Don't forget Canada's memorable storm

Today, Wednesday, an immense storm will move into the Canadian Maritimes after grazing the US East Coast. In the US the storm may severely affect Cape Cod with many inches of snow and hurricane force winds. At sea, in the northern Gulf of Maine and points north, there is a severe risk to boats with very high waves and very severe winds. Halifax could get a foot or two of snow and there will be high coastal waves and strong winds.

This is a rare storm, but of the class of storms that seems to have become more common as the global system of air currents shifts under conditions of global warming. Repeated snow in the normally low-snow mid-Atlantic, severe flooding in the UK, cold in the US central and southern regions, and arid conditions in California (as well as some other bad weather) are a continuation of so-called "Weather Whiplash" that seems to be caused by changes in the pattern of trade winds and the jet streams stemming from a reduced gradient of warm to cool conditions from the Equator to the North Pole. The Jet stream has been bent low over North America for weeks, maybe months (hard to keep track it's been so long).

There is some discussion of the storm here, where there are additional links, but it seems to not be the focus of much attention in the media, probably because it will mainly affect the Canadian Maritimes, because apparently we don't care about the Canadian Maritimes.

Weather Nation has this video which covers "Bombogenesis" which is the process involved in the formation of this super duper megastorm.

I imagine we'll be hearing more about this storm after it sinks a few ships and strands a bunch of people in deep snow.

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One stepson and two kids live in Halifax - the other and his 1 yr old live in Montreal - it's been a long winter for them and it's going to keep going for sometime yet.

By Smarter Than Y… (not verified) on 26 Mar 2014 #permalink

"Carbon pollution puts the weather on steroids. It greatly increases our risk of extreme weather like heavy storms, droughts, and heat waves." http://clmtr.lt/c/ERY0bU0cMJ

By RAy Del Colle (not verified) on 26 Mar 2014 #permalink