How a Greek letter is going to warm us up...

After a few chilly days we are finally gearing up for a nice warm-up by the midweek time period. As meteorologists, we look for any signals we can to determine temperature trends, which can be seen several days in advance. Sometimes we can say that it will be "colder or warmer" by the end of the week, other times we can say MUCH colder or warmer.

Blocking patterns in the upper atmosphere have a great influence on temperature climbs and drops across the United States. A slight "Omega Block" will be moving across the country over the next couple of days. Its called an omega block because it is shaped just like the Greek letter Omega, which is shaped somewhat like a horseshoe. The image above is actually forecast data for the upper levels over the US for Tuesday morning. Notice the dip near the west coast and the rise in the middle of the country, followed by another dip in our neck of the woods. The "dips" are generally associated with colder weather, whereas the rise in the middle of the country signifies fair weather, and also above average temperatures. Well folks, that's coming our way, so prepare for a nice stretch of sunshine and warmth this week!