This is a fairly unusual situation. What we have is wierdly enough quite conductive conditions for major blocking - WAA in the arctic, deep high pressure forming over the pole, southern meandering jetstream. Everything else notwithstanding, you would expect these factors to result in major northern blocking down the line. However, and I find this almost funny, someone has thrown a huge spanner in the works - and of course its the canadians (2nd spanner if you count Justin). The mamoth cold pool over E canada is showing no signs of moving fast
http://expert-images.weatheronline.co.uk/daten/proficharts/en/2013/12/22/basis00/namk/t850/13123012_2200.gif
At 192, you can see the remarkable -30C 850 isotherm over hudson bay
At 372 we say hello to the -35C 850 isotherm
http://expert-images.weatheronline.co.uk/daten/proficharts/en/2013/12/22/basis00/namk/t850/14010700_2200.gif
Which is even further south and east (note on meteociel you will just see a black mess as the colours go off the scale)
The effect of this spine chillingly cold air being blown over the atlantic can only have one result. Massive cyclogenesis, and I'm sure we can blame, at least in part, the canadians for our xmas eve storm, and the one on the 27th too. And until this cold pool buggers off to the NW, we can kiss our chances of any blocking goodbye (bering high or no bering high); what we have to look forward to, instead, are more bombs (a real meterological term for rapidally developing low pressure) and with the cold pool if anything getting stronger, I wouldn't be suprised to see our 925mb storm on xmas eve bested at some point.
Originally Posted by: Quantum