Lack of severe weather

Severe weather is usually quite plentiful this time of year in the central part of the US.  Lately, that has not been the case.  Aside from a few sporadic days with a lot of activity, a ridging pattern has prevented severe weather from happening.  At this point, you are probably wondering, "What the heck is this person talking about???"  Well, I am going to tell you.  The figure to the left is a basic diagram to show what a ridging pattern would look like.  A ridge is an area of sinking air, or an area of high pressure.  These environments are not conducive for storm development, as the sinking motion would suppress any storm development.  With that in mind, areas of high pressure are associated with good weather.  However, it looks like the pattern could be changing in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for future updates!!!

Justin Pletsch
WTVO Weather Intern