Weather extremes–global warming and polar cold

Lake Michigan shore, Chicago, Illinois, USA
January 29, 2019
Lake Michigan shore, Chicago, Illinois, USA January 29, 2019
Joshua Lott for The New York Times

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Weather extremes–a hallmark of climate change. Searing heat, wildfires, drought, electrical grids being overwhelmed, deaths, etc. in one place. Arctic cold, frostbite in minutes, school and college closings, city and county offices closed, states at a standstill, more deaths, etc. in another place … and both happening at the same time in different parts of the world.

“This is weather in the age of extremes. It comes on top of multiple extremes, all kinds, in all kinds of places.”

But, how can extreme cold be part of an overall global warming?

Research is indicating that global warming, specifically “a warming Arctic is causing changes in the jet stream and pushing polar air down to latitudes that are unaccustomed to them and often unprepared.”

I write this from Newton, Iowa, USA–a place not unaccustomed or unprepared for cold weather. But, not accustomed and prepared for cold weather of this extreme. It was -22 F this morning (with a wind chill of -49). That’s 54 degrees F below average air temperature for January 30.

Climate change is here, it’s happening, and it is impacting every place. And, as with most disasters and upheavals, the poor and vulnerable suffer the most.

This is not a time for decision-makers to stick their heads in the sand …

(Somini Sengupta, New York Times, January 29, 2019)

Dust storm in Australia 2018-2019
Dust storm in Australia 2018-2019

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