Re: Low pressure northern "hurricane", what is it?

In article <1129868477.040585.78200@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Larry G" <thelarry_g3@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
> I've seen this kind of thing in satellite photos before. There's a
> storm
> forming in the Gulf of Alaska, what I'm assuming to be a cold winter
> storm,
> and yet it is swirling like a tropical cyclone/hurricane. Obviously,
> it's
> not one, but what is the terminology, and why isn't it one?
>
> http://www.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/opdb/aviation/loops/realtime/pacwv_loopw.html
>
> I just discovered this great site from NOAA. I'm hooked. :)
>



The terminology is Polar Low. Just like tropical cyclones they are largely driven by
convection. I do not know if this particular cyclone falls into the polar low classification
though.




Øyvind Seland

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