JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When looking at long term forecasts, Meteorologist don’t just look at what is going on locally but also need to see what is happening around the world. Much like forecasting the water level for a river you don’t just want to know what is happening in your part of the river but also upstream.
This week we have been seeing a major storm system impact Alaska bringing with it damaging winds, heavy rainfall, snow and waves over 40 feet off shore. The storm is being called the worst storm in over a decade to hit America’s northern State.
This potent polar storm is actually former tropical one. Typhoon Merbok tracked in the western pacific and was overall a fish storm as it steered east of Japan. But as the storm got wrapped up with the jet stream it took on a new life intensifying off the coast of Alaska.
This storm which is a former typhoon is set to bring some warmer weather later this week to the First Coast while keeping Fiona off shore of the Eastern USA via something we call a “Teleconnection” in Meteorology.
The storm is currently is pushing into the Jet Stream over Alaska this weekend causing it to dip. Much like someone snapping on a rope and causing waves in it, the storm is going to cause the Jet Stream to “snap” resulting in some significant troughs and ridges next week.
These troughs and ridges will help hook Fiona next week as it rounds the Bermuda high and pull it north keeping the storm out to sea and away from the USA.
