Excluding a hurricane blundering inland, and of course setting a tornado aside as a very local crisis that only a pratt would knowingly approach, US gradients probably a bit less than the UK. I have in mind some nasty kinks in the isobars downwind of the Rockies, though!
There is also a latitude consideration in the extreme south of the States, in that large gradients just cannot build up anywhere near the Equator ......... Coriolis does not work, and, as fast as a Low is created, the surrounding air rushes in to fill it ........ like trying to dig a hole in dry sand.
Most UK forecasters never get to draw a chart much further south than 30N, and, when they have to, its a rude awakening. As for S hemisphere, I did consider standing on my head to make sense of the flows and the fronts, but even that didn't do it. My temporary job in CFO involved drawing ALL the S hemisphere at the end of a very long and no-chance-of-a-kip night shift.
YUURRRGGGGGH.
After 19 weeks I managed a dream posting out.
Last edited by langleybaston; 20th Jan 2013 at 16:36.