When I took my courses in meteorology at Penn State, they were pretty tough especially when it came to breaking down the physics in the form of equations that could be as long as novels. Typically when we write down a thermodynamic equation, we use greek letters to simplify and shorten the length of a certain equation. I will not be sharing these beasts with you, but one greek letter stands out that illustrates the current, stagnant weather pattern we are in.

The greek letter omega is used in various meteorological computation, but omega is the type of pattern we are in. In the upper levels of the atmosphere there is an Omega Block occuring. This happens when there are two distinct troughs adjacent to a dominant ridge in the middle, looking similar to the shape of the letter omega. Due to the set up of this pattern, weather will remain similar for quite some time, even weeks.

Since our location has been to the east of the strong ridge, the winds have been persistent from the north and west keeping the air chilly. Additionally, since we are under a trough, air above the surface is so cold, that clouds easily form and stick around, limiting sunshine.

Click here, to see what the letter omega looks like. Also, click here to check out an image of an Omega Block.

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