Polar Vortex To Plunge US Temperatures to -50C

[cordyman]

out of interest could anywhere in the UK theoretically hit this given the right conditions?

http://news.sky.com/story/1190455/polar ... res-to-50c


I guess this would be instant wipeout for many plant species, even native?

[otorongo]

Daily Mail style journalism... the title says "Polar Vortex To Plunge US Temperatures to -50C", then they say the lowest expected temp is -31C with a windchill of around -50C.

[stephenprudence]

Yes the lowest will probably be around -40C, still it looks horrific for parts of the USA.. but it's not the likes of Chicago, Washington and New York that will come off worst (relatively speaking).. in terms of gardening, it's the likes of North and South Carolina, North Florida, Georgia and Southeastern Texas... I fear there will be a lot of plant losses!

[miketropic]

It just started here and will run through the night. It was nice all day with a slight drizzle..then the temps went from 10C to 0C in about an hour. I am projected to get to around -22c here with wind chills down to -31c by morning..The snow has just started and I am on my way to my unheated job at the factory! I'll let you know how things make out when its over..I have a fatsia out and a needle palm as well..many types of cannas in ground as well as some agaves so we shall see. This is the coldest temps we have had in 15 years. wish me luck

[Tom2006]

Looks like being terrible. Hope the plants make it Mike. More importantly its life threatening temps . scary stuff the worlds weather really is in chaos.

[redsquirrel]

It just started here and will run through the night. It was nice all day with a slight drizzle..then the temps went from 10C to 0C in about an hour. I am projected to get to around -22c here with wind chills down to -31c by morning..The snow has just started and I am on my way to my unheated job at the factory! I'll let you know how things make out when its over..I have a fatsia out and a needle palm as well..many types of cannas in ground as well as some agaves so we shall see. This is the coldest temps we have had in 15 years. wish me luck

good luck
there,that will keep it mild for you but,be warned,if it has the same effect as it does on the footy you could get a hiding now

[miketropic]

its 3 am and its not as bad as they said it would..the wind chill is terrible but the temp is only around 10F..it should dip way down by 7am..tomm high is only 4F. not looking good

[Dave Brown]

Not sure if a stratospheric warming event occurred prior to this, Stephen will be able to tell.

This is what the Met Office has to say via the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/25612858

[bordersboy]

The ongoing blocking of storms off the California coast forcing systems north to Alaska wont be helping. Neither will the continuous venting from a certain plant in Japan ?

[Nigel]

I said stratospheric warming was happening 3 or 4 weeks ago and something bad could happen ............ i am glad they copped it and not us. it usually means snow for the UK. As long as that vortex remains there we will remain wet wild n mild.
It could switch to us though ... if it does it wont be anyway near as as cold as that , but serious snowfall would result.

[callin]

It appears that extreme weather in one part of the world generates opposite extreme weather in other part of the world as if the earth thermal energy must remain constant.
For exemple now in Romania it was supposed to be the coldest period of the winter but the metheorologist say that this winter is warmest winter recorded in our country. The temperature difference from normel temperature for this time of year is aroun 30C. Today we had true spring temperature 17C . Honestly... i m very happy with this warm weather.
Hope UK will stay out of the water and with mild weather, I have seen on tv news some nasty flodings there, kind of scared me.
Sorry for american folks .

[Mowgley]

As you say the earth balances it out some way or another.
In Brazil and Central and Western Australia record temps are being recorded.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news ... ch-2986837
http://www.itn.co.uk/World/92456/austra ... res-hit-54

[Blairs]

I have been in the US when it was only -5C but with wet arctic winds blasting down it felt much, much colder. It is difficult to get warm again inside. I have been in-28C in Tallinn and as there was no wind and the snow was dry, it felt fine to walk around in.

Quite happy with the current temperature of 9C though!

[miketropic]

its almost 5 pm and the high today has not been past -17.7c We didn't get nearly the snow projected only a dusting but the cold is brutal. it will -23c tonight with wind chills as high as -40..should be a fun night at work!

[stephenprudence]

-17C high.. that's the temperature in an industrial freezer