First things first, happy Pi Day! the number Pi (π) is crucial in the world of meteorology and weather forecasting. It is the circumference over the diameter of a circle. This is super important since this ball of floating rock in space we live on is a sphere. Here is one of many examples where Pi shows up in a weather equation!
Any guesses on what this is? Unfortunately for me I had to know exactly what each term was, but I won't bore you with all of that. This is the meteorological radar equation. When a beam of energy is sent out by a radar, it bounces off an object like a raindrop or snowflake and travels back towards the radar. This equation calculates the power received by the radar, and pi is a very important factor since the beam is sent over super long distances. Sorry for the college lecture early in the morning. Without this simple little number we would have a tough time predicting the weather (and I'd be out of a job).
Back to business, the rain and snow is now out of the picture for a majority of the state today. High temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s.
Starting tomorrow, we will warm up quite a bit with a weather pattern known as a "Rex Block" will hold its place over Montana until the middle of next week. This occurs when a low pressure system becomes detached from the main jets stream and sits directly south of a strong high pressure. The low will hold the high in place until the jet stream picks the low back up and moves it out of the southwestern United States. So by the beginning of next week, most of Montana will be in the upper 60s, with some locations even pushing 70.
St Patrick's Day looks stellar for the whole state, with mostly clear conditions and temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Perfect day to get outside for the parades and celebrations.
We won't see precipitation again until at least Wednesday of next week, so enjoy the warm and dry conditions while they last.
Helena Temperature Records Today:
High: 72° (2015)
Low: -13° (1906)
Great Falls Temperature Records Today:
High: 71° (2015)
Low: -16° (1967)
Enjoy your Thursday
Joey Biancone
Meteorologist
Facebook: Meteorologist Joey Biancone
Instagram: joeybianconewx
