Mexico cold snap and rumors of an East Coast snowstorm

We’re moving into peak winter for much of the Northern Hemisphere but currently there are not many major weather systems to eye. That could change ahead as renewed shots of cold and big dips in the jet stream drift southward out of northern latitudes.

Weather Watch

Mexico cold and wind. The Mexican Plateau in the north-central portion of the country is dealing with a significant cold snap, including half a foot-plus of snow at high elevations. Temperatures are some 30 degrees or more below normal in the region for a second straight day on Monday. The chilly air is also accompanied by heavy rain, particularly in parts of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, and Veracruz. Additionally, strong Tehuantepecer winds are ongoing — these are gusts funneled between a gap in mountains in Mexico and Guatemala that can cause local damage due to their intensity.

To East Coast storm or not to East Coast storm? It’s that time again — rumors of East Coast snowstorms have entered the chat. A dip in the jet stream will dive south out of the Great Lakes Wednesday into Thursday and it could spark a coastal low as it does so. Some weather models in recent days have brought decent snow as far south as Virginia, but there is no consistency to such a solution and that idea seems somewhat unlikely at this juncture. Recent modeling shows the storm failing to come together quick enough for much impact anywhere on land. At best, this is a “miller b”, which are notoriously tricky to forecast, especially on the southern end of any potential snow shield.

Lightning links

One person dead and 300 buildings destroyed in Australia bushfires. (Gabriela Pomeroy, BBC)

Heavy rain, snowmelt to raise flood risk from Alaska to Washington. (Renee Duff, AccuWeather)

Evacuation advisory in Juneau as avalanches arrive in snow-buried Alaska capital. (Wyatt Williams, The Weather Channel)

Watch Storm Goretti sweep across the UK. (BBC)

Storm Goretti sweeps United Kingdom, France with winds over 120 mph. (Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather)

La Niña persists for now, but El Niño lurks in the distance. (Doyle Rice, USA Today)

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Weekday MWF morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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