Rex Block

Since it won’t stop raining and I fear we may slide off into the ocean at any moment and float away, I thought I’d go forage around at one the local TV station web sites to find out what is going on. I learn something new every day. This weather thing happening here is brought to us by a weather pattern called a Rex Block. I, for one, don’t think much of it. Most of the folks in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states probably don’t either. This is what the weather report has to say:

“The much advertised bizarre blocking upper air pattern continues to plague the region with below average temperatures and bouts of wet weather. It features strong high pressure at all levels of the atmosphere anchored over Quebec and low pressure at all levels anchored over the northeastern United States. Consequently, the jetstream is deflected much farther south than usual. Disturbances in the jetstream are escorted from the central Pacific into the northwestern United States. Then they dip southeastward across the lower Great Lakes and link up with and energize the low pressure in the Northeast forming ocean storms. This next round takes place Tuesday and Wednesday highlighted by somewhat heavier rain and stronger wind. As a result, there is a risk of minor coastal flooding Tuesday night around midnight. Once the storm matures near or just south of Cape Cod Wednesday, it will gradually weaken as it continues to spin off some showery episodes into Thursday. The next disturbance entering the wheel of misfortune will stretch the risk of soggy spells into the upcoming holiday weekend when the chance also increases for a few breaks of sunshine as the so-called “Rex Block” finally begins to decay.”

Because this is an unusually prolonged rainy spell, I kind of have a perverse fascination with it. So I included a little weather icon under the date at the top of every post. I wonder how many days in a row I can post clouds and rain. I wonder when the next sun icon will show up. Oh anyway. It leaves a nice weather record behind. That’s the sort of thing weather junkies do.