Brutal cold, frozen river

Posted 1/3/18

REGION — The old year ended and the new one began with a blast of Arctic air covering the region and much of the eastern part of the country. Another blast of cold air is expected to descend on …

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Brutal cold, frozen river

Posted

REGION — The old year ended and the new one began with a blast of Arctic air covering the region and much of the eastern part of the country. Another blast of cold air is expected to descend on the region into Friday morning.

So, does this have anything to do with global climate change? It might, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association NOAA. The cold slipping from the Arctic into the United State is related to the polar vortex. The polar vortex is the band of strong winds that typically circle above the North Pole. When the polar vortex is relatively strong, it tends to stay in place; but when it is weaker, it is more likely to slide around a bit and impact this region.

NOAA studies have suggested that less ice in the Arctic sea has led to a weaker polar vortex, which allows the frigid winds to slip more easily to the south, along with relatively warmer temperatures in the Arctic.

NOAA predicts that the northeast U.S. is likely to have lower-than-normal temperatures throughout the month.

region, winter

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