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The battle over the polar vortex, and how it should be settled.


Is or isn’t the polar vortex behind the wave of Arctic air slamming into the Lower 48 this week? Depending on what meteorologists you ask, you’ll get a different answer.

AccuWeather says yes – this week’s cold snap is a manifestation of a southward sinking polar vortex. The Weather Channel, showing unusual restraint, has laid off the polar vortex Kool-aid.

Dan Satterfield, a meteorologist in Salisbury, says just stop it already in an appeal to media hyping the polar vortex.

So who’s right? To be sure, the polar vortex is involved in this week’s cold snap – like it is in most cold snaps involving Arctic air. But this is not one of the more rare, high impact cases in which a huge chunk of the vortex breaks off and charges towards the U.S.-Canadian border bringing exceptional cold.

My view is that, to guard against overuse of the term, we should reserve calling special attention to the vortex to those cases in which its behavior is extreme.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
18 years and how many months of no global warming ? (Because global warming is a centuries- if not millenially-long phenomenon! according to little rappy, of course)

Early snows, cold temps, across much of the country... January temps in early November.


I see a trend. Hope the glaciers don't cover NYC again. That sucked last time that happened.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Winter is coming.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

18 years and how many months of no global warming ?
Early snows, cold temps, across much of the country... January temps in early November.

I see a trend. Hope the glaciers don't cover NYC again. That sucked last time that happened.

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Winter is coming.

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Minnesota's getting 5"-14" of snow. That must suck, but I guess they're used to it. Meanwhile, here in Ft. Lauderdale it's already dropped down to the low 80's. Gonna have to turn the pool heater on pretty soon..

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
Rarely do we get such superlatives from the weather guys...


Let me just quote from the National Weather Service forecast office for Atlanta in Peachtree City because they put it well:

"First arctic blast underway...stronger blast to follow next week, what is in store is just plain ridiculous , brace yourselves, temps like this Tuesday and Wednesday in November is just craziness, just kind of miserable..."

The rain will end from west to east during the day Monday, and right after that we deal with another surge of very cold air. Not out of the question for a flake or two of snow to fall over the Mountains as it all ends and the colder air arrives, but for now there is no sign it will be anything of note. Temperatures should begin to fall late Monday afternoon with a gusty north wind, and by Tuesday morning we will be close to 20 degrees, with a wind chill index down in the single digits and teens.

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