Arctic Blast to Bring Record-breaking Cold to the โขUnited โStates Thisโ Week
A critically important arctic blast is poised to sweep across โฃthe United States this week, threatening to shatter temperature โrecords and โฃbring widespread, potentiallyโฃ dangerous cold. The impending freeze is fueled by a collision โคofโ cold air from โthe north with warmer air masses, and a weakened polar โขvortex contributing to a โคmore erratic jet stream.
The approaching conditions are particularly noteworthy as they arrive weeks before the official start of winter. While fluctuating temperatures areโ expected โthroughout december, forecasters warn of a particularly intense cold snap expected to impact a large portionโข of the country around mid-December. this isn’t โsolely attributable to the polar vortex, but it is indeed a significant contributing factor, according โto experts.
The weak polar vortex is โฃalso causing a wavier jet stream – wind currents flowing west to east across โขthe northernโฃ hemisphere. “A wavy jet stream canโข cause whiplash,” explained Judah Cohen, a meteorologist at MIT. Thisโฃ means frequentโ swings between milder and frigid temperatures as storms move through.
NOAA research meteorologist Amy Butler anticipates the polarโ vortex will expand further over North America in approximately 7โฃ to 10 days. Lรณpezโ Lang cautioned that while the polar vortex contributes to theโข temperature fluctuations,it isn’t the sole cause.