Extended Forecast: Northern Hemisphere Could Be in for Extreme Winters

[xchrom]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=extended-forecast-next-winter-extreme



Meteorological summer has begun in the Northern Hemisphere, but what is happening right now in the arctic could dramatically affect the weather you confront come December.

This past winter was the warmest in U.S. history whereas eastern Europe was stuck in a deadly deep freeze with snow piled up to the rooftops. The winter before, however, it was the U.S. that got clobbered. What's going on? What will happen this year?

We may finally have some answers.

A new analysis published today in Oceanography by atmospheric scientists Charles Greene and Bruce Monger at Cornell University traces the severity of winter to the extent of summer melting of arctic sea ice. An increase in melting is causing fundamental changes in the jet stream—the primary pressure gradient in the atmosphere that most affects winter weather in the middle latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere. Their conclusion: winter weirdness may become the norm.

[liberal N proud]

1. I guess that old jeep I just bought might come in handy.