Add news
News Every Day |

Why is this cold snap so extreme? The jury is still out.

9
Vox
A view from the streets as heavy snow blankets several US states, in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2025. | Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Bitter cold has lashed its icy fingers across the United States, bringing a frigid start to the New Year. Dubbed Winter Storm Blair, the tempest has triggered winter weather alerts for more than 60 million people this week in a swath from Illinois to New Jersey. 

The ongoing storm has already dropped up to a foot of snow in some cities and killed at least six people. As of Monday morning, nearly 300,000 utility customers had lost power across states including Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois. The storm is forecasted to deliver more snow through Tuesday and frosty weather well into next week. Freezing temperatures are poised to reach as far south as Texas and Florida and could deliver the first snow to Disney World in almost 50 years

Winter Storm Blair comes as a bookend to one of the hottest years on record, and while it’s freezing North America, its origins actually lie in the Arctic.

There’s evidence that — because of climate change — cold Arctic air may be more likely to break containment in the northernmost reaches of the planet and escape southward, bringing frigid temperatures to lower latitudes like the continental United States. 

It may seem counterintuitive, but the fact that global average temperatures are rising does not preclude bouts of cold, and for some Arctic-driven storms, it could exacerbate them. Scientists are examining the mechanisms connecting humanity’s insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, the far north, and storms like Blair. They’re revealing a complicated picture that shows some of the most profound consequences of climate change occur in the chilliest parts of the planet and during the coolest times of year. 

As average temperatures rise rapidly, their effects are manifesting in surprising ways, but with more observations and better forecasting tools, storms like Blair don’t have to be so deadly and destructive.

How warming at the North Pole can bring a winter storm to your commute

There are a couple key mechanisms behind chills like Winter Storm Blair. One is the polar vortex, a spinning band of strong, cold wind that is normally confined to 10 to 30 miles above the North Pole. The polar vortex picks up strength during the winter and tends to stay circular, but because of waves in the atmosphere, it can occasionally split into multiple swirls or deform into an oblong shape that reaches outside the Arctic. 

The other factor is a jet stream known as the polar jet. This is a band of air blowing west to east at speeds of up to 275 miles per hour at altitudes between 4 and 8 miles above the Earth’s surface. 

When the polar jet is strong, it forms a well-defined ring around the Arctic and holds the icy air in place. When it weakens, it wobbles and forms a flower or clover shape when viewed from directly above the North Pole. Within those lobes, cold Arctic air spills over landmasses like Asia and North America. 

Disruptions in the polar vortex can combine with deviations in the polar jet, leading to more cold air reaching even further south. 

Such Arctic spillovers, though, have occurred naturally in the past. How does global warming play in? Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, co-authored a review article published last month looking at the body of research trying to answer this question.

The key fact is that while Earth is warming on average, the Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the planet as a whole, a phenomenon called Arctic amplification. That has important knock-on effects. 

One is that a warmer Arctic means there is a weaker temperature gradient between the Arctic and its surrounding regions. Francis explained that the steep difference between Arctic and sub-Arctic temperatures is what powers the polar jet in the first place, so as the north begins to feel more like the rest of the planet, the jet gets weaker, making its frigid air more likely to meander across the Northern Hemisphere — and causing more extreme winter storms like Blair. 

At the same time, the planet’s oceans have warmed to extraordinary levels in recent years, and some of the planet’s waters, such as the North Pacific Ocean, remain unusually balmy. That’s pushing tropical air further north, bending the jet stream northward over the Pacific and southward over North America. 

The loss of sea ice in regions of the Arctic due to warming also has the potential to reshape the polar vortex in ways that lead to more chilly air reaching further south.  

Francis and her co-authors acknowledge that there’s a lot of uncertainty in quantifying exactly how much human-caused warming is influencing periods of severe cold. It’s also unclear precisely how this will proceed as the planet keeps heating up. 

