Earth Changes

The strongest summer Jet Stream to hit the Pacific Northwest EVER!

Cliff Mass
Weather and Climate
Thu, 18 Jul 2019 20:41 UTC

An extraordinary weather event has been occurring above our heads during the past 24-hour. A record that was not only broken, but shattered to little pieces.

The strongest summer jet stream ever observed over the Pacific Northwest.

The jet stream is a narrow current of strong winds in the upper troposphere (roughly 25,000 ft to 35,000 ft above sea level). It is often the conduit for storms and is associated with a large temperature gradient (change in temperature with horizontal distance) in the middle and lower troposphere. Winds in the jet stream are westerly (from the west) and aircraft like to fly in the jet stream going east, while avoiding it going west. You are now Jet Steam certified!

The ECMWF 12-h forecast for 5 AM this morning for the wind speed at the 250 hPa pressure level (about 35,000 ft) clearly shows the jet stream, with the orange/red colors being the strongest winds.

This is a HUGE and very zonal (east-west oriented) jet stream...as shown by the next map at the same time. This looks like January, not July.

But now I will really impress you.

The wind this morning at the radiosonde site at Quillayute (UIL) was 140 knots (161 mph) at the 250 hPa level (again around 35,000 ft). This is amazingly fast for this time of the year.

The plot below shows the climatology of the winds at this level throughout the year at this location, with the red lines being the all-time record for each date (the black lines are average winds for the date, blue lines, the record low winds). Vertical soundings at Quillayute go back to the late 1960s...so we are talking about a half-century of observations. The previous record was around 110 knots...so the 140 knots observed today absolutely shattered the record. In fact, the wind over us right now is greater then the records for any date from April 1 to mid-October.

Record, but lesser winds, are being observed at the next upper air station to the south: Salem, Oregon (see below).

A truly unusual event. And one that should not be pinned on global warming. In fact, several of the global warming jet stream papers (e.g., by Jennifer Francis and others) suggest that global warming will bring a weak and wavy jet stream. This is just the opposite.

Comment: View in addition: Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Record jet stream as Earth's atmosphere shifts to Grand Solar Minimum pattern

Reader Comments

Winternights2 · 2019-07-21T22:21:00Z

What complete and utter BOLL*CKS.

Sott news.

For posting this rubbish, I do now truly question your editorial credentials.

sbc · 2019-07-21T23:55:25Z

Winternights2 that is ok, i do so truly question your academic credentials and thought process.

Shalmaneser · 2019-07-22T01:23:22Z

Winternights2 Not sure if you understand the purpose behind SoTT. It's definitely NOT an "echo chamber" site. As it says in the top right: "The World for People Who Think."

Most anyone that thinks in an active sense (cf Gurdjieff) wants information from across the spectrum. If an article challenges your sensibilities then, perhaps, you could share WHY and possibly enlighten other readers.

Finally: I would recommend checking out weatheraction.com for a different perspective on weather/climate.

Just my $0.02...

Woodsman · 2019-07-22T04:12:30Z

What complete and utter BOLL*CKS.

Sott news.

For posting this rubbish, I do now truly question your editorial credentials.

The article was reporting information with some editorial commentary.

What about it is "rubbish"? Are the facts wrong? Is the opinion something you disagree with? Both? Something else?

If you're going to disagree so boldly, it would help to let everybody know specifically what it is you find disingenuous about it. Otherwise, you are not being helpful, just loud.

Niall · 2019-07-23T19:52:54Z

Winternights2 Could you try posting more constructive criticism? We don't tolerate nonsense here. Thanks.

Winternights2 · 2019-07-22T00:34:24Z

sbc

I cannot take away your right to criticise me.

There is however facts that need to be taken into account.

Have you? Any understanding of today's weather.

Have you observed it in detail, over years?

How many applications have you got, that report information by the minute?

Can you give me a detailed account of the past developments within 1000hpa to 10hpa of Earth's atmosphere?

What is your current understanding of Earth's atmosphere?

What is the causation of this current situation?

What is your forecast for the future?

The truth is sbc, you don't have a Scooby-Doo of an idea, to all of the above.

So child, play with those your own age.

sbc · 2019-07-22T00:52:13Z

Winternights2 the article never mentioned a reason as to why the occurrences were happening. it was just saying that the jet streams were strong, and to not necessarily scapegoat global warming right away.

there is absolutely no point contextually to the article per your comment, except it gave away your superiority complex. /

that plus your reply to me.

furthermore having knowledge does not make you wise,and i don't really care what you think of me or if you question my wisdom or knowledge.

when you try to look like the smartest kid in the room, you really actually play the dunce quite well.

just my opinion.

if you don't like the articles, the editors, or the comments quit visiting the damn page.

sbc · 2019-07-22T00:55:32Z

Winternights2 by the way, yes. I DO have a pretty good understanding of today's weather, been a student of solar system wide weather since the viking landers. anything else I say you are just going to mock because someone just chipped away at your feelings of superiority.

Winternights2 · 2019-07-22T01:32:14Z

sbc

What is, is.

I'm a Earthwatcher, and damned proud of it.

I will not tolerate nonsense.

As for the article, it is a poorly perceived comment, and has no merit, or legs in my eyes.

sbc, I'm not here to be superior.

I'm here to have a voice, one that can listened to, or ignored.

I've been on other sites in my time.

I decided to come back into the public arena for a reason.

To introduce the fact that Earth is in the process of change, and folk need to know that.

I do dispute your comment on understanding the weather, reason being that, you'd be agreeing with me.

Regards

Aeneas · 2019-07-22T06:08:52Z

Winternights2 You still don't make any sense.. What is your problem with the article. Yes, you are a lot wiser and smarter than the rest of us, this is clear, but what is it you want to impart to us? There is no signal in what you have commented above, only noise. You got triggered by the article, but please elaborate to us what exactly is wrong with posting the above article and its content.

Dus7 · 2019-07-23T00:34:39Z

I get that the author is excited about record jet stream over SEA, but without context it doesn't mean a lot. Was it hot in SEA? Or was there any sign of this phenomenon on the ground at all? A record event over a period of 50 years is of only mild interest considering how long there has been weather and climate and how very short a time measurements have been recorded.

What I learned from this is that there are two jet stream measurement stations, one in WA and one in OR, and that sometimes the jet stream is more straight-line and speedy than other times.

black,kristi · 2019-07-23T02:48:36Z

Dus7 Ha! That's what I got too out of the article which was not much. Seems to be another silly filler article SOTT is quite fond of posting and sharing lately. Let's see just how long it stay's up on the recent article board. Perhaps weeks.....perhaps I will have stopped even caring anymore what Crap they post next. I'm using my intuition to see into the future.....