Tag: Ridge

Why the Ridge Keeps Coming Back: The Structural Shift Behind Western Heat Domes

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

Part 2: The leading mode of North American winter circulation has changed, and March 2026 is what the new mode produces In Part 1, I described the diabatic engine behind March 2026's record-shattering western heat dome: upstream precipitation in the Pacific Northwest released latent heat that amplified an extraordinary ridge over the interior West. That … Continue reading Why the Ridge Keeps Coming Back: The Structural Shift Behind Western Heat Domes

The Diabatic Engine Behind March 2026’s Record-Shattering Western Heat Dome

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

And why the same mechanism that built the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome is doing it again, in early spring As I write this in mid-March 2026, the western United States is in the grip of a heat wave that has no precedent in the cool-season observational record. Downtown Los Angeles hit 92°F last Thursday. … Continue reading The Diabatic Engine Behind March 2026’s Record-Shattering Western Heat Dome