First warning weather in depth: the winds of change on election day

At this time of year, whether temperatures are rising or falling, Rochester can experience rapid changes. This is usually the battle of the seasons, and a symptom of those temperature changes can be higher wind speeds.

Wind speeds at Rochester Airport over the past 30 days don’t show anything excessive, but we have had a few instances where winds have gusted to nearly 35 miles per hour. Looking ahead in time, the forecast is that News10NBC First Alert meteorologists believe there will be more opportunities for gusty winds.

An example is the surface weather map for the next 24 hours. It shows a high-pressure system along the East Coast and a low-pressure system through the upper Great Lakes. It is the difference in atmospheric pressure between these weather systems that can be a driving force for the winds. That surface map also shows white lines surrounding these weather systems and they represent isobars or lines of equal pressure. When these lines are packed close together, it means a significant difference in atmospheric pressure from one location to another. Weak and less intense weather systems have fairly weak winds, but a strong or intense weather system creates a much larger pressure gradient. This is similar to a cold container of unopened soda. As you open that container, you will hear the “whooshing” sound as the pressure equalizes. That’s the same principle that drives these large-scale wind patterns in our atmosphere.

Winds for Tuesday will rise to near 35 miles per hour, along with some warmer weather. We can say that the “wind of change” will blow over Western New York before Election Day and we can wonder whether this is a political wind or an atmospheric wind. Stay tuned to News10NBC.