All articles tagged with #sudden stratospheric warming
A forecast of a very strong El Niño suggests it could interact with the Arctic polar vortex to alter U.S. winter patterns, potentially bringing wetter conditions to the South, less snow for the Great Lakes and Northeast, and increasing the chance of stratospheric warming events; however, regional impacts remain uncertain as scientists study the exact teleconnections.
The Arctic's polar vortex has been spinning backwards since March 4, a rare event caused by sudden stratospheric warming and an increase in polar ozone. This reversal, one of the six strongest since 1979, has not led to extreme cold or storms. The polar vortex, a region of circulating winds that confines cold air to the polar regions, can cause major weather events when disrupted. The reversal was caused by sudden atmospheric warming from planetary waves. The winds are expected to slow down by the end of March, leading to a resumption of westerly winds.
The polar vortex is set to bring an arctic blast into the US, resulting in the coldest temperatures felt so far this winter, with weekend temperatures potentially dropping 30-50 degrees below average and wind chills approaching -50 degrees in some places. The mild winter has been attributed to El Niño, but a sudden stratospheric warming event in the Arctic is causing the polar vortex to wobble, allowing cold air to move south. The duration of the extreme cold remains uncertain, but there are indications that the minor warming in the stratosphere may reinforce colder weather patterns in some areas over the next couple of weeks.