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Name: Eric
Status: student
Grade: 9-12
Location: AA
Country: N/A
Date: 12/22/2005
Question:
How does a snowstorm form and what are some common weather patterns and trends between snowstorms?

Replies:
Eric, I just explained the snow formation process in a recent entry to NEWTON, so you may want to search for it there.

Weather trends between snowstorms, particularly in mid winter, include cold high pressure areas with clear skies or some cirrus. The high pressure areas can last only a couple of days or 4 or 5 days at times, depending on the shear size of the cold high pressure area sinking south from Canada or the Arctic and the strength of the jet stream that normally accompanies the cold front as it moves south ahead of the high pressure area.



David R. Cook
Climate Research Section
Environmental Science Division
Argonne National Laboratory

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