Blocking pattern will ease this weekend with warmer temperatures to follow

Anyone else wake up Wednesday morning thinking, 'It's only Wednesday?!?'.  If you did, you weren't alone!  Persistent cloud cover combined with off and on rain showers have made for a very LONG week, but I've got some good news - brighter days are ahead!  It just will take a wee bit longer to get there.

A strong blocking pattern is to blame for the cloud cover and cooler air here and the severe weather outbreak in the south.  High pressure over Canada hasn't allowed much movement for storm systems within the jet stream.  This has kept a large and strong upper level low parked over much of the middle of the country.  While it has slowly shifted to the east closer to the Great Lakes each day, the effects of the slow movement have been felt in the Midwest with cloudy and cool days while Gulf moisture continues to run into the strong winds in the jet stream in the south and southeast.  Over the next couple of days, the high in Canada will weaken and begin to move northeast which will allow everything that's been 'backed up', so to speak, to move with it. 

A west to east wind (otherwise known as zonal flow) will be present over the weekend allowing a slight moderation in temperatures by Saturday and Sunday.  We'll still be below average, but at least we won't be as far below average as we have been.  By next week, developing low pressure in the west will push the jet stream back north over the Midwest and Great Lakes getting our temperatures closer to average; which by that time should be in the upper 60's to low 70's.  So, hang in there.  It does get better, it's just going to take some time.