Questions about SE US heat wave

I have some questions about the current heat wave that has affected Texas
adn other central and southeaster U.S. states for the past two weeks.

Both TV weatherman and a newspaper article explained that the high pressure
system that is creating our heat wave is caused by the fact that the jet
stream is flowing across the middle of the U.S. from west to east instead of
dipping south like it normally does this time of year.

OK. Why is the jet stream failing to come south? If it can't come south
because the high pressure or something else is there, what is really causing
this weather pattern?

My next question is, where in Texas hurricane Rita hits depends on whether
and how quickly an incoming low pressure system from teh southwestern U.S.
pushes off or breaks up the high pressure system.

What low pressure system are they talking about, why should we believe it is
going to budge the high pressure system, and how do we tell if it is
beginning to budge the high pressure system?

Is this the high level low pressure system in southern California, the low
pressure system that is just moving into California from the ocean, or
something different? Why should we think weather in California is coming
to Texas if no other weather from someplace else is coming to Texas? It's
not going to get here by moving east like weather usually does; it would
have to magically come southeast.

You know those old Bermuda High's. They always last for five weeks.
Weatherman always says they will go away in three days. When I lived in
New York state, I thought either they were trying to prevent a heat crazed
riot, or they were trying to convince the public to murder weathermen. One
day I called up one of them and asked why he keeps saying that. "Because
the weather always pretty much changes in three days."

I cannot help but notice that Friday when the low pressure system is
supposed to break up the high pressure system that has been in place for two
weeks is three days from today. Is there any reason to think that
anything at all is going to budge the high pressure system, Friday, or any
other time?

Is there any reason to think that on October 2 the jet stream will suddenly
revert to normal? An article on the web actually said this.

--
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Questions about SE US heat wave
    ... They explain that the jet stream is unusually far north because of the high ... the weather across the Pacific, and to the unusually warm water temperatures ... why are we supposed to believe that some low pressure system is going ... > pushes off or breaks up the high pressure system. ...
    (sci.geo.meteorology)
  • April 2009 National Weather Summary
    ... NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY ... pressure system moved up the Ohio River Valley. ... New York reported 0.44 inches of rain while ... The Northern Plains saw highs in the mid-40s while the Southern ...
    (sci.geo.meteorology)