Saturday, January 18, 2014

This Is a New One for Me

From the West Seattle Herald.  An 'air stagnation alert' has been issued by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.

The National Weather Service has issued an air stagnation advisory that extends through next Friday
 
...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY JANUARY 24...
 
* AIR QUALITY...LOW-LEVEL TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS AND LIGHT WINDS WILL RESULT IN WORSENING OF AIR QUALITY AT TIMES THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY.
 
* IMPACTS...LIMITED MOVEMENT OF THE AIR WILL ALLOW AIR POLLUTANTS TO INCREASE AT TIMES THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY. IMPACTS WILL BE GREATEST ON INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.
* RESTRICTIONS/BURN BANS...CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL CLEAN AIR AGENCY FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS...SUCH AS BURN BANS...IN YOUR AREA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
AN AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY IS BASED ON WEATHER CONDITIONS. IT IS NOT AN AIR POLLUTION ADVISORY OR FORECAST. AIR POLLUTION ADVISORIES AND FORECASTS ARE ISSUED BY AIR QUALITY AGENCIES.
 
THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY AILMENTS SHOULD CONSIDER LIMITING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
 
Hmm.  This sounds a lot like the Rossby Wave effect we've experienced from the now more powerful Polar Jet Stream.   It can disrupt the normal westerly flow of winds and weather systems we enjoyed through the history of civilization and, instead, can park the weather in place for several days at a time. The University of Ottawa's Paul Beckwith explains it all in just over a minute:
 
 
If that weather happens to be a heavy rain front and if it gets parked over, oh I don't know, say Calgary, the people right below can expect to get massive flooding.   Fortunately (I suppose) here on the coast we're undergoing a super dry winter so this 'air stagnation' pattern shouldn't trigger flooding and slides.
 
 
 

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