The differential between the lakes the snow producing clouds is almost 50F which is about double the required contrast.

as the Polar Vortex swings across the Great Lakes. That differential is causing some huge instability and upward vertical motion. Our Hi Res models are forecasting up to 2 feet of snow in spots. Incredible for the wesr side of Lake Michigan (and for early November)… 2/

Exactly.

The #1 spot in the Atlantic goes to Hurricane Ginger in 1970 which had an ~80 mile eye.
The largest eye on record in the World is an immense 230 miles Typhoon Winnie in 1997!

A 70 mile eye here would make it one of the biggest eye’s in Atlantic history, atleast making the top 5. It would be 2X the size of Katrina’s eye. For reference Melissa had a 13 mi eye…
2/

Yes it’s Pressure… like 18K ft is I think, but I’d need to check.

This will translate to various record morning lows in the 20s, 30s & 40s as far south as #Florida Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thanks to @burgwx for the maps!!

Climate change piggy backs on the pattern and makes the blocking - and amp’d pattern - more extreme. (But it does NOT make the cold air, colder which is a common misconception)

Is Global warming-low Arctic sea ice/ Arctic amplification responsible for this? It is very likely enhancing it, but is prob not the primary driver. Teleconnections to various natural oscillations (and the stratosphere) working in tandem are often the culprit in these high latitude blocks.