Swiss High Wind Event: An unusually strong mid-atmosphere high wind band across the northern hemisphere about half way up in the atmosphere to the jet stream core has caused major wind storms this week including Switzerland. In Switzerland the wind direction was key. A strong northwest wind down-sloped the Swiss Alps causing already strong wind to accelerate into populated areas causing damage and at least one fatality.
Week 2 ahead comment: Colder temperatures move into Northwest Europe to the north of a weaker storm track into U.K. to Spain. Wet weather also affects southeastern Europe to western Turkey. Southern Europe and much of Western Russia are warmer than normal.
Week 3 ahead comment: The pattern remains persistent with the storm track into Western Europe and a mild regime further upstream into Western Russia.
Comment: Northwest Europe turns wetter while the mild pattern holds.
Observed temperature anomalies/precipitation amount Dec. 24-30, 2017
