Breaking down Atmospheric Blocking
Have you ever wished for multiple days of sunshine and for the temperatures to mellow back out? A lot of times you're gonna be wishing for atmospheric blocking. You might be asking yourself, "What exactly is that?"
A blocking pattern in the upper levels of the atmosphere leads to a persistent weather pattern for multiple days. Most of the time, conditions remain dry and calm. This week, atmospheric blocking will help lead Mid-Missouri to plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures. Atmospheric blocking occurs when a high pressure system stalls.
A high pressure system stalls creating a brick wall occurrence. Nearby low pressure systems are too weak to push this system anywhere leading to persistent weather patterns. The only way to overcome a blocking occurance is for the high pressure system to lose strength or for a substantial low to move it out.
The current set-up for this week introduces a high pressure system to the west currently overhead of Denver, Colorado. This system will remain across much of the Midwest throughout the week leading to temperatures reaching into the lower 80s and mostly sunny skies. Eventually a stronger low pressure system from the northwest will push this high system east leading to possible overnight showers and storms into Saturday morning.
