Discussion: polar vortex

Do you read xkcd Blair? If not you might like this one...

That did the rounds of the meteorological community pretty quickly, as you might expect. It's also very true - the "polar vortex" event set no cold records of any significance (when Americans talk of "record cold" they mean a record for the date - I didn't see any major centres get within 5 degrees C of all-time record lows), and up until 1996 would have been an event of the sort that typically happened two or three times a decade. Continental US temperatures will be below normal for January, but probably not by more than a degree (meanwhile Alaska will come in at least 5 degrees above normal; it got as high as +16C at a site near Denali National Park a few days ago).

There was one significant January record set that day - Amsterdam had its warmest January day on record.

A lot of people here don't appreciate just how cold it can get in America, even a long way south. It has snowed in Miami in the past, and has been into the -20s as far south as Atlanta and Dallas.

I'm not *quite* this much of a weather geek---yet.

Blair did you notice the mouse over content on the polar vortex one? Looks like Randall may be your soul mate?

I didn't actually - will have to have a look.

"when Americans talk of "record cold" they mean a record for the date - I didn't see any major centres get within 5 degrees C of all-time record lows)"

There were records for specific dates set in Canada including at least two records set here in Hamilton.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/at-24-...

A few days ago Google's doodle remembered the coldest day in Canada.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/goo...