Winter Great Circle Routes

Winter Great Circle Routes
Westbound great circle routes sometimes present themselves during the midwinter. One example of this is developing over the North Atlantic during the next several days allowing shipping to minimize transit times. This opportunity is being caused by the prevailing jet stream deflecting stormtracks and the heaviest westerly winds and seas farther south than normal.

Forecast 500mb

Forecast Winds/Seas

Great Circle routes appear to in also across the North Pacific as the upper level jet stream has dropped there as well.

500 Mb Forecast

Surface Forecast

The upper level jet stream that has been displaced southward over the North Atlantic during the past 2 weeks and driven stormtracks farther southward than normal appears will start to break-up towards the end of this week.

Upper Level Jet