A frigid Arctic air mass has caused temperatures to drop sharply over much of the northern hemisphere., Temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded in Canada and Siberia.
In the United States, a powerful Arctic storm occurred 200 million or more About 60% of the population are under weekend weather warnings warning of life-threatening cold winds, snowstorms and ice storms. As of Saturday afternoon, her 1.7 million homes and businesses across the country were without power, according to the Associated Press.
The forecast for cold spells and disasters extends south to the US-Mexico border, the Gulf Coast, and Florida, with temperatures near freezing on Christmas Eve.
A weather system called a “bomb cyclone” is also known as bombogenesis, a term given to a rapidly intensifying explosive storm. In such storms, the atmospheric pressure drops so much that cold air masses, usually from the north, collide with warmer air masses from the south, resulting in a sharp drop in temperature. National Marine Service.
The National Weather Service said Friday night that Arctic air would hit many parts of the central and eastern United States, with overnight lows below zero in many parts of the Midwest, including temperatures in the single digits or in the teens. said temperatures would be well below average. It spans parts of the southern and eastern United States.
Strong winds blowing snow in our neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo Niagara International Airport will be closed until 11 a.m. Monday © AP
Temperatures in Chicago dropped to -23C early Friday morning, New York went from 11C Friday morning to -10C in the afternoon, and -14C Saturday morning.
Temperatures in Miami plummeted from 28 degrees Celsius on Friday to just 5 degrees Celsius on Saturday night.
In the northern United States, much of Montana and Wyoming saw temperatures drop below -45°C, 15°C below the 1981-2010 average.
Extreme weather patterns are typical of the impacts of climate change, but meteorological attribution experts are wary of assessing single events.
But some meteorologists this week linked the freeze to changes in the jet stream that have caused disruptions to weather patterns for years.
Scientists have tried to understand how the band’s peculiar shape works. fast moving air Controlling mid-latitude weather is causing extreme weather events, including heat waves.
US President Joe Biden issued a warning from the White House on Thursday about a severe weather system that will disrupt most of the country and create life-threatening conditions.
The storm will bring powerful Arctic gusts that cause sudden whiteouts and zero visibility, the National Weather Service said. Traveling in such conditions would be “extremely dangerous and sometimes impossible”.
“Very cold temperatures, combined with strong winds following the front, will see signs of dangerously cold weather across much of the central and eastern United States,” he added, adding that the sudden drop in temperatures could lead to frostbite on bare skin indoors. warned of the possibility. 5 to 10 minutes.
Cars on a road in Anderson Township near Cincinnati, Ohio © AP
More than 4,400 flights were canceled across the US on Saturday, according to flight-tracking site flight aware.
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