The globe is loaded with stunning temperature anomalies these days, with quite an array of hot and cold contrasts to the north of about 40 degrees of north latitude. This is typical of the mid-winter season. Note that south of 40 degrees, on land, there are almost nothing but moderate warm anomalies today. I won’t get into specifics, but urge you to go to the website on any nearby day, open the various regional maps in the upper north and toggle back and forth between temperature, precipitable water (PW), and major anomalies at specific locations to see what their relationships are like. You will be amazed by the consistency with respect to the way PW values match up. You might also check to see if jet stream positioning may be having an influence of some kind on how the hot and cold anomalies set up in relation to each other. These winds are constantly encountering and adjusting the courses of the atmospheric rivers that carry heavy concentrations of PW across the skies:
Unlike the NH, there is a real dearth of interesting or contrasting anomalies in the mid-latitudes of the SH. Australia is the one exception, and worth looking at for details. In the far west (with magnification) we see a warm anomaly in the +8-10C (16F) bracket in one area. This is a really high number in mid-summer for a spot where normal is plenty hot to begin with. Here is a closeup view:
Highs for this day are recorded at +47C (116F) and the 24-hour average for one spot, as shown on this map (again with magnification), is a most uncomfortable +42C (107F)—about like a bad day in Death Valley.
The central/southern part of Australia is a good bit cooler, with reasonable temperatures averaging just 23C (73F) and an anomaly of minus-4C. So much contrast with the north prompts us to have a look at the PW map and check up on atmospheric river (AR) activity over the continent. Sure enough, there is a strong band of PW across the north and much lower values in the center. The actual difference in values, which range from a low of 11kg to highs near 35, is easily enough to account for the difference in temperatures based on relative greenhouse effects and a relatively normal extra level of dryness in the center of the continent.
A quick look at the jetstream wind map may give us an idea about how the contrast in PW values came to be what it is. This map shows that two separate wind streams are at work here. Neither one is doing anything to prevent full passage of a strong AR from following a rounded track across the continental north:
As an aside, this same map shows a pair of wind streams deeply entering and looping around over the lower part of the Antarctic continent. It should be worthwhile checking out the upper level air pressure configuration to see if there is a relationship, which is clearly the case. This activity has resulted in a major temperature anomaly, as viewed in the closeup image near the top:
Carl