Residents of the Upper Midwest are awaking to temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees below zero (F) this morning; by mid afternoon, record low high temperatures will be recorded across the region with most areas staying at or below minus 15. In addition, steady winds will produce a wind-chill of minus 50 or lower.
The cause for this extreme weather event is a dip in the northern jet stream, allowing Arctic air to plunge southward and then eastward; meanwhile, in Alaska, where the jet is curving northward, temperatures are well above normal. As the atmospheric trough of frigid air drifts eastward, the atmospheric ridge that is now over Alaska will follow, allowing temperatures across the Upper Midwest to rebound in dramatic fashion; by this weekend, highs near 40 degrees F will bathe the frozen landscape.
No doubt, those who deny global warming will use this extreme, record-breaking chill to bolster their argument. Of course, this is pure folly on their part; even as the climate warms, regional weather patterns will allow polar air to spill southward at times. It is the persistent rise in global average temperature that has begun to threaten Earth's ecosystems and, eventually, the welfare of mankind.
The cause for this extreme weather event is a dip in the northern jet stream, allowing Arctic air to plunge southward and then eastward; meanwhile, in Alaska, where the jet is curving northward, temperatures are well above normal. As the atmospheric trough of frigid air drifts eastward, the atmospheric ridge that is now over Alaska will follow, allowing temperatures across the Upper Midwest to rebound in dramatic fashion; by this weekend, highs near 40 degrees F will bathe the frozen landscape.
No doubt, those who deny global warming will use this extreme, record-breaking chill to bolster their argument. Of course, this is pure folly on their part; even as the climate warms, regional weather patterns will allow polar air to spill southward at times. It is the persistent rise in global average temperature that has begun to threaten Earth's ecosystems and, eventually, the welfare of mankind.
