From db2a90071217ca5bc8df31fb291bd1af99adbe23 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Blackford <62357205+acblackford@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2025 11:29:04 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] added rest of blocks for cyclone types --- stories/blizzards.stories.mdx | 60 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 58 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/stories/blizzards.stories.mdx b/stories/blizzards.stories.mdx index fac1a4945..0b2923751 100644 --- a/stories/blizzards.stories.mdx +++ b/stories/blizzards.stories.mdx @@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ taxonomy: + + + ### ***Colorado/Denver Cyclones*** + + Denver Cyclones, or Colorado Cyclones, are low pressure systems that form on the lee side of the Rocky Mountains, often along the Colorado Front Range. These systems form when moist air from the Gulf of America converges with cold Arctic air descending from Canada, creating sharp temperature gradients. The interaction between these air masses and the region’s complex terrain promotes the development of cyclonic systems that can bring heavy snowfall or blizzard conditions to the Colorado Front Range, including Denver, as well as parts of the Central and Northern Great Plains and Midwest. As these cyclones intensify and move eastward, they can bring severe winter weather to Blizzard Alley, making them a key contributor to the high frequency of blizzards in this region. The open terrain of the Great Plains amplifies wind speeds, further reducing visibility and exacerbating blizzard conditions. + + + + + + ### ***Colorado/Denver Cyclones*** + + A critical factor in the formation of Denver cyclones is the Denver Cyclone Vorticity Zone (DCVZ)—a mesoscale atmospheric feature unique to the area. The DCVZ forms due to easterly upslope winds interacting with the Rocky Mountains, creating a zone of cyclonic rotation just east of Denver. This zone can serve as a focal point for the development or intensification of low pressure systems, often enhancing snowfall near Denver and the eastern Colorado Plains. This enhancement of snowfall often carries eastward as the storm moves into the Great Plains, but typically weakens by the time it reaches the Midwest (though there have been a few notable blizzards in the Midwest that can be attributed to Denver Cyclones). + + + + + + ### ***Panhandle Hookers*** + + Panhandle Hookers are another type of low pressure system that can bring blizzard conditions to portions of CONUS. These cyclones originate in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and are known for their distinctive ‘hooking’ storm track - hence their unique name. These systems typically form when a strong blast of cold Arctic air from the north (known as Blue Northers) collides with warm, moist air from the Gulf of America in the southern Plains. As the storm intensifies, it takes a northeastward "hook-shaped" trajectory, moving across the central Plains, the Midwest, and into the Great Lakes region. Panhandle Hookers most often bring heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the central Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes, while the southern Plains and Ohio Valley may experience mixed precipitation or severe weather on the warmer side of the storm. These systems are a major source of snow for the central United States and, depending on their exact track, can also more uncommonly impact the northeastern U.S. with snow or ice. The strong winds and rapid intensification of these storms make them a hallmark of winter weather in the Plains and Midwest. + + + + + + ### ***Alberta Clippers, Saskatchewan Screamers, and Manitoba Maulers*** + + Alberta Clippers, Saskatchewan Screamers, and Manitoba Maulers are fast-moving low pressure systems that originate in the Canadian Prairies and bring cold, dry air and light to moderate snowfall to parts of the United States. These systems are named for their origins in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, respectively, and are distinguished by their speed and limited moisture content. Alberta Clippers are the most common of the three and typically travel southeastward across the northern Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes region, often bringing light amounts of snow, though localized areas can receive higher totals. Saskatchewan Screamers and Manitoba Maulers follow similar tracks but are less frequent. Due to their rapid movement, these storms rarely bring heavy snowfall, but their strong winds can create blowing snow and reduced visibility, occasionally leading to blizzard conditions. Additionally, they often usher in frigid Arctic air, leading to significant temperature drops that can be anomalous for impacted regions. These systems are a defining feature of winter weather across the northern United States and contribute heavily to the region's cold and snowy climatology, as in more active years handfuls of these systems can occur in quick succession. + + + \ No newline at end of file