90sF down south now with a stalled front.
As far as Southwest US fronts being different there's really only 4 types and they can happen anywhere.
Very cool animation here. Click which front you want to see. Weather Fronts
Thanks to all for the posts answering my question about fronts. The animation linked above is very informative and helped me visualize what's happening when variouis types of fronts move through.
Check out the front this morning. It stayed a cold front all the way to the Gulf states. 40s down to Tennessee. 10-15 below normal for the lows. Mid September.
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