The “Wedge”

Temperatures are going to run a little cooler than usual the next few days, and that’s courtesy of something we weather people often refer to as the “wedge.” This happens when we get an area of high pressure to our north. The air circulating around that highs pushes to the south – along the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains. Just as warm air rises, cold air sinks. This cold air stays close to the ground and keeps flowing south – so long as there is high pressure to our north. Often times this cold air “wedge” will stay in place for several days.

If conditions are right we get drizzle or rain out of this set up. That happens when warmer, moist air rides up over the top of the “wedge.”