ICAP Weather Commentary
Wednesday February 22, 2012
Prepared by: Andy Weingarten, Meteorologist ICAP Energy
**The end of the meteorological winter may bring a temporary end to the winter long warmth. **
A strong SW wind flow remains in place over the eastern U.S. keeping temperatures well above normal the rest of this week. A gradual cooling is developing over the rest of the country courtesy of a broad upper low developing in the west. Precipitation this morning is limited to the PNW as well as with a wave over the Midwest. Rainfall should pick up tonight and tomorrow over the south and rain/snow spreads across the NW as well with a second front that will move east this weekend. That second front may be the catalyst for a healthy winter storm over the Northern Plains and Western Lakes early next week
Day 6-10 discussion:
It is not often I have had a map forecast absent any warm anomalies this winter. But, that may briefly be the case for the final days of February and the first few of March. I am not totally convinced yet the far NE won't run a little above normal, but the point overall is a trend to cooler. After a northern U.S. winter storm early next week, the storm track shifts south again giving more rain to ERCOT and the SE. Pacific systems continue coming into the NW and they look a bit stronger than this week both in terms of precipitation and wind.
Andy Weingarten, Meteorologist
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