***On-going stratospheric warming event takes it to a new level…an active weather pattern with multiple threats to monitor***

December 27, 2023Paul Dorian

A northern hemisphere stratospheric warming event that began during the latter part of November will rise to new levels within the next ten days or so and this could have important ramifications on temperatures across the central and eastern US from later January into February. Temperatures at the stratospheric level of 10 millibars will climb dramatically over the next ten days or so from about -70 degrees (Celsius) to about -25 degrees (Celsius) as warming aloft intensifies over the polar region of the northern hemisphere. The “polar vortex” that typically resides near or over the North Pole during this time