Northwest winds raked the Midwest yesterday afternoon and continued into the night. Produced by a strong pressure gradient between high pressure over Colorado and low pressure over Ontario, the winds swept cold, dry, Canadian air into the Heartland. This morning, many Midwestern cities are below freezing for the first time this season; here in Columbia, we missed by two degrees.
As the system moves eastward, counterclockwise winds around the low pressure center will sweep across the Great Lakes, picking up moisture and dumping lake-effect snows on the higher terrain south and east of the Lakes. Meanwhile, the Great Plains and Midwest will be recovering from the damage wrought by this Canadian Express; winds gusted to 65 mph in some areas, toppling trees, tossing trailers and knocking out power. Just a preview of events to come!
