This week, a severe cold swept across central and northern United States, bringing dangerous temperatures, snowstorms and deadly flooding.
Extreme weather caused by the tornado has killed at least 13 people and caused widespread disruption.
Temperatures dropped to -51 degrees Celsius in North Dakota and -46 degrees Celsius in Montana on February 17. This is the 10th and coldest cucistic cyclone of the season. contribute factors in the Arctic to push cold air into the US and Europe.
The Japan Meteorological Agency's weather forecast on February 18 said the strong cold air mass is expected to bring heavy snowfall to many areas in Japan on February 19. The snowfall is expected to reach 70 cm in Tohoku, Hokuriku and Niigata Prefecture, 50 cm in Kanto-Koshin and Gifu Prefectures, and 40 cm in Kinki Prefecture.
The cold air in early February was very strong and prolonged. This severe cold, although weaker, is likely to cause heavy snowfall and will last at least a week.
In Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in February 2025, cold air is likely to be more active than the average of many years, causing severe cold spells.
The above extreme weather phenomena show that even though the Earth is warming, cold spells can still occur due to complex changes in the climate and atmospheric models.
Previously, 2023 recorded record high Earth temperatures, but many areas in the Northern Hemisphere still faced extreme cold spells, breaking records that have existed for decades. In particular, the December 2023 cold spell in eastern China has prompted international research to explain why frozen temperatures still appear in the context of global warming.
In December 2023, Beijing experienced 300 consecutive hours of below zero degrees Celsius, the longest cold spell since it began in 1951.
Not only China, Northern Europe and many areas in the US will also suffer from extreme cold spells in early 2024, although the Earth is in the warmest period in history. This has sparked debate about the link between climate change and harsh winter weather.
Research published in the journal of Climate Science and Atmosphere explains that the phenomenon of "Warm Northern - Cold Europe" plays an important role. As the Arctic warms abnormally, the temperature difference between the Arctic and the average latitude decreases, weakening atmospheric models that keep cold air at the poles. As a result, cold air has moved down to areas like China.
During the December cold spell in 2023, the Arctic experienced the fourth warmest temperature in history at that time. This warming disrupts the normal gradient temperature, allowing cold air to move south.
