Tuesday 4:22 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Mild/Warm airmasses continue to track through much of the nation. Cool air is limited to the Great Lakes into the northeastern states. May see a few low clouds/fog patches in a very shallow layer of gulf air early Wednesday, high 80's pm.
January 6, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Tuesday 4:22 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Mild/Warm airmasses continue to track through much of the nation. Cool air is limited to the Great Lakes into the northeastern states. May see a few low clouds/fog patches in a very shallow layer of gulf air early Wednesday, high 80's pm.
Tuesday 9:20 am: No cold airmasses from the arctic north in the U.S. Warm dry desert air from northern Mexico is above our shallow layer of moist gulf air. This will stir in, mix the clouds away by midday. Mid 80’s this afternoon.
January 6, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Tuesday 9:20 am: No cold airmasses from the arctic north in the U.S. Warm dry desert air from northern Mexico is above our shallow layer of moist gulf air. This will stir in, mix the clouds away by midday. Mid 80’s this afternoon.
METOP-B, 1944 UTC Overpass AVHRR Channel 4 radiated heat: The collision tween sw airmasses and northerly descending air masses will get interesting overnight.
January 4, 2026 at 8:18 PM
METOP-B, 1944 UTC Overpass AVHRR Channel 4 radiated heat: The collision tween sw airmasses and northerly descending air masses will get interesting overnight.
Sunday 8:30 am: Cool airmasses are tracking far to our north and east. The southern edge of a cooler airmass that tracked south through Texas Saturday has brought only slightly cooler air, we will still be warmer than average, near 80F this afternoon.
January 4, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Sunday 8:30 am: Cool airmasses are tracking far to our north and east. The southern edge of a cooler airmass that tracked south through Texas Saturday has brought only slightly cooler air, we will still be warmer than average, near 80F this afternoon.
[3/4] WXD tracks 850hPa across multiple models because it shows the real battle lines between airmasses. When models disagree at this level, you know uncertainty is high. What weather metric would you like explained next?
January 2, 2026 at 4:12 PM
[3/4] WXD tracks 850hPa across multiple models because it shows the real battle lines between airmasses. When models disagree at this level, you know uncertainty is high. What weather metric would you like explained next?
Thursday 3:02 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: We are at the start of an extended period of 80F and above warmth as cold airmasses are guided far to our north. With much more sunshine Friday, temperatures will rise ~10F above the high 70’s of this afternoon.
January 1, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Thursday 3:02 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: We are at the start of an extended period of 80F and above warmth as cold airmasses are guided far to our north. With much more sunshine Friday, temperatures will rise ~10F above the high 70’s of this afternoon.
Wednesday 7:58 am: A mountain of warm air is blocking rains in California from moving away from their area, and is blocking cold airmasses from making southward progress in the Great Plains. This brings cloudy dawns, partly cloudy afternoons, >80F through the weekend.
December 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Wednesday 7:58 am: A mountain of warm air is blocking rains in California from moving away from their area, and is blocking cold airmasses from making southward progress in the Great Plains. This brings cloudy dawns, partly cloudy afternoons, >80F through the weekend.
Tuesday 4:19 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Cooler airmasses are passing by far to our north. We remain quite warm and humid. Low cloud in the morning, mid 60's dawn. Partly cloudy, mid 80's Wednesday afternoon.
December 23, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Tuesday 4:19 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Cooler airmasses are passing by far to our north. We remain quite warm and humid. Low cloud in the morning, mid 60's dawn. Partly cloudy, mid 80's Wednesday afternoon.
Nothing appears to have changed on this point of depth of cold - lots of surface cold modelled, but the actual airmasses themselves do not appear to be anything with a significant cold depth (<-8°C 850 hPa). It'll certainly still feel cold but nothing *too* cold at the minute.
December 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Nothing appears to have changed on this point of depth of cold - lots of surface cold modelled, but the actual airmasses themselves do not appear to be anything with a significant cold depth (<-8°C 850 hPa). It'll certainly still feel cold but nothing *too* cold at the minute.
Using general weather pattern can tell you a lot about the weather for the next 10 to 15 days. Graphics show 52 members of EZ. Westerly regime is going to change to an easterly regime. Step by step colder airmasses are advected. But... the anticyclonic flow regime is favored by most of the members
December 17, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Using general weather pattern can tell you a lot about the weather for the next 10 to 15 days. Graphics show 52 members of EZ. Westerly regime is going to change to an easterly regime. Step by step colder airmasses are advected. But... the anticyclonic flow regime is favored by most of the members
If you don't like the temperature cross-section approach (previous post) here's another view. Black line=0C at 850mb-divides colder/warmer airmasses, also known as "the battle zone"-has that sinuous pattern mid continent (~now till next Sun.) #onwx #onstorm "Let the games begin"
December 15, 2025 at 4:18 AM
We often complain about the Great Lakes Snow making capabilities😒 in winter-but they also help modify the very cold airmasses, example 4 this weekend-bone crushing Cold High Pressure (1044mb) moves in & the lakes "do their thing" to help "modify" the cold blast #onwx #onstorm (pressure map attached)
December 11, 2025 at 2:24 PM
We often complain about the Great Lakes Snow making capabilities😒 in winter-but they also help modify the very cold airmasses, example 4 this weekend-bone crushing Cold High Pressure (1044mb) moves in & the lakes "do their thing" to help "modify" the cold blast #onwx #onstorm (pressure map attached)
Thursday 9:57 pm: Just Because Department: During the winter season, cool airmasses can reach pretty far to the south, even beyond 20N latitude in North Africa. 850 mb map shows this well, very warm air to the south of the front.
