Second period of potential showing up clearly now.

Definitely some -WPO coming up for the next 2 weeks. I hope it carries into the Winter, my intuition says probably not but anything is possible!

I don't think the wave breaking is that linear. Ideally in a perfect container, but lately the +WPO has been re-enforcing maritime heat waves near Japan, and SSTs running +5-7F. The Pacific is an important ocean because of its volatility, and when there is ridging in the West near Japan, it's really hard for the US jet stream downstream to not go zonal.

Glad it's infrequent for you. And hopefully you have enough warning if you're driving. My wife once felt it coming on and pulled over before it got worse

I get them like once a year. It’s a bit disorienting but it doesn’t hurt. Other people in my family get the brutal painful ones where you lock yourself in a dark room for the day and try to sleep it off.