Follow up from my White Christmas Blog
Check this link out from the NWS in GF.
Today I would like to discuss the epic battle between two different low pressure systems that tend to battle, to affect the midlatidues of the United States with snow storms in the winter!
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| Courtesy of wx-man.com |
"First in the right side of the blog... the ALBERTA CLIPPER!!!!!"
This low originates in Alberta, Canada, just east of the Rockie Mountains.
This lows travel from their origin through the Northern Plains of the US. Over the Great Lakes. Then on to the east coast.
Most of the time they are dry systems. They don't collect much moisture as they move, leaving the places it travels to with a little shot of snow but usually its less than 3".
The main weather condition that they produce is frigidly low temperatures. This usually lingers a few days, even after the system has moved out of the region.
If you want a frigidly cold winter... this is the low pressure system you want to affect your region all winter long.
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| Courtesy of theweatherprediction.com |
This Low originates in Colorado, on the lee side of the Rockie Mountains. They don't always have to start out in Colorado. The most common formation is in the Pacific Northwest. The lows usually move into the Rockies and then loose strength. Then they move to the lee side of the Rockies, then gain strength. Sometimes they even form in Kansas or Nebraska.
The general track to this type of low pressure system moves from Colorado into the Texas pan handle or even as far up as Nebraska. Then it can track through the Dakotas, MN, up to the Great Lake and then through the east up into the coast of Canada.
Moisture gets pumped into these systems from the Gulf of Mexico, because the are much farther south then the Alberta Clipper. Light snow usually travels at the front of the low (where the warm front is). As it tracks into the Dakota's and up through MN it usually drops a good amount of snow. These lows can be known for causing blizzard conditions (strong winds, a lot of snow, and low visibility).
If you are a person that really loves snow, you hope and pray that all that you see in the winter are Colorado Lows. This is the low pressure system you will want to route for all Winter long.
So far this year the majority of the systems that have affected North Dakota and MN, dropping all the snow is the Colorado Lows. However, the past couple of days a Albert Clippers started to make a come back. We had one move through the region yesterday.
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