Normally our weather pattern during the winter features a general area of low pressure (a trough) in the Midwest and East Coast region of the country. This provides us with frequent visits form storms systems that can bring us either rain or snow but the air is generally cool enough to suppress any thunderstorm development. This weather pattern brings the colder air closer to the Gulf of Mexico and that’s where we normally see severe weather development this time of the year. Lately, however, that tough of low pressure has moved farther to the west, allowing warm, moist, spring like air to return to the Ohio Valley. Combine those weather conditions with placing the storm track right over us gives us all the fuel and elements requires for not only thunderstorms but severe thunderstorms.

Now what? Are we going to have an even more severe spring?

I think I shared this with you some time ago. Weather patterns tend to shift every 6 to 8 weeks and if this holds true then that trough to our west may be found back over us late this winter and early spring. As I have also said in previous blogs, don’t give up hope for some significant snows before this winter is through. If this pattern does shift here in the next couple of weeks, we may get back to more typical winter weather before winter gives way to spring. This cooler weather trend may also help to suppress severe storm development in early spring when we are more accustomed to having them.