Latest news with #AtmosphericandEnvironmentalResearch
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
US facing ice age? Polar vortex changes sending Northern Hemisphere into deep freeze
A new study links cold snaps in North America to changes in the polar vortex. The vortex, a low-pressure zone over the Arctic, is being disturbed by rising Arctic temperatures. This sends cold air southward. Researchers analyzed satellite data and weather records from 1980 to 2021. They found specific patterns in the stratosphere linked to cold weather in the U.S. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How polar vortex cause cold snaps How stratospheric patterns steer cold air In today's times, when experts, scientists, and leaders across the globe are contemplating ways to tackle the simmering issue of global warming amid rising temperatures, winters in the Northern Hemisphere are still marked by cold snaps and extreme snowfall events. The Northern Hemisphere often sees snowfall events to some extent, such as the 2021 deep freeze in Texas and Oklahoma that caused over $1 billion in damage.A new study has surfaced that suggests these cold extremes are due to a rising common pattern in the polar vortex . According to it is the zone of low pressure that usually circulates over the Arctic. When this vortex gets disturbed, it changes shape and sends cold air into Canada and the U.S. This is happening more often because the Arctic is getting warmer."Overwhelmingly, extreme cold and severe winter weather, heavy snowstorms, and deep snow are associated with these stretched events," study co-author Judah Cohen, the director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research and a visiting scientist at MIT, told Live study carried out by Cohen and his team looked at how these events evolve in the stratosphere, the middle layer of the atmosphere that starts about 12 miles (19 kilometers) up. Understanding how these patterns shift could help meteorologists make longer-range forecasts, said Andrea Lopez Lang, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was not involved in the research."Knowing this information is useful for a lot of applications in energy and applications in insurance or reinsurance," Lang told Live Science. "How cold is it going to get? Are pipes going to burst? Are insurance claims going to spike this winter?" she polar vortex quite often circulates the North Pole like a spinning top, and occasionally, it collapses dramatically. This usually leads to polar air rushing toward northern Europe and Asia. These collapses can sometimes cause cold snaps in North America , but not always. "There's been this big question mark over what happens in North America," Lang and his team studied satellite data on the stratosphere and winter weather records from 1980 to 2021. They discovered that, short of total collapse, the polar vortex often wobbles and stretches, like a figure skater flinging out an arm for balance in a tricky spin. The researchers reported in the journal Science Advances that there were five different common patterns in the stratosphere, and two in particular were connected to cold weather dipping into Canada and the U.S. during these stretch events. Stretch events are increasing in general, Cohen said, but there has also been a shift in the type of stratospheric pattern usually brings cold air to the East Coast, while another chills the Midwest and Plains. Since 2015, researchers have noticed the westerly pattern happens more often. It's not clear why, but this change seems linked to La Niña, a pattern of unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In the last couple of decades, there have been multiple multiyear La Niña events. In the past twenty years, there have been several La Niña events that lasted for more than one researchers were able to detect some regularities in the way the polar vortex shifts between the five patterns, which might help improve forecasts over the two- to six-week period, Cohen said. "In that shorter range is the poorest accuracy," he said. "This paper can be helpful in that timeframe." One big question is how these polar vortex trends might change over time as the globe warms, Lang and his team have been looking at that question as well. The polar vortex is controlled by waves in the atmosphere, he said, and right now the most influential standing wave is over Eurasia, with a warm ridge to the west and a cooler trough to the east, which in turn is driven by patterns of warming in the melting sea ice is contributing to the increase in the temperature differences between the west and the east, strengthening the wave that can disrupt the vortex, Cohen said. If the sea ice disappeared, the pattern might collapse and flip. Instead of surprisingly cold winter events despite overall global warming, winter might suddenly become much toastier. "We could become more like the Southern Hemisphere, where you rarely get a breakdown of the polar vortex," Cohen said, "and it would probably mean warmer midlatitudes and a colder Arctic."
NBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
May nor'easter could bring a soggy start to Memorial Day weekend in New England
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — An unusual May nor'easter is set to wallop New England on Thursday, providing a soaking before the Memorial Day holiday weekend with weather more commonly associated with fall and winter. Nor'easters usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. This week's nor'easter could bring wind gusts over 40 mph and up to 2 inches of rain in some areas. Snow is even possible at high elevations. The storm has New Englanders preparing for a messy couple of days during a time of year usually reserved for sunshine and cookouts. What is a nor'easter? A nor'easter is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. The storms can happen at any time of the year, but they are at their most frequent and strongest between September and April, according to the service. The storms have caused billions of dollars in damage in the past. They usually reach the height of their strength in New England and eastern Canada. The storms often disrupt traffic and power grids and can cause severe damage to homes and businesses. 'We have a stronger jet stream, which is helping intensify a low pressure system that just happens to be coming up the coast. And so that's how it got the nor'easter name,' said Kyle Pederson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boston. Who will see rain and snow The heaviest rain is likely to fall in Rhode Island and southern and eastern Massachusetts, Pederson said. Localized nuisance flooding and difficult driving conditions are possible Thursday, and catastrophic flooding is not expected. The storm is then expected to pass, leaving light rain and patchy drizzle, on Friday. 'It's just really a nice dose of rain for the region — not expecting much for flooding,' Pederson said. Snow is expected to be confined to mountainous areas, but accumulations there are possible. Why nor'easters are rare in May Nor'easters are usually winter weather events, and it is unusual to see them in May. They typically form when there are large temperature differences from west to east during winter when there is cold air over land and the oceans are relatively warm. But right now there is a traffic jam in the atmosphere because of an area of high pressure in the Canadian Arctic that is allowing unusually cold air to funnel down over the Northeast. The low pressure system off the East Coast is being fueled by a jet stream that is unusually south at the moment. 'It really is a kind of a winter-type setup that you rarely see this late,' said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research. If this type of pattern in the atmosphere happened two months earlier, he said, 'we'd be talking about a crippling snowstorm in the Northeastern U.S., not just a wet start to Memorial Day weekend.'
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Los Angeles Times
Uncommon May nor'easter to bring rain, snow to New England states just before Memorial Day weekend
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — An unusual May nor'easter is set to wallop New England on Thursday, providing a soaking before the Memorial Day holiday weekend with weather more commonly associated with fall and winter. Nor'easters usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. This week's nor'easter could bring wind gusts over 40 mph and up to two inches of rain in some areas. Snow is even possible at high elevations. The storm has New Englanders preparing for a messy couple of days during a time of year usually reserved for sunshine and cookouts. A nor'easter is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. The storms are able to happen at any time of the year, but they are at their most frequent and strongest between September and April, according to the service. The storms have caused billions of dollars in damage in the past. They usually reach the height of their strength in New England and eastern Canada. The storms often disrupt traffic and power grids and can cause severe damage to homes and businesses. 'We have a stronger jet stream, which is helping intensify a low pressure system that just happens to be coming up the coast. And so that's how it got the nor'easter name,' said Kyle Pederson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boston. The heaviest rain is likely to fall in Rhode Island and southern and eastern Massachusetts, Pederson said. Localized, nuisance flooding and difficult driving conditions are possible on Thursday, and catastrophic flooding is not expected. The storm is expected to pass, leaving light rain and patchy drizzle, on Friday, Pederson said. 'It's just really a nice dose of rain for the region — not expecting much for flooding,' he said. Snow is expected to be confined to mountainous areas, but accumulations there are possible. Nor'easters are usually a winter weather event, and it is unusual to see them in May. Nor'easters typically form when there are large differences in temperature from west to east during winter when there is cold air over land and the oceans are relatively warm. But right now there is a traffic jam in the atmosphere because of an area of high pressure in the Canadian Arctic that is allowing unusually cold air to funnel down over the Northeast. The low pressure system off the East Coast is being fueled by a jet stream that is unusually south at the moment. 'It really is a kind of a winter-type setup that you rarely see this late,' said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research. He said if this type of pattern in the atmosphere happened two months earlier 'we'd be talking about a crippling snowstorm in the northeastern U.S., not just a wet start to Memorial Day weekend.' O'Malley and Whittle write for the Associated Press. O'Malley reported from Philadelphia.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Uncommon May nor'easter to bring rain, snow to New England states just before Memorial Day weekend
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — An unusual May nor'easter is set to wallop New England on Thursday, providing a soaking before the Memorial Day holiday weekend with weather more commonly associated with fall and winter. Nor'easters usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. This week's nor'easter could bring wind gusts over 40 mph (64 kph) and up to two inches (five cm) of rain in some areas. Snow is even possible at high elevations. The storm has New Englanders preparing for a messy couple of days during a time of year usually reserved for sunshine and cookouts. What is a nor'easter? A nor'easter is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. The storms are able to happen at any time of the year, but they are at their most frequent and strongest between September and April, according to the service. The storms have caused billions of dollars in damage in the past. They usually reach the height of their strength in New England and eastern Canada. The storms often disrupt traffic and power grids and can cause severe damage to homes and businesses. 'We have a stronger jet stream, which is helping intensify a low pressure system that just happens to be coming up the coast. And so that's how it got the nor'easter name,' said Kyle Pederson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boston. Who will see rain and snow The heaviest rain is likely to fall in Rhode Island and southern and eastern Massachusetts, Pederson said. Localized, nuisance flooding and difficult driving conditions are possible on Thursday, and catastrophic flooding is not expected. The storm is expected to pass, leaving light rain and patchy drizzle, on Friday, Pederson said. 'It's just really a nice dose of rain for the region — not expecting much for flooding,' he said. Snow is expected to be confined to mountainous areas, but accumulations there are possible. Why nor'easters are rare in May Nor'easters are usually a winter weather event, and it is unusual to see them in May. Nor'easters typically form when there are large differences in temperature from west to east during winter when there is cold air over land and the oceans are relatively warm. But right now there is a traffic jam in the atmosphere because of an area of high pressure in the Canadian Arctic that is allowing unusually cold air to funnel down over the Northeast. The low pressure system off the East Coast is being fueled by a jet stream that is unusually south at the moment. 'It really is a kind of a winter-type setup that you rarely see this late,' said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research. He said if this type of pattern in the atmosphere happened two months earlier 'we'd be talking about a crippling snowstorm in the northeastern U.S., not just a wet start to Memorial Day weekend.' O'Malley reported from Philadelphia.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
IBHS Joins Nation'sLargest Hail Study in 40 Years as ICECHIP Launches with Media Field Day
When: Saturday, May 17, 2025Media-Only Access: 1:00–2:00 PM MTPublic Event: 2:00–4:00 PM MTWhere: Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM) Facility - 4820 63rd St., Boulder, CO 80301 – Northeast side of building BOULDER, Colo., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Foundation-funded ICECHIP project—"In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains"—invites members of the media to an exclusive Media Field Day to kick off the largest hail-focused field campaign in the U.S. in more than 40 years. The ICECHIP Media Field Day will provide firsthand access to live weather demonstrations, storm-tracking tools and interviews with leading atmospheric scientists. The project brings together 15 U.S. institutions and four international partners to study hailstorms across the Central Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Hail is the most consistently damaging hazard associated with severe thunderstorms, generating over $35 billion in losses in the U.S. last year alone and affecting homeowners, businesses, aviation, agriculture, transportation and more. This six-week field campaign aims to transform the understanding of hail by collecting unprecedented field data - advancing hail detection, improving forecast models and strengthening public warning systems. MEDIA FIELD DAY HIGHLIGHTS: Exclusive media access from 1:00–2:00 PM MT One-on-one questions and interviews with Scientists and team experts Live public demonstrations from 2:00–4:00 PM MT featuring: Opening remarks and project overview (2:00–2:15 PM MT) Weather balloon launch Doppler on Wheels (DOW) vehicles and mobile mesonets Hail measurement systems Radiometers and UAS (large drones) Online Media Kit: Where ICECHIP Goes: The mobile research campaign will continue through June 30th, 2025, and span hail-prone regions across the Plains gathering observations on a wide variety of hailstorms. Principal Investigators Rebecca Adams-Selin Atmospheric and Environmental Research (Lead PI)John Allen Central Michigan University Victor Gensini Northern Illinois UniversityAndrew Heymsfield National Center for Atmospheric Research Steering CommitteeBrian Argrow University of Colorado BoulderIan Giammanco Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)Karen Kosiba University of Alabama HuntsvilleMatthew Kumjian Pennsylvania State UniversityJoshua Wurman University of Alabama Huntsville For a full list of collaborators and partners, click here. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER)
