Midlatitude Cyclones

METR
100-150
10 March
2015

March 1993
Storm of
the
Century

Overview
Cyclone: low-pressure system
Wind moves counterclockwise
around them in the Northern
Hemisphere (cyclonically)
They transfer surplus solar radiation
poleward!

Satellite View of a Cyclone

Comma cloud appearance
Head: more stable clouds, rain/snow
Tail: unstable clouds along cold front/dryline,
thunderstorms

Satellite View of a Cyclone

Atypic
al
case:

Radar
View
of a
Cyclon
e

Cyclones: Importance
Produce significant weather for 2
8+ days
Often cross much of the continent
Cause most severe weather events

Cyclones:
Preferred
Formation
Areas
Cyclogenesi
s: formation
of a cyclone
In the lee
of
the Rockies
(lee
cyclones)
Along the
Gulf and East
Coasts
(coastal

Cyclones: Formation
(Review)

Cyclones: Formation
(Review)

Cyclones: Formation
(Review)

Lee Cyclones: Formation

In the lee of the Rocky
Mountains:
Stretching of vorticity emerging
from the mountains plays a large
role!

Courtesy of
the
University
of

Cyclones: Energy Source

Gain energy from
horizontal
temperature
gradient
(baroclinicity)
Stronger
baroclinicity
means more
energy available
for a developing
cyclone

Lee Cyclone Lifecycle:

Early Events & Structure

Lee Cyclone Lifecycle:

Warm Sector Weather
Warm Sector: area
between warm/ cold fronts
(warm, often moist air)
Precipitation along the
dryline, upper-level front,
and/or cold front

Lee Cyclone Lifecycle:

Weather North of the Cyclone
Upslope flow often leads to
fog/rain/snow
Often windy as low pressure moves
by

Lifecycle: Cyclone
Intensification

Intensity measured by lowest

surface pressure value (lower = more
intense)
What causes intensification?
Upper-level

divergence
exceeds lowlevel
convergence!

Lifecycle: Cyclone
Intensification
Cyclones intensify in the first 12 36
hrs via feedback processes
Feedback: a process reinforces
the initial change which caused it
(e.g. it snows colder
surface/atmospheric column more
likely to snow again)
(e.g. it doesnt rain in an area less
evaporation less likely to rain

Lifecycle: Cyclone
Intensification
Feedback in cyclone intensification:
Warm advection ahead of the low
deepening of the column builds the
ridge
Cold advection behind the low
shrinking of the column deepens
the trough
Stronger pressure gradient
jetstreak strengthens greater
divergence!

Lifecycle: Cyclone
Intensification
This is called baroclinic instability
utilization of energy in temperature
gradients to intensify a cyclone

Lifecycle: Cyclone
Intensification
Due to effects of baroclinic
instability, the cyclone deepens
winds intensify (why?) faster
advection of warm/cold air (positive
feedback!)

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Low-level jet (LLJ): strong winds just
above the surface in the warm sector

Image courtesy of the

National Weather Association

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Importance of the LLJ:
Northward moisture transport
Northward warm air advection
Source of low-level wind shear for
thunderstorms/tornadoes
LLJ occurs most often at night, on the
Plains

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Trowal:
trough of
warm air aloft;
the warm air
wrapping
around the
north side of a
cyclone

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Importance of the Trowal:
Zone of strong warm advection
Summer: steady rain
Winter: snow, which may be heavy

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Dry Slot: dry upper-tropospheric air
wrapping around the southwest side of a
cyclone

Mature-Stage Cyclone Features

Importance of the Dry Slot:
Often brings a break in precipitation
May develop unexpectedly and end
chances of significant
snow/thunderstorms

Cyclone Dissipation
Dissipation (weakening) often begins
with occlusion or the cutoff process
Occlusion: the cold front catches up
with the warm front, forming an
occluded front
Reduces baroclinicity
near the low

Cyclone Dissipation
Cutoff Low: enough cold air has
moved south that the center of the
low is separated from the jetstream
Effects:
Baroclinicity decreases
Jetstreak weakening + less
curvature around the low = loss of
divergence aloft!

Cyclone Dissipation
Loss of divergence aloft low-level
convergence due to friction
dominates central pressure rises
(filling)
Cyclone drifts, precipitation may
continue
Circulation eventually dissipates
completely

Types of
Lee
Cyclones
Alberta
Clippers
Colorado
Lows

Colorado Lows
Form on the Southern High Plains,
move northeast

Colorado Lows

For the central U.S.:

Cause the heaviest snowfall totals
Often the strongest low pressure systems

Typical trough
pattern
leading to
development
of a Colorado Low

Alberta Clippers
Form on the
Canadian High
Plains, move
southeast
Produce smaller
snowfall totals
(2 6)
Are often
followed by
very cold air

Alberta Clippers: Track

Alberta Clipper: Radar

Example

Image courtesy the University of Wisconsin-Madiso

Coastal Cyclones
Often more intense than lee cyclones
why?
1) More latent heat energy available
via condensation, because warm water
nearby

Image courtesy
of NASA

Coastal Cyclones
2) Warming of the air by the warm
ocean surface (sensible heat
energy)

Image courtesy
of NASA

Coastal Cyclones
3) Strong baroclinicity between the
warm ocean and the cold land (esp. in
winter when cold air reaches the coast)

Coastal Cyclones
4) Multiple jetstreaks often provide
divergence aloft (from subtropical &
polar jetstreams)

Coastal Cyclones
5) Low-level
frictional
convergence
is lower over
water than
over land

Coastal
Cyclone
Formation
Old frontal
boundary at coast
(coastal front)
Jetstreak
divergence
Stretching of
vorticity east of
the Appalachians

East Coast Cyclones

Development:
Often intensify very rapidly
Bomb cyclone: pressure drops > 24
mb in 24 hrs
Typical minimum pressure: 960 980 mb
Noreaster: local name for these storms
in New England

Often travel north along the coast

East Coast Cyclones

Forecasting precipitation type:
significant challenge!
Location of coastal front
Warm side = rain; cold side often
snow
Large coastal cities: often only 10
20 km difference between blizzard
and rain
Models arent often this good yet!

East Coast Cyclones

Structure similar to a lee cyclone:
Dry slot
Trowal
LLJ less
important

East Coast Cyclones

Main impacts:
Freezing rain east of the Appalachians,
near the coast
Sleet against the mountains
Heavy snow inland!
Impacts depend on temperature over the
land
Snow may turn to rain as coastal front
moves by
Storm stalling on coast: heavy snow for a
long time (30 60 of snow may fall, e.g.

Gulf Coast Cyclones

Form most often in El Nio years
subtropical jetstream strong
(divergence)
Subtropical &
Polar
Jetstreams work
together to form
a
powerful Gulf
Coast
Cyclone
12-24-2009

Gulf Coast Cyclones

2 Common Tracks:
Following the coast
Following the
Mississippi Valley
(inland track)

Inland Track Example: Feb. 2010 Cyclone

Formation on the Texas

coast

Inland Track Example: Feb. 2010 Cyclone

Inland/Coastal Phases both
present

Inland Track Example: Feb. 2010 Cyclone

Blizzard in Maryland/D.C./New Jersey

Coastal Track Example: 1993

Superstorm
Formatio
n in the
Gulf of
Mexico
Severe
squall
line
nearing
Florida

1993 Superstorm @ Max.

Intensity

Coastal Track:
1993 Superstorm Impacts