The effects of warming don’t scale linearly, especially in the Arctic, and there are a lot of complicated feedback mechanisms that researchers are still trying to map out. Melting reflective sea ice, for example, yields to a dark, heat-absorbing ocean that can further melt more ice. 

There are also researchers who aren’t convinced that climate change has had a discernible role in recent cold snaps, or that they’ll become more common as global average temperatures rise. One study published last year using climate models and historical records reported that the main way we can see human influence on sudden periods of severe cold is that they aren’t as cold as they used to be. The paper found that cold extremes are warming up faster than average wintertime temperatures in North America. 

Scientists generally agree that winters are heating up on average and are warming up faster than summers. Despite this, dangerous winter weather will still, on occasion, spill over from the Arctic. “Even though the Arctic is warming, it will still be frigid during winter for a very long time because it has no sunshine for 6 months straight,” Francis said in an email. “There will still be plenty of cold air there to feed into cold spells when the jet stream takes a big dip southward.”

Researchers also highlight that the dangers from severe cold waves come not just from the temperature but from how well people are prepared to cope with them. A cold snap can prove deadly if it grips an area that rarely sees such severe chills, as when Winter Storm Uri froze Texas in 2021 and killed 246 people. The threat is amplified when there’s little advance warning. 

On this front, there’s a bit of warm comfort in this icy weather. Forecasters are getting a better handle on the warning signs of cold spells. Scientists detected the polar vortex gathering strength last month, and meteorologists were warning since last week that intense cold and snow is in store across much of the United States. With further advances in data gathering and new AI forecasting tools, we’ll likely be able to see the bitter cold more sharply in the future and from farther away.

Минск

Тышкевич: «Гонцы из Минска в ближайшие недели-таки попытаются долететь до Вашингтона»

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI

Tesla shares sink as deliveries miss forecasts by 'wide margin': report

Hyundai’s Insteroid is an EV one-off for gamers

Here’s more of what you’ll see through Meta’s $1,000 smart glasses

Ria.city
Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...






Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...


Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...

Read also

Iowa Republicans Want to Shield Pesticide Firms From Cancer Lawsuits

Opinion: The huge issue with Tottenham's wage bill structure under Daniel Levy

Flash Sale: Save $30 on a Microsoft 365 Family Subscription

News Every Day |

The Ashton Jeanty Bears Smoke Just Got Even Thicker

The draft is three weeks away now. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have pieced together an off-season that is earning widespread praise across the league. The question is whether they can stick the landing with their 1st round pick in the draft. Current projections have the top three picks likely being a mix of Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. After that, it gets tricky. People in Chicago want to know where running back Ashton Jeanty will end once the dust settles.

Widespread belief has been that the Las Vegas Raiders are the heavy favorites to take him at 6th overall, with New Orleans at #9 also being a possibility. It makes sense. Las Vegas’ best option right now is a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. New Orleans knows Alvin Kamara turns 30 in July. Both teams need to think about the future at that position. Both have head coaches who like to run the ball. One thing is clear. A source told SM that those around the league believe one thing is certain.

“He likely won’t get passed Chicago if he falls that far.”

Ashton Jeanty is a strong probability for the Bears.

Whispers from Halas Hall indicate they love the Boise State star. It isn’t hard to see why. He nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in 2024, nearly winning the Heisman in the process. The guy carried his team to the college football playoffs. He’s built like a brick house with power, speed, contact balance, and vision. There aren’t any truly glaring weaknesses in his game. He’s earned comparisons to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch. The Bears haven’t had a back of that caliber since Matt Forte.

Try to imagine what this offense could look like with Ashton Jeanty, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet all as options for quarterback Caleb Williams. Throw all of it into Johnson’s offense, and you can understand why some people around the league aren’t wild about the idea. They are quietly hoping Jeanty goes somewhere else. One thing is certain. If he gets past the Raiders, the noise will get loud in a hurry. It would mark the first time in 20 years the Bears have taken a running back in the 1st round.

