Guest guest Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 - CHEROKEE Wednesday, January 05, 2005 12:36 PM Weekend Storms Could Shock US http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=4352Weekend Storms Could Shock US05-Jan-2005NOAA Jan 5 Map. Click for Detail An unusual weather pattern that meteorologists are calling a once in a lifetime event is developing over the United States. Powerful, moisture laden fronts from the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico are on a collision course to converge with a strong blast of cold air from the north. This rare event is likely to unfold over the central United States this weekend. It will bring severe storms involving snow, ice, rain and possible rare midwinter tornadoes. 2004 was a record year for tornadoes in the US, and in 2005 California has already seen tornadoes and waterspouts, previously extremely rare in the far west. These storms are this violent because of the rapidly increasing difference between the temperature of the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) and the layer just above it, the stratosphere. This means that, when cloud tops reach into the stratosphere, very rapid and extreme cooling takes place, causing storms to develop rapidly and with great intensity. This differential is due to the fact that the lower atmosphere is retaining far more heat than normal, because of rising carbon dioxide levels and the subsequent global warming effect. Such storm convergences took place in 1950 and 1937, but not with the violence expected this time, assuming that the systems actually do converge. At present the National Weather Service believes that the convergence will take place over the Ohio and Tennesee valleys, but this remains uncertain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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