The return of the "Blocking High" over the Greenland & Iceland area... is kind of like the return of Freddy or Jason in the Friday the 13th Halloween movies... nothing good ever comes of it. Coincidence that the High has returned in time for Halloween? I think not!   :))

 

Alright, alright. Like it or not... the Blocking High is back and it's hear to stay, at least through next week. The North Atlantic Oscillation Index forecast is tanking negative! When the NAO goes really negative like this, pressure is higher than normal in the North Atlantic and it often leads to this "Blocking High" setup.

 

Thanks to that Blocking High, a developing Low just East of Newfoundland will have no where to go. As a result, that Low will sit and spin for the next few days just East and Southeast of the Island. The means onshore winds and precipitation are on the menu right into next week, for Northeastern Newfoundland.

 

The nastiest weather from this Low will be over the next 48 hours. Periods of rain & strong winds are on the menu for Thursday & into Friday for much of Central & Eastern Newfoundland, but in particular the Northeast Coast, as a trough wraps in.

 

Winds gusts will peak into the 70-90 km/h range along the Northeast Coast on Thursday evening. The GEM Regional model (below) is hinting at winds even a little stronger than that!

 

As mentioned, Friday stays quite unsettled and gusty Northerly winds dominate for Central & Eastern Newfoundland. As we move into the Weekend, our Low moves the South and the Blocking High moves into Greenland and Labrador Sea area. That setup will bring in an East Northeasterly Wind for Saturday and Sunday across the Province. As a result, the entire Atlantic Coastline from Nain to the Avalon will be cloudy... with a continuing chance of drizzle for coastal Newfoundland.

 

All signs point to little or no change in this onshore setup for early next week. Low pressure South of the Island, High pressure over Greenland & the Labrador Sea... and an East Northeasterly flow dominating NL.

 

Beyond Monday, there's a ton of uncertainty in the forecast thanks to Hurricane Sandy. The Storm is pounding Jamaica today and then will work North this weekend. There are questions a plenty beyond that, about  whether the Storm will move West towards the Eastern seaboard, or hook East into the Atlantic. Here are the latest forecast model ideas. As you can see, there are still many different ideas. 

 

Some forecast models showing the Ultimate Storm along the Eastern Seaboard early next week, as Sandy transitions into a powerful Fall coastal storm. This Storm would have it all, rain, wind, pounding surf and even snow for some. The European model (below) has been one of the main players in the Mega Coastal Storm idea.

 

Again, it's still very early in the game here. There's still a chance this Storm eventually makes its way into our neck of the woods mid next week as Post Tropical wind & rain maker. We really can't rule anything out at this point.

 

As always stay tuned. The Live Blog is updated daily! 

 

Ryan