May to Bring Early Summer to the West While the East Freezes
The U.S. is experiencing a split weather pattern in May, with unseasonably cold temperatures and frost warnings affecting much of the East while the West faces above-average heat and worsening drought conditions. A wavy jet stream is allowing cold Arctic air to plunge into the Eastern and Southern states, while a strong high-pressure ridge is causing warm, dry conditions in the Western U.S. These extremes could lead to an early and severe wildfire season in the West and disrupt agriculture in the East.
- ▪A dip in the jet stream is bringing freezing temperatures to the Eastern U.S., with some areas 30°F below average.
- ▪The Western U.S. is under a high-pressure ridge, leading to temperatures near 90°F in the Pacific Northwest.
- ▪Frost advisories and freeze warnings have been issued across multiple midwestern and southern states.
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May typically ushers in mild, pleasant weather, but perhaps not this year. Two starkly different, but equally unseasonable temperature trends will split the U.S. this month, potentially worsening drought in the West while the East endures freezing cold.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000753204","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"earther","SECTION":"earth-science","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"earth-science","TAGS":"national-weather-service,spring,weather-forecasting,wildfires","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); During the first two weeks of May, a dip in the jet stream is set to bring below-average…
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