Reverse Engines

The polar vortex has been votexing fast and furious in recent weeks...evidenced by a painfully positive AO index and mild temperatures in the East.

All that may be about to change should the ECMWF forecast come to pass.



Note the negative values in blue above the Arctic Circle in the D+8 forecast indicating a zonal wind change from west to east. This is likely a depiction of the arctic jet...given the relative strongly negative values.

A strong polar vortex keeps arctic air bottled up over the pole; however...when if it weakens as forecast...the arctic air mass can escape to lower latitudes.