Relationship between Monthly Frontal Overrunning and Offshore-Onshore Temperature Differences across the Central Gulf Coast

Abstract

Under geostrophic and hydrostatic conditions, the Margules equation for the equilibrium slope of a stationary front is applied to study the relationship between monthly frontal overrunning and the temperature difference (?T) across the central Gulf Coast. Data employed were 10 years of frontal overrunning statistics, 30 years of onshore temperature and wind records at New Orleans, Louisiana, and 86 years of offshore temperature and wind conditions. Monthly frontal overrunning correlates both meteorologically and statistically with ?T, as expected. However, the high correlation coefficient of 0.91 was unexpected. The contribution of wind difference across the coastal zone is smaller by far than that of ?T. The results may therefore be applied for operational planning and to supplement local forecasting of frontal overrunning.