The prolonged and bitter wave of extreme cold in the Chicago area not only continues this weekend, but is forecast that this coming Sunday will have one of the coldest evenings of Valentine’s Day.
The lowest Valentine’s day high for Chicago was set on February 14, 1943, at 8 degrees.
The highest temperature this Sunday is also forecast at 8 degrees, according to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Paul Deanno. However, wind chill readings on Sunday could drop between -15 and -25 degrees.
Here’s some good news to put things in perspective: The coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago on February 14 was -11 degrees in 1905. We’re not getting anywhere near that record this year.
Deanno says Chicago’s nighttime low will drop to -4 degrees Sunday morning, so technically we won’t see cooler temperatures all day.
Plus, a chilly Valentine’s Day in Chicago is not uncommon – temperatures dropped to -2 degrees last year.
Still, the Chicago area has experienced a notable streak of cold weather in recent days, showing no signs of slowing down as dangerously cold temperatures and even more snow continue. Officials in the area are encouraging people to stay indoors and safe.
All this cold is caused by a phenomenon known as “sudden stratospheric warming”, which is developed over the North Pole.
During winter, a cold air mass forms over the North Pole and the Arctic Circle due to the fact that there is no sunlight in that area during the winter months. A stream of air called the “polar night jet” holds that cool air in place, which amounts to a large circle of air over the top of the balloon.
When “sudden stratospheric warming” occurs, there is a chance that “polar night jet stream” will be largely disrupted, and that is what is happening right now.
Our normal polar jet stream, the iconic image of blowing air you see in every weather report on your daily newscast, has a large ridge in the western part of North America, caused by the jet stream hitting a large mass. land.
That ridge can extend up the west coast of Canada and into Alaska, and when the “polar night jet stream” is pressed outward by stratospheric warming, it can conflict with that other jet stream, causing a ripple effect. “wobble”.
When that “wobble” occurs, it can spell trouble for parts of Canada and the northern United States. The warmer air in the stratosphere presses the cooler air below it, sending it scattering like toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube.
As a result, Canada and the northern United States have colder temperatures than those at the North Pole.
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