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Ria.city
Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...






Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...


Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Чикаго запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...

Read also

Driver of Virginia Giuffre’s car in mysterious bus crash breaks silence…urging Andrew accuser to ‘clear everything up’

Phineas and Ferb are making a mischievous return, targeting multiple generations of fans

Love Island’s Grace wears ring on her left hand on Paris trip with Luca after lavish ‘girlfriend proposal’

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Here’s more of what you’ll see through Meta’s $1,000 smart glasses



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

12-е место в мировом рейтинге WTA, нелюбовь к России и нетрадиционная ориентация Касаткиной



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

Росгвардейцы обеспечили безопасность матча ВХЛ в Челябинске



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Бадминтонист из Бердска стал одним из лучших в стране


Новости России

Game News

Atomfall surpasses 1.5 million players to become Rebellion's most successful game launch in 32 years


Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this

Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Russian.city

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine


News Every Day

Will AI ever cure cancer? The multibillion-dollar race to bring the first AI-discovered drug to market


Губернаторы России
Владимир Путин

Александр Вучич: Тайные переговоры с Путиным в центре мирового внимания


НАТО СПОСОБНО НАНЕСТИ ЯДЕРНЫЙ УДАР ПО США И ЕВРОПЕ? НАТО СДЕЛАНО ДЛЯ ЭТОГО. СЕНСАЦИЯ! НОВОСТИ! СПЕЦOПЕРАЦИЯ "ЗИС". Россия, США, Европа могут улучшить отношения и здоровье общества?!

"Перестаньте писать, что я убежал в платье": жизнь и ошибки Керенского

«Ассоциация Блогеров и Агентств» и «Рейтинг Рунета» выпускают первый в России рейтинг агентств с экспертизой в инфлюенс-маркетинге

В Москве наращивают производство образовательного оборудования


Linkin Park регистрирует новый логотип в России

Новая эра, новые лица: как в Сколково обсуждал медийный успех экспертов

Sony Pictures раскрыла имена исполнителей главных ролей в фильме The Beatles

Концерт музыки Антонио Вивальди в исполнении ансамбля старинной музыки в Эрмитаже


Собчак не видит причин осуждать Касаткину за смену гражданства

WTA сменила флаг Касаткиной в рейтинге на австралийский

Вероника Кудерметова одержала разгромную победу на старте турнира WTA-500 в Чарльстоне

12-е место в мировом рейтинге WTA, нелюбовь к России и нетрадиционная ориентация Касаткиной


Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine


Минск, Москва, Нижний Новгород, Казань, Ульяновск и Волгоград приняли литературный десант

Axenix и «КОРУС Консалтинг» объявили о стратегическом партнерстве для реализации проектов на платформе интегрированного планирования In.Plan

Александр Буйнов приглашает на свой 75-летний юбилей

Рейтинг пяти лучших маркетинговых агентств: VICTORY GROUP занял первое место


Руководитель фракции КПРФ в Мособлдуме Александр Наумов посетил отчет главы г.о. Домодедово

Алексей Тузов для РБК Аutonews: ЭРА-ГЛОНАСС

Какие виды операций делают на плечевом суставе?

Тайна имён. Что связывает наследников Петросяна с балетным миром


Железный человек, или Как спорт закаляет характер

140 лет со дня первого метеонаблюдения метеостанции отметили в Павловском Посаде

Агрессивный медведь изодрал мужчину на делянке в Подмосковье

Чернышев привез дочь на могилу Заворотнюк — старшие дети и мать актрисы не появились


Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine


Путин в России и мире
Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this



Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this



Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this



Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Персональные новости Russian.city
Лайма Вайкуле

Генпрокуратуру попросили отобрать у Лаймы Вайкуле квартиру в Москве за 56 миллионов рублей



News Every Day

Hyundai’s Insteroid is an EV one-off for gamers




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости