9/24 IL Migration Report

Hey everyone!

So again, like last night, Illinois is experiencing very little migration tonight because of unfavorable due easterly winds. The radar's pretty dim folks. Get used to it too. Though the northern third of the state (it may even be as specific as northeastern Illinois) may get some northeasterly winds tomorrow night, easterly/southeasterly winds are set to continue at least through Thursday. So the birds will be fattening up again for the next few days, and maybe making some very short movements here and there. Stronger fliers will probably be migrating nonetheless, as some relatively larger migrants still have a ways to go and have no time to lose (American Golden-Plovers still have to make it all the way to the highlands of Argentina!). Regardless, don't expect any huge movements at least as far in the future as the wind forecast predicts.

How about a bit of meteorology? Looking at the surface analysis, it's actually quite simple to see why we are having and will be having easterly winds for a while. First, look at the Low Pressure center--the big "L" just west of IL. Revolve your cursor counterclockwise around the L. This illustrates the direction that winds are rotating around Low Pressure systems, and based on its position to the west of us (and the system just south of the aforementioned one), we can see that IL is placed in perfect position to get easterly winds. Next, look at the the high pressure system over lake Huron--the big "H". Revolve your cursor clockwise around the H, and you will see how winds are revolving around it. Its winds extend a little further than the Low pressure systems, and again we're in position to receive easterly winds from its influence. Isn't that cool?! Just by looking at surface analysis, you can predict what winds places anywhere will be getting. All it takes is understanding how winds rotate around low pressure systems (counterclockwise) and high pressure systems (clockwise). 

Anyway, we can see that we're getting a double whammy of easterly winds from 2 to 3 systems: the high pressure system over Lake Huron, and the low pressure systems west and southwest of us. It'll be a while, folks.

Cool. Here's to fat, healthy migrants, and maybe finding a few of 'em too.