Does the weather have you feeling a bit like it’s Groundhog Day… over and over? Well, I really mean it when I say this week is a “rinse and repeat” forecast! That would be the case, as we’ve found ourselves in a cool and unsettled pattern (very typical for spring) that will continue for at least the first half of this week. So, what gives?
It’s very typical during the springtime to find an Omega Block ruling the weather across the U.S. That’s what’s happening right now. It’s called an “Omega Block” because the jet stream is in a pattern that resembles the Greek letter Omega. Take a look:
*Picture from www.theweatherprediction.com
There’s low pressure sitting and spinning over the Northwest, and low pressure sitting and spinning over the Northeast – High pressure somewhere in the middle, stuck there like a hot potato. When we have a set-up like this, the “block” part of the “Omega Block” name is referencing the fact that the weather pattern is blocked up – clogged up – not going budging much anytime soon. I like to think of it like a car driving on Lombard Street in San Francisco, 
or the “most crooked street in the world.” It’s gonna take a while to drive from the top to the bottom, with all of the twists and turns. So, I guess you could also say our weather pattern is stuck in traffic. Beep beep.
We’ll be tracking hit-or-miss showers through the rest of this evening, before clouds break apart for partly cloudy skies overnight. As winds shift to come from the W, cooler air will move into place and temperatures well N & W of 495 will likely drop into the mid to upper 30s. Could be some patchy frost in those coldest spots well-inland overnight tonight as well as overnight tomorrow night. If you’re worried about sensitive vegetation, cover those plants up or bring them in overnight.
This sums it up for the forecast this week: Same story, different day. Partly cloudy and chilly to start, highs in the mid 50s and a slight chance of hit-or-miss showers almost every afternoon. When will the pattern break down? It may take most of the week! At least we won’t lose any day this week to a washout. The next step is to pin-down some more details for NEXT weekend. There’s a possibility for a coastal system to bring rain for Mother’s Day, but there’s also a possibility we miss it. Stay tuned… – Breezy