I thought this explanation was most helpful. It comes from a local Denver weatherman.
Matt Makens 24/7 Weather
Do you know anyone that lives in the higher atmosphere? Of course not.
You'd have to be like this skydiver to actually be in the "Polar Vortex", and I dare to add that this isn't the coldest outbreak ever despite the headlines. I'll go on...
Although trending highly in popularity, the term "polar vortex" is erroneous in how it has been used. The polar vortex lives near the North Pole region year round and isn't cold air, it is a low pressure area high in the atmosphere between 20-40,000feet and higher.
It can give off a bit of its own energy to create a low pressure area that moves south into the United States, as it did this week, but that also resides well into the atmosphere.
Although popular in news headlines of late to say that the cold snap was the "polar vortex", in science the use of this term is highly inaccurate in describing the cold snap. I guess its a "sexier" headline than saying something accurate, like "an offshoot of the polar vortex and the cold air associated with hit hits the US!"
Since we are in the meteorologist capital of the country I am not the only local that wishes this headline goes away faster than it arrived! (Yes, I realize I'm perpetuating its existing by this post, but let me get this off my chest... thank you!)
Despite the hype of its name, this week's cold outbreak isn't as historic as it has been portrayed. We've tracked these cold snaps before, obviously. A couple notable events were in January of 1977 and January 1985. Yes, a lot of record lows have been set, but to my knowledge NO all time monthly coldest temperature records have been set this time...meaning it's been colder before in all of those east coast locations. The 1800s are when many all-time record lows were set, including Denver's coldest recorded temperature of -25 from 1876. Denver also hit that all-time coldest temperature in 1990. Many of the east coast cities also had their all-time record lows set in the 1800s, some from the 1970s and 1980s, and a few from the 1990s.
You'd have to be like this skydiver to actually be in the "Polar Vortex", and I dare to add that this isn't the coldest outbreak ever despite the headlines. I'll go on...
Although trending highly in popularity, the term "polar vortex" is erroneous in how it has been used. The polar vortex lives near the North Pole region year round and isn't cold air, it is a low pressure area high in the atmosphere between 20-40,000feet and higher.
It can give off a bit of its own energy to create a low pressure area that moves south into the United States, as it did this week, but that also resides well into the atmosphere.
Although popular in news headlines of late to say that the cold snap was the "polar vortex", in science the use of this term is highly inaccurate in describing the cold snap. I guess its a "sexier" headline than saying something accurate, like "an offshoot of the polar vortex and the cold air associated with hit hits the US!"
Since we are in the meteorologist capital of the country I am not the only local that wishes this headline goes away faster than it arrived! (Yes, I realize I'm perpetuating its existing by this post, but let me get this off my chest... thank you!)
Despite the hype of its name, this week's cold outbreak isn't as historic as it has been portrayed. We've tracked these cold snaps before, obviously. A couple notable events were in January of 1977 and January 1985. Yes, a lot of record lows have been set, but to my knowledge NO all time monthly coldest temperature records have been set this time...meaning it's been colder before in all of those east coast locations. The 1800s are when many all-time record lows were set, including Denver's coldest recorded temperature of -25 from 1876. Denver also hit that all-time coldest temperature in 1990. Many of the east coast cities also had their all-time record lows set in the 1800s, some from the 1970s and 1980s, and a few from the 1990s.
I live in the mid-west and do not have cable. Network news is all that is available. I have to admit, I was not aware that there was a controversy over "polar vortex." To listen to NBC News, the polar vortex is a reasonably sounding explanation as to why "extreme cold" means "global warming. If your local weatherman is correct, suddenly, I have something to think about. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteYou can't expect one of the most scientifically illiterate political parties in the US to understand anything related to science. Look at Smithson, he is a creationist.
ReplyDelete