Effects of the earth’s Polar Vortex polar air masses have been attributed to causing extremely cold weather patterns causing sub-freezing temperatures in U.S. cities like New York City, Chicago, and even as far south as northern Florida. The unusual cold weather phenomenon has also been said to have caused deep freeze conditions in the Middle East; including a 2013 shocking snowfall in Cairo for the first time in 100 years.
The most recent bout of Polar Vortex induced weather brought near zero temperatures to many parts of the USA, literally ringing in the new year 2018 with 11 degree F temperatures in New York City’s Times Square. Freezing and sub-freezing temperatures were felt as far south as Texas and northern Florida. Spending time in New York City during the recent holiday season presented an opportunity to experience this phenomenon first hand; including a sudden mega snow storm that dumped between 8 and 12 inches of snow in Manhattan and
other parts of the city, closing down the city’s major airports for several days.
Comimg from a much warmer Mediterranean climate, trying to walk anywhere in temperatures averaging between 11 and 15 degrees Farenheit (-12 – 9 Celsius) made even short distances seem like climbing the north face of K-2 mountain in the Himalayas. Weather advisories on local TV channels constantly warned against undue exposure to the extreme cold, especially facial exposure. A short three block walk to a local food store or other location seemed like something out of an extreme sport endurance trial. Needless to say, local taxi drivers were kept quite busy taking people around; even for distances that might have been easily accomplished on foot in warmer weather.
Fortunately, these bouts of sub-freezing cold only last a week or so; returning to more ‘normal’ seasonal weather of temperatures reaching the high 30’s to low 40’s F ( O – 4 degrees C). This spout of intense cold and snowy weather prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to comment about global warming: “Global warming? How can there be global warming with such cold weather?”
His scientific advisors did not appear to inform him that it’s now common scientific knowledge that global warming is being attributed as one of the main causes of the Polar Vortex phenomenon. Climatologists are also saying that the ongoing Arctic ice melt is literally rocking world weather.
Conditions like Polar Vortex caused polar air dips are only one example of abnormal climate change conditions being tied to global warming. More intense tropical storms like hurricanes and typhoons, severe drought in many locations, especially the Middle East, are now also being attributed to over consumption of fossil fuels and destruction of natural habitats by the earth’s nearly 7 billion human inhabitants. The way it looks now, the overall situation may only get worse; much worse.
Read more on Polar Vortex and climate change:
Arctic ice melt is rocking world weather
