The East Coast Heat Wave Is So Huge You Can See It From Space
NASA's picture of the day on Thursday is a shot from the GOES East satellite showing the weather patterns that are causing the intense heat wave that's hovering over the East Coast. The unique weather patterns are so huge, they are visible from space.
A very anomalous weather pattern is in place over the U.S. for mid-July. Trapped between an upper level ridge centered over the Ohio Valley and the closed upper level low over the Texas/Oklahoma border, atypical hot, muggy air is stifling a broad swath of the eastern U.S. The closed low is expected to drift west toward New Mexico bringing heavy, localized rain to some areas and temperatures running 10-20 degrees below mid-July averages. Across the east, temperatures will warm well into the 90's and stay there through the week.
Here's the image. We've marked the open space (the center of the weather system) over Ohio and the low pressure system over Northern Texas (which is creating crazy low temperatures in the region) in the image below:
NOAA/NASA GOES Project/Jennifer Welsh Business InsiderThe anomaly over Ohio will expand into the plains by mid-week, according to iO9, bringing increased humidity, heat index values that will could approach 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday.
Here's the image without the marks:NOAA/NASA GOES Project