ROANOKE, Va. – Storm systems commonly develop on the leeward (east) side of the Rocky Mountains. The one developing Wednesday could very well be one for the record books.
Low pressure systems are the kind that typically bring precipitation (high pressure = happy weather, low pressure = lousy weather). The stronger the system, the lower the air pressure is at the center. That's why you often see incredibly low air pressure at the center of a hurricane.
Recommended Videos
As two pieces of energy from the Pacific Northwest and Desert Southwest merge together, this storm system will deepen. The pressure at the center is forecast to drop to 971 mb (millibars - a unit used to detect air pressure, much like ° is how we measure temperature).
This not only is the equivalent air pressure at the center of a Category 2 hurricane, but would be enough to break Dodge City, Kansas' all-time low pressure record.
So, what does that mean?
First, that means there is a very large wind field around the storm. High wind alerts stretch from Nevada to Mississippi. Because low pressure can drag down colder air, there are also Blizzard Warnings in the northern Rockies and winter weather alerts elsewhere.
As the storm moves east, moisture will be drawn up from the Gulf of Mexico. This will aid in the development of severe thunderstorms throughout the Tennessee River Valley.
By the time low pressure drifts to the northeast, it will be dragging a cold front our way. This front will give us the chance for rain Friday, before cooling things down by St. Patrick's Day weekend.
When you look at what this system is starting out as (a beast), it really takes things easy on us by the end of the week.