A Day To Remember

September 11, 2001.  Just the date brings back memories of what each and everyone of us was doing once we heard of the events unfolding on 9-11.  For me, I was in a classroom, teaching science just like any other fall day with the new school year upon us when my principal paid me a visit and simply told me to turn on the television.  At first, I had no clue what was happening until the correspondents quickly described the insanity in Manhattan!  Wow!  I also remember what a beautiful pristine autumnal day we were experiencing; clear skies, low dewpoints, and incredible visibilities; very similar to this morning's surface conditions!  So I just want to show you the maps from then and today and how the surface and upper air was quite similar to that day of infamy.

First, here is the surface map from this morning.  Note the sprawling high pressure over the east!

Now the surface map from 9-11-01.  Note the dome of high pressure over the east.  The map below shows only the pressures.  The high pressure is just to the west of its position as it was this morning.

Now look at the upper air pattern; the 500 mb level...first for this morning.  A fairly large ridge over the eastern USA with a trough off the New England coast.

And the upper air for 9-11-01 at the 500 mb level. A large sprawling area of high pressure over the US south of the 40th parallel out to the Rocky Mountain states.  "Clear sailing" in terms of aviation with few if any wx related flight delays.  Needless to say, the wx cooperated with the 9-11 plot.

And so today as we remember the tragic events of 11 years ago, we can enjoy some minimal solace in that the stellar atmospheric conditions being experienced today were indeed nearly identical on the day that changed the US history forever! 

Enjoy your Tuesday and mid-week period.

Smitty

AA:  Remembering the events (and the wx) of 11 years ago.