A Blustery Fall Day

Wave clouds over the Wasatch at Sunrise

I love days when I wake up to a rattling house and wave clouds over the Wasatch.  Today we have a cold front moving into the western United States, with a very strong low-level pressure gradient moving into northern Utah.  

1200 UTC 2 Dec 2012 IR satellite imagery and sea level pressure analysis

In this case, that pressure gradient is oriented in a way that will drive strong flow in the primarily north-south oriented valleys of northern Utah.  Indeed, one can see a southerly low-level jet, with a peak wind speed of more than 40 knots, centered at about 800 mb (about 700 m above the valley floor) over the Salt Lake Valley in this morning's sounding.  

Winds will pick up this morning as the surface warms and turbulence mixes down some of that stronger flow.  So, if you haven't bothered to rake your lawn, your leaves should be in for an interesting ride.