March 29, 2018

Sunny and Clear

Current Conditions

Temperature: 38 °F
Dew Point: 16 °F
Winds: N 16 mph
Pressure: 1018.6 mb
Visibility: 10 miles

This morning the temperature was a mild 25 °F with winds NNW at 12 mph. Skies were sunny and have continued to be so for the entire day. By the afternoon the temperature rose to 33 °F with winds WNW at 8 mph. The temperature right now is close to the projected high for the day as well. The clear skies and uneventful weather is due to a high pressure dome sitting over Wisconsin shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. Surface map of the United States depicting a high pressure dome over Wisconsin.

The surface map also shows a cold front with several low pressure systems moving through the southeastern and eastern United States bringing flashfloods and rain and thunderstorms. The western portion of the United States is also in a high pressure system so skies are clear and the weather is calm. The temperature map in figure 2 shows warm temperatures in the south and progressively cooler temperatures in the north that mimic the location of the high pressure system moving in from Canada.

Figure 2. Temperature map of the United States on March 29, 2018.

Finally, the wind map in figure 3 validates the current northerly wind direction and one can see the fronts moving through the southeastern United States as lines where winds are moving towards.

Figure 3. Wind map of the United States. The two cold fronts in the southeastern United States are visible as dark blue lines amidst the green wind arrows.

Previous Prediction

My previous forecast was correct, temperatures are cooler today due to the high pressure system, but the skies are clear and not partly cloudy.

Prediction 

For tomorrow, I predict conditions much like today and the high pressure system staying in the area causing these similar conditions. By Saturday however there is a chance of snow from a system moving in from the north that is shown in figure 4.

Figure 4. Prediction forecast map for March 30, 2018. A snow system is moving in from the north and will likely hit Eau Claire on March 31, 2018.