Variability of the baroclinic and barotropic transient eddy forcing associated with monthly changes in the midlatitude storm tracks

The placement of a storm track at a certain latitude φ in a certain month is accompanied by enhanced convergence of eddy heat fluxes poleward of φ. In the tropospheric column poleward of the storm track, this baroclinic eddy forcing leads to positive geopotential tendency near the tropopause and negative geopotential tendency near sea level, as well as strong positive temperature tendency and rising motion. In the same month, the convergence of eddy vorticity transport is also enhanced poleward of φ. This barotropic forcing results in negative geopotential tendency throughout the troposphere, as well as rising motion and weak negative temperature tendency poleward of φ. -from Authors