Change in the Jet Stream Will Result in Big Weather Changes in the Week Ahead

A change in the position of the jet stream will usher in a host of weather changes throughout much of the country in the week ahead. Not only will the temperature patterns flip, but who sees moisture will also change in the coming days. Here is a closer look at the major changes to expect this week.

Warmth Expands From West to East

The most noticeable shift in the weather this week will be in the form of the temperatures. It has been an unusually warm stretch of weather for most of the western U.S. over the last few weeks, particularly by late January and early February standards. For example, Seattle enjoyed highs that bounced around the 60-degree mark at the end of last week, well over the norm for the beginning of February.

While the western U.S. has seen temperatures trending above normal, it has been the opposite story for the eastern half of the country. An unstable polar vortex has allowed Arctic air from the North Pole to escape and creep down into the Midwest, the Northwest, the Great Lakes, and even the Southeast with great regularity. Some of this bitterly cold air made it as far as Florida, bringing sub-freezing temperatures to the Sunshine State.