Weather watchers said different parts of the United States could have very different weather at the same time. Near the Great Lakes, it could feel blizzard-like with lots of snow, while the Southwest could see temperatures over 100°F, and Hawaii could get heavy rain.
Some experts call this kind of quick-changing pattern “weather whiplash,” because it can feel like the weather is flipping pages too fast. It’s a reminder that one country can still have many different sky-stories happening at once.
One reason is that the U.S. is huge and includes many kinds of places—lakes, deserts, mountains, and oceans. Air masses are like giant invisible puddles of air that can be warm or cold, and when they slide around and bump into each other, conditions can change a lot.
Snow can form when cold air and moisture team up, heat can build under sunny skies over dry desert air, and heavy rain can happen when warm, wet air rises into thick clouds. Checking a forecast is like previewing the next panel in the sky’s comic book, so you can choose helpful gear like an umbrella, a jacket, or a water bottle.
Some experts call this kind of quick-changing pattern “weather whiplash,” because it can feel like the weather is flipping pages too fast. It’s a reminder that one country can still have many different sky-stories happening at once.
One reason is that the U.S. is huge and includes many kinds of places—lakes, deserts, mountains, and oceans. Air masses are like giant invisible puddles of air that can be warm or cold, and when they slide around and bump into each other, conditions can change a lot.
Snow can form when cold air and moisture team up, heat can build under sunny skies over dry desert air, and heavy rain can happen when warm, wet air rises into thick clouds. Checking a forecast is like previewing the next panel in the sky’s comic book, so you can choose helpful gear like an umbrella, a jacket, or a water bottle.