The Cold Wedge Lingers

The mountains of Virginia don't seem like much when compared to younger ranges around this planet but they do influence the weather more than most people realize. The last couple of days have been a perfect example of their affect as the WEDGE lingers here in central Va. The WEDGE is the last of the cold air left by the polar vortex that being colder and more dense is banked up against the Blue Ridge mountains, and stays close to the ground and has kept central Va. in the 30's while all around us temperatures have climbed into the 40's, 50's and even 60's. Much warmer air, just full of Gulf moisture, is now riding up over the cold wedge and dumping rain on the entire east coast. And, while that warm air is at the surface in much of the region, it's still aloft over the wedge. Forecasters are claiming it will be gone soon, but soon seems to be taking much longer to get here than they have been predicting, for several days now.
I have been noticing the WEDGE around here more and more often (I'm sure it has been happening for millennia, and I've been late to notice) as big high pressure systems get cut off or stall over New England or the Canadian Maritimes.  With the clockwise circulation, the high flings a tongue or wedge of the cold, dry, dense air down the eastern seaboard where it is trapped up against the Blue Ridge. We are often at the southern tip of that wedge, stuck in the cold/cool air while all around the southern flow has warmed the world.  I'm guessing...maybe that is a part of the reason here in Louisa we are in a colder growing zone than Charlottesville to the west or Richmond to the east. It's the wedge!!
But, since I have been working on this post, the wedge has begun its retreat. The temp has edged from the upper 30's into the low 40's; the southern air is going to win today. Rain totals have gone to over an inch and a half since starting as frozen mist yesterday morning. A lull in the showers, the morning's thunderstorm, yes, thunderstorm, has moved on and I just darted outside to check things out. The recently frozen ground, solid but crunchy, is now a giant sponge, slipping and sliding your only option if you go out and move around. Be careful today on Earth.
As the cold front clears the area we will once again be able to see off of Earth and into the cosmos. The waxing gibbous moon will brighten the sky when the clouds move on and close in on the dominant star like object in the night sky, Jupiter. At opposition (directly behind the earth from the sun) on Jan. 5th, the king of the planets is up all night and while the winter sky is full of bright stars, Jupiter outshines them all. Check it out with binocs or a small scope and see which of the 4 Galilean moons you can spot. Venus is at inferior conjunction today, in about an hour, and in between the Earth and sun and not visible (unless you are very careful and very talented to spot it's tiny crescent and not be blinded by the sun). Our neighbor in space will speed past us and into the morning sky as the month goes on and dominate the winter and spring as the morning star. Mercury, Saturn and Mars are all in middle of the night or morning viewing positions. For more on them check the TOE sun and sky for details.
If you venture out today, be ready for rain, and lots of it. But, it's not freezing and a little rain won't hurt you, so, don't be afraid to get out, today on Earth.