Weather News

Weather Words: 'Rex Block'

This forecast graphic shows where high and low pressure systems will set up during Memorial Day weekend.

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The Northeast has had pretty cool weather so far this May, but a pattern called a Rex block looks set to change that this holiday weekend (and beyond), leading to warm, dry weather.

A Rex block is a pattern that prevents other weather systems from moving through that region. You may recall how an “omega block” led to stagnant weather at the beginning of May. While an omega block resembles the Greek letter omega (Ω), the Rex block is named after the meteorologist who discovered it (Daniel F. Rex).

Essentially, a Rex block occurs where a ridge of high pressure is located to the north of a low-pressure system. The Rex block this weekend will ensure that the low-pressure system that looks set to bring storminess to the Southeast won’t be able to move north, while the warm dry weather gets locked-in for a while, so to speak.

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The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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