Plot of the month for February 2018 is from the PRIMAVERA project as part of its user engagement activities, which explores the role atmospheric blocking plays in European weather and its effect on the energy sector.

Instead of the large-scale westerly flow that is typical of the North Atlantic, with the passage of low- and high-pressure systems and their associated cold and warm fronts, mid-latitude atmospheric blocking appears as large, quasi-stationary high-pressure systems (anti-cyclones). Atmospheric blocking is a stable atmospheric circulation that yields persistent weather over large regions for weeks to months.