December 5, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Thursday 9:57 pm: Just Because Department: During the winter season, cool airmasses can reach pretty far to the south, even beyond 20N latitude in North Africa. 850 mb map shows this well, very warm air to the south of the front.
Currently doing meteorology homework, learning about the development of extratropical cyclones, their life cycle, and the importance of airmasses!!!
December 3, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Currently doing meteorology homework, learning about the development of extratropical cyclones, their life cycle, and the importance of airmasses!!!
Clash of the Tropical and Arctic airmasses
November 12, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Clash of the Tropical and Arctic airmasses
Interesting. The forecast had always called for a mix of rain and snow before transitioning to snow across the whole region, but that usually means there's a line where two airmasses of different temperatures collide. THIS radar map shows rain at the core, but snow on the edges, especially north.
November 9, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Interesting. The forecast had always called for a mix of rain and snow before transitioning to snow across the whole region, but that usually means there's a line where two airmasses of different temperatures collide. THIS radar map shows rain at the core, but snow on the edges, especially north.
Monday 4:04 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Warm dry air now occupies the southern Great Plains, cool airmasses are moving by to our north and a cool airmass has exited to the east. 50's with clear skies by dawn, mid 80's Tuesday.
November 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Monday 4:04 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Warm dry air now occupies the southern Great Plains, cool airmasses are moving by to our north and a cool airmass has exited to the east. 50's with clear skies by dawn, mid 80's Tuesday.
A low pressure system stretching from Lake Superior down to the Gulf continues to move across the U.S. today! Midlatitude cyclones like these become more common during cooler months as the temperature difference between polar and tropical airmasses becomes more pronounced. - https://x.com/RadarOm...
October 21, 2025 at 8:25 PM
A low pressure system stretching from Lake Superior down to the Gulf continues to move across the U.S. today! Midlatitude cyclones like these become more common during cooler months as the temperature difference between polar and tropical airmasses becomes more pronounced. - https://x.com/RadarOm...
Friday 3:49 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Drier air aloft is mixing in, lowering humidity, much lower humidity Saturday. Cool airmasses continue to track by far to our north. Small shower dots as far north as just east of Zapata. Today is our 199th day of 2025 to reach 90F.
October 10, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Friday 3:49 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Drier air aloft is mixing in, lowering humidity, much lower humidity Saturday. Cool airmasses continue to track by far to our north. Small shower dots as far north as just east of Zapata. Today is our 199th day of 2025 to reach 90F.
There goes Imelda, now with a weather front connected to its core & another kicking off to its south & east. Ex-tropical.
Check out the contrast between airmasses to its NW & SE. The 1st is much colder than the underlying ocean, supporting extensive clouds. This is not true of the 2nd.
Check out the contrast between airmasses to its NW & SE. The 1st is much colder than the underlying ocean, supporting extensive clouds. This is not true of the 2nd.
October 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
There goes Imelda, now with a weather front connected to its core & another kicking off to its south & east. Ex-tropical.
Check out the contrast between airmasses to its NW & SE. The 1st is much colder than the underlying ocean, supporting extensive clouds. This is not true of the 2nd.
Check out the contrast between airmasses to its NW & SE. The 1st is much colder than the underlying ocean, supporting extensive clouds. This is not true of the 2nd.
Sunday 9:18 am: Dry warm airmasses occupies a good deal of the nation today. The dry air allowed heat to escape to space more easily this dawn, with 68F, our first reading under 70F since May 12th’s 61F. Sunny and warm with low humidity, low/mid 90’s this afternoon.
September 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Sunday 9:18 am: Dry warm airmasses occupies a good deal of the nation today. The dry air allowed heat to escape to space more easily this dawn, with 68F, our first reading under 70F since May 12th’s 61F. Sunny and warm with low humidity, low/mid 90’s this afternoon.
Quite the one day contrast in airmasses…dewpoints in the 80’s in Red Sea air, 30’s in the downsloping and descending air which produced the exceptional heat of the day!
September 16, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Quite the one day contrast in airmasses…dewpoints in the 80’s in Red Sea air, 30’s in the downsloping and descending air which produced the exceptional heat of the day!
Monday 4:04 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Cool airmasses that could change our weather are taking a track through the northern U.S. before reaching further south in the eastern states. Very little change for us, will watch isolated showers with and in advance of sea breeze.
September 15, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Monday 4:04 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Cool airmasses that could change our weather are taking a track through the northern U.S. before reaching further south in the eastern states. Very little change for us, will watch isolated showers with and in advance of sea breeze.
Thursday 4:10 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A parade of cooler airmasses are passing by to our north. We remain under a hot dry airmass, 105F so far today. A shallow layer of humid gulf air will return tonight/Friday morning, then another sunny 105F afternoon with low humidity.
September 4, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Thursday 4:10 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A parade of cooler airmasses are passing by to our north. We remain under a hot dry airmass, 105F so far today. A shallow layer of humid gulf air will return tonight/Friday morning, then another sunny 105F afternoon with low humidity.