As it goes down the mountain, it's accelerated. It results in stronger gusts of winds that you normally wouldn't have if the mountains weren't there. |
It has gone into a blocking pattern, areas of high pressure that get locked into place. There is one locked into place over the North Pacific. It's like a train wreck; nothing goes anywhere. It causes the whole circulation to stay in place. The whole hemisphere is tied into it; it explains why it is still dry in Texas. |
Storm after storm seems to follow this path. |
That would put us on the dry side of the system. |
The atmosphere does this on occasion. |
The whole event proves that anything can happen here, and we need to be prepared for the abnormal. |
Usually with blocking patterns, it's a week, maybe two at the outside. The next time the atmosphere goes into the whole block, which could be later this year, the low could be way over the western Pacific or over the Mainland so we won't get wet. (In March 2006), it was kind of like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. |