High pressure gives way to sunny skies

Following the recent bout of severe weather this past weekend, we’ve seen a return of fair weather conditions that will stick around for several days. Despite a few passing clouds Tuesday morning, sunny skies will be the weather story for the next several days. But what’s actually going on that’s causing the sunny skies here in Mid-Missouri?

You’ve heard quite often how low0pressure systems generally lead to rainy skies and pain in the joints, while high pressure leads to fair weather. For the most part that is correct and it has a lot to do with the movement of the air in the atmosphere.

High pressure, which Missouri will be influenced by the next several days, is the downward movement of air. As air sinks, it is compressed, which leads to increasing pressure and influences our weather greatly. Sinking air usually leads to fairly warm or cool days depending on if it’s a cold core high or a warm core high, and drier conditions. Because the air is sinking, it compresses air at the surface and prevents moist, warm air from rising, which otherwise would condense and form clouds.

Because of this influence of high pressure on our weather, we’ll see plenty of sunshine the next several days. We’ll also see a slight increase in temperatures across Mid-Missouri that will carry our highs about 10 degrees above average by the weekend.

While it will be above average by the end of the week, this week is our first extended fall weather that we’ve seen here in Mid-Missouri. By the weekend, high pressure will give way to a cold front which will bring a return of rain and clouds to the region.

Stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack as we continue to follow the weekend rain and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.