Unprecedented weekend storm.
For the first time in 26 years, snow fell in Rome, Italy disrupting travel and closing tourist sites including the Colosseum. The two-day storm brought as much as eight inches. Schools were closed down as well as city offices. Heavier amounts fell in Northern Italy where as much as six feet were recorded. No deaths were blamed on the snow in Rome, but several weather-linked deaths occurred elsewhere, including two in the nearby countryside.
The climate of Italy bears a resemblance to that of Northern California. Rome is at roughly the same latitude as Crescent City, California. Classified as Mediterranean climate, both locations typically experience relatively mild year-round conditions.
An unusual weather pattern has kept the United States in a warmer than normal scenario for the past few weeks, while much of Europe is experiencing extreme record cold. Arctic air, which usually makes regular wintertime penetrations into the U.S. has largely been blocked off to the north. Because of a strong zonal (west to east) component, high altitude jet-stream winds have tended to reinforce a relatively mild flow of air across the U.S.
In Europe however, the upper-level winds have exhibited a marked “meridional” flow pattern. With strong north to south movement, frigid arctic air has been displaced far southward to areas which are normally not affected, including Rome. Intense low pressure over the western Mediterranean Sea is responsible for the anomaly, as a strong cold northerly flow of air as far south as Algeria in Northern Africa has enveloped the region in frigid arctic conditions. The latest area forecast is for only slow improvement, as forecast models suggest very sluggish movement of cold upper level low pressure from the region.
Snow in Los Angeles is also rare, but not unheard of. In 1932, a record two inches fell in downtown L.A. Snow also fell in 1949, and as recently as January, 2007 when a light dusting occurred at Malibu.
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