tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post93227014749512723..comments2024-03-28T23:07:35.632-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Heat Waves and the Thermal TroughCliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-56639342936905097332012-08-06T07:50:07.911-07:002012-08-06T07:50:07.911-07:00Even stranger, about 5:00 P.M. Sunday the wind shi...Even stranger, about 5:00 P.M. Sunday the wind shifted and the temperature dropped perceptibly. I assume that's when the trough jumped East. The odd thing was that the wind shift in Nordland was from NW to SE, and from warm to cold, when normally that would have been from cold to warm.<br /><br />Glenn<br /><br />Marrowstone IslandGlennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509609643029842132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-24439293608057304652012-08-04T17:00:48.719-07:002012-08-04T17:00:48.719-07:00At what altitude does this "offshore" fl...At what altitude does this "offshore" flow occur? It's been very hot here on Marrowstone (SE of Port Townsend), and we have had the normal wind from the NNW that I associate with warmer weather inland; the cool air from the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty inlet blows towards the "thermal trough" over the heat island of Seattle and the lowlands west of the Cascades. So, at least at sea level on the NE corner of the Olympic Peninsula we have normal fair weather on shore flow. <br /><br />Wind flow charts at surface and various other levels for the last few days would be useful.<br /><br />Glenn<br />Marrowstone IslandGlennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509609643029842132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-55483086165182465182012-08-03T05:24:41.116-07:002012-08-03T05:24:41.116-07:00One pet peeve of mine is that, as you correctly po...One pet peeve of mine is that, as you correctly point out, the trough is thermally induced, meaning that the heat causes the trough. Thermal troughs don't cause the heat. The pressure gradient of the trough certainly does create wind though.<br /><br />Also I see others talk about the thermal trough causing instability in the atmosphere when it crosses the Cascades (as related to fire weather). Again, the surface trough is an indicator of what is going on aloft, not causing it. But it obviously causes the westerly winds to blow along the east slopes when it crosses the Cascades. But as you point out, the "push" associated with this event doesn't appear to be real strong. But I love watching the marine stratus creep up the coast in concert with the thermal trough.Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05656580847796616214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-68961009219018392332012-08-02T22:57:57.774-07:002012-08-02T22:57:57.774-07:00This is one of the first pronounced thermal trough...This is one of the first pronounced thermal troughs of the season right? It can really up the your average temperature.<br /><br />I only say that because the cross Cascade temperature this summer have been unusual. For example, Seatac-Yakima difference for July is roughly 12 degrees but this year, it was 18.5 degrees.smokejumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05358322512081660205noreply@blogger.com