Super Ridge of High Pressure Will Bring Dry Conditions and Warmth

 Tired of the rain and cool temperatures?   A major change is about to occur:  the development of a "Super Ridge" of high pressure aloft over the northeastern Pacific.

This "Super Ridge" will bring a short period of spring-like warmth to some lucky folks in our region.

I am going to show you a series of forecast upper-level weather charts that describe the situation around 18,000 ft (heights of the 500 hPa pressure surface above sea level will be shown).   You can think of these figures as describing the pressure variation at 18,000 ft.  The colors indicate the difference from normal (red--above normal, blue--below normal).

Today, at  4 PM, the ridge of high pressure is found just inland from the West Coast, but with low pressure offshore.  Since sinking air and dry weather are found under and east of such high pressure aloft, we arestill  open to Pacific moisture that will push in later today and Thursday.

In fact, the latest weather radar image shows an approaching system lurking offshore.

But high pressure is not done with us!   By Tuesday at 4 PM, another high-pressure ridge builds over our region (see below).

This high pressure will be associated with warming air aloft and its surface reflection to the east will result in easterly flow over the Cascades, with downslope warming over the western slopes of the Cascades.  To show this, below is the predicted surface temperature map for 3 PM on Tuesday.  

Wow.  Temperatures will rise to around 60°F on the western slopes!

Even locations away from the slopes will be warmed...just not as much.  For example, the European Center model predicts a temperature of 59°F on Tuesday (see below).  That will feel very nice.

But this is only a taste of the upcoming Super Ridging.  By Friday morning, an absolutely extraordinary ridge/high-pressure area will form to our north (see below).  This pattern produces absolutely dry conditions over our region.

I have some confidence in this projection because all the major weather modeling systems are forecasting something like it.   

Want a sample?  

Here is the 72-hour total precipitation ending Sunday at 4 PM.  NO PRECIPITATION ANYWHERE.

I hope those pushing a drought narrative will wait before ringing the alarm bells.

Models forecast precipitation the following week, and the extended forecasts are for wetter than normal conditions over the next three months (see the European Center prediction below).

Even the Drought-loving U.S. Drought Monitor has backed off the drought alarms (see their latest graphic below), with drought gone over western Washington and "severe" drought only over the far southeastern side of the State.

Super Ridge