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What’s Behind the ‘Arctic Blast’ Plunging into the U.S.? [Barf Alert!]
SCI-AM ^ | January 12, 2024 | Megal Bartels

Posted on 01/14/2024 6:58:45 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin

This week’s cold snap across the U.S. will be one of “the most impressive Arctic outbreaks of this century,” one climate scientist says.

After months of record-breaking warm temperatures, much of the U.S. is facing a harsh, fast-approaching blast of frigid air from the Arctic that could plunge wind chill factors below zero degrees Fahrenheit (–18 degrees Celsius)—all close on the heels of a serious winter storm dumping snow over the Midwest and Great Lakes this weekend.

“It will be a very impressive—certainly one of the most impressive Arctic outbreaks of this century anyway,” says Judah Cohen, a climate scientist at the company Verisk Atmospheric and Environmental Research. Similar recent events have included the terrible cold snap that struck Texas in February 2021 and a sharp preholiday freeze in December 2022, Cohen notes.

Fortunately, this Arctic blast isn’t expected to be as deadly as the Texas event, which knocked out power for four million people, says Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who adds that upgrades in recent years should reduce the strain that frigid air places on the power grid during this event.

To understand how this Arctic blast could affect you and what risks to prepare for, consult your local National Weather Service office. Meanwhile here’s the science behind why temperatures are suddenly plummeting so sharply across such a wide swath of North America.

Typically, very cold air in the Arctic is trapped inside a high-altitude swirl of winds called the polar vortex, which is surrounded by a lower-altitude band called the polar jet stream. If the polar vortex gets disrupted, however, the jet stream can become wavy and carry frigid air much farther south than usual in an Arctic blast. Sometimes this frigid air brings snow and ice; other times the weather is dry but bitterly cold.

Scientists are still trying to pin down precisely what causes these disruptions. “It’s a very active area of research and something that scientists are passionately debating and trying to figure out at the moment,” Dahl says. “It’s definitely not settled science.”

Still, many experts believe climate change likely plays a role—and Cohen goes even further: he contends that climate change in the Arctic is directly disrupting the polar vortex. According to Cohen, this winter’s melting sea ice near Scandinavia coupled with high snowfall near Siberia to set up a thermal contrast, which he says drove the polar jet stream into waves. The polar vortex typically “wakes up” around January, he adds, so it makes sense that we’re now feeling the sharp chill from an Arctic blast whose stage was set by these distant trends.

“It seems very counterintuitive and surprising that a warmer planet can actually increase your odds of experiencing severe winter weather events—but that’s what our research has shown,” Cohen says.

Cohen adds that he expects a second, less severe Arctic blast to occur later this month and that the phenomenon could potentially repeat into February as well.

Although science is still working to hone an explanation for polar vortex disruptions and accompanying Arctic blasts, Dahl says that she sees the irony of this incident coinciding with the U.S. government confirming that 2023 was the hottest year on record. “To me, this is indicative of a climate changed world with greater extremes,” she says.

“I like to think of these polar jet stream outbreaks as ‘global weirding,’” Dahl adds. “Climate change is causing all sorts of different impacts, and some of them are counterintuitive.”


TOPICS: Conspiracy; History; Outdoors; Weather
KEYWORDS: babyitscoldoutside; brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr; globalcooling; polarvortex; weather
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To: Uncle Miltie

It is -2 as I type here in Colorado. We are also expecting more snow.


61 posted on 01/14/2024 9:30:43 AM PST by taxcontrol (The choice is clear - either live as a slave on your knees or die as a free citizen on your feet.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Two other things that amp up the winter weather hysteria is the term “Bomb Cyclone” and naming winter storms like hurricanes.


62 posted on 01/14/2024 9:33:18 AM PST by pburiak (You really think we can vote our way out of this? That’s so cute...)
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To: Uncle Miltie

It’s a Megasevere GlobalWarminess-induced ColdFreezie ThermaFrostic DangerCrisis. Its existential. All to do with thermals and twist things caused by people earning a living and having stuff.


63 posted on 01/14/2024 9:42:15 AM PST by _longranger81
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To: Uncle Miltie

It’s a Megasevere GlobalWarminess-induced ColdFreezie ThermaFrostic DangerCrisis. Its existential. All to do with thermals and twist things caused by people earning a living and having stuff.
Any mention of the underwater volcano off
Antarctica that put an extra 10% or more of water vapor into the upper atmosphere last year, and how long that will take to work its way out of the system? I confess to not immersing myself in the full BS experience of the article.


64 posted on 01/14/2024 9:53:48 AM PST by _longranger81
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To: outofsalt

“I will date myself and recall an, “Alberta Clipper.”

Funny, how a couple of random words can trigger a song in my mind. Haven’t heard this one in a lot of years.

Think I’ll go up to Alberta, weather’s good there in the fall
There’s some friends that I can go to working for
Still I wish you’d change your mind if I ask you one more time
But we’ve been through that 100 times or more.

Four strong winds, that blow lonely, seven seas that run high
all these things that don’t change, come what may
But our good times are all gone and I’m bound for moving on
I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way.


65 posted on 01/14/2024 10:02:57 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
IMG-0559
66 posted on 01/14/2024 10:03:08 AM PST by broken_clock (Go Trump! Still praying.)
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To: JimRed

I remember “The Alberta Clipper” and also “The Siberian Express.”


67 posted on 01/14/2024 10:56:22 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

The brutal cold fall and winter of 1976-1977 were used as proof we were entering THE COMING ICE AGE!

Now brutal cold is “proof” of glo-BULL warming.


68 posted on 01/14/2024 10:58:23 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

.


69 posted on 01/14/2024 11:04:18 AM PST by sauropod (The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly.)
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To: Snowybear

“As soon as I saw it was Scientific American I knew what was coming. They’re no longer scientific.”

I don’t think they’re American anymore either.


70 posted on 01/14/2024 11:46:54 AM PST by unlearner (I, Robot: I think I finally understand why Dr. Lanning created me... ;-)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I think the concerned scientist are virtue signaling for their next climate grant


71 posted on 01/14/2024 12:13:47 PM PST by wild74
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To: peggybac

-14 when I got up at 7am this morning. High today of -2...and a week or more ahead just like it.

These ‘scientists’ are pikers. ;)

This is the first cold snap we’ve had in about 5 years in SW Wisconsin. We got about 13” of snow this week, too.

Lots of fun shoveling. Good cardio. ;)


72 posted on 01/14/2024 1:00:10 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

March, 1976 will be burned in my memory for all time! We had a huge ice storm and were without power for a week and I was a 16 year old girl with NO TELEPHONE for all that time!

It was shear HELL! I can’t believe I survived it! ;)

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/massive-blizzard-1976-wi/

We still had fun. We ice skated in the road. Dad thawed a lot of meat from the (no electricity) freezer and grilled a lot of food on the back patio. We also set up tents in the living room and slept inside of them in sleeping bags and lots and lots of blankets to stay warm overnight. (No heat!)

I do remember Dad & Mom keeping the dog in THEIR tent when we girls wanted him in with us for the body heat. ;)


73 posted on 01/14/2024 1:11:00 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: JimRed

Me too:

If I get there before the snow flies
And if things are lookin’ good
You could meet me if I send you down the fare
But by then it would be winter
Not too much for you to do
And those winds sure can blow cold way out there


74 posted on 01/14/2024 4:39:59 PM PST by kawhill (kawhill)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
"'It seems very counterintuitive and surprising that a warmer planet can actually increase your odds of experiencing severe winter weather events—but that’s what our research has shown,' Cohen says."


75 posted on 01/15/2024 12:34:54 AM PST by clearcarbon (Fraudulent elections have consequences.)
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