Weather warnings are in effect for many parts of the US, heavy snow is expected
environment
January 3, 2023
Bulldozers move snow after a winter storm in Buffalo, New York on December 28 Reuters/Lindsey Dedario
Massive winter storms blew across the United States and Canada during the New Year holidays, leaving at least 60 people dead and millions without power due to blizzards and extreme cold.
Estimated to be over 3,000 kilometers wide, the storm, dubbed the “Bomb Cyclone,” hit North America on Dec. 23, hitting U.S. states as far south as Texas, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. .
Over 120 cm of snow fell in 72 hours in Buffalo, New York, and temperatures dropped to -39°C (-38°F) in Montana. Millions of people have faced major disruption to their holiday travel plans, with thousands of flights canceled and major roads blocked by snow and abandoned vehicles.
The storm was caused by an arctic wind known as the polar vortex that moves southward across North America. Some scientists suspect that human-induced climate change may be contributing to the instability of the polar weather system.
The Arctic is one of the hottest regions on Earth, with a decreasing temperature difference between the cooler Arctic air and the warmer air further south. This disrupts the flow of the polar vortex, destabilizing the high-altitude airflow known as the polar jet stream, which could push colder Arctic air southwards while pushing warmer air toward the Arctic. I have.
The extreme weather is likely to continue into the new year. As New Scientist went to press, the United States National Weather Service (USNWS) warned that the Great Lakes region will experience heavy snow, freezing rain, and severe thunderstorms starting January 3. Parts were still under weather alerts. Snowstorms and gusts of wind will “cover roads, reduce visibility, and make travel difficult or impossible” in Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.
Meanwhile, California experienced heavy rain and snow during the first few days of 2023, causing flash floods and rock slides. According to the USNWS, this is the first of several storms predicted to hit the state over the next few days.
Europe recorded record high temperatures early in the year as North America battled freezing rains and heavy snowfall. Belarus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland all set their January days at record highs, according to Maximiliano Herrera, an independent climatologist who tracks temperature extremes. Recorded.
In Poland, temperatures hit 19°C (66°F) in Korbierów and Jodłownik on the first day of the year, much higher than the average January temperature of 1°C (34°F), and a maximum of 19.6 in the Czech Republic. was recorded. °C (67.2°F) in Jabolnik, compared to an average temperature of 3°C (37°F) at this time of year. According to Herrera, Germany has broken 982 monthly temperature records in his first three days of 2023.
It follows a year of record warmth across Europe in 2022, with the UK tentatively hot on record and Europe experiencing its hottest summer on record. .
The UK Met Office has warned that 2023 will be one of the warmest years on record, with average global temperatures projected to be 1.08°C to 1.32°C above pre-industrial levels. In a press release, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Nick Dunston said forecasts were affected by the expected end of a protracted La Niña climate event that has had a cooling effect on global average temperatures over the past three years.
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