Polar vortex could unleash winter wallop by January
Source: Washington Post
Polar vortex could unleash winter wallop by January
By Jason Samenow
December 17 at 3:47 PM
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The polar vortex, the roaring river of air winding around the North Pole, holds the cards. What they reveal could be very disturbing and a harbinger of extreme winter weather in the Eastern United States.
Judah Cohen, a climate researcher at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, monitors the condition of the vortex, every day checking the latest prediction models for any sign of disturbance. He is concerned about what some models are projecting at the end of December or early January.
When the vortex, perched some 60,000 feet high in the atmosphere, is stable, winter conditions over the United States and Europe tend to be rather ordinary. Winter is still winter, with the normal mix of storms, cold snaps and thaws.
But when the vortex is disrupted, an ordinary winter can suddenly turn severe and memorable for an extended duration. (It) can affect the entire winter, Cohen said in an interview.
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Cohen shares insights on the state of the polar vortex on his blog and Twitter feed. Last week, he tweeted: Confidence is growing in a significant #PolarVortex disruption in the coming weeks. This could be the single most important determinant of the weather this #winter across the Northern Hemisphere.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2018/12/17/polar-vortex-could-unleash-winter-wallop-by-january/