Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Deep Bering Sea Storm


While the lower 48 set a new all-time low sea-level pressure record Tuesday afternoon (955 mb at Bigfoot, MN), the first mega-storm of the season bombed out in the far western Bering Sea. The analysis from the Ocean Prediction Center at NCEP (right) had a minimum pressure of 948 mb at 4pm ADT Tuesday. Environment Canada analyzed a minimum pressure of 954 mb at 10pm ADT. Unlike the upper Midwest, there was no observation especially close to the center. The closest Russian site, Nikol'Skoe (WMO station 32618), offshore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, did report a sea-level pressure of 954.2 mb with 25kt sustain west wind at 10am ADT Tuesday. This certainly supports a central pressure into the upper 940s.

The strung-out occlusion has ramped up the winds in western Alaska, with gusts (through 10am ADT) to 51 mph at Scammon Bay and 49 mph at Gambell. It's too warm though for the first blizzard of the season, with temperatures already above freezing.

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