Major regions of North America are experiencing sub-freezing temperatures this week as cold Arctic air pushes south. Ironically, such cold weather may persist or become more common as the planet warms, scientists say.
The polar jet stream, a small band of westerly winds around the Arctic, forms when cold, northern air meets warm, southern air. But the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, making this temperature difference smaller. The result, according to a recent review of scientific research, is a weaker, meandering jet stream that pushes colder air farther south.
Even as the planet warms, “we’re still seeing incredibly cold extremes that sometimes last for days and hit places that aren’t used to extreme cold,” said lead author Jennifer Francis, of the Woodwell Climate Research Center.
He added, “It seems really counterintuitive, but there will be more snow, ice, and cold air in the Arctic winter in the coming decades, and that cold can be moved south to populated areas because of Arctic heat waves.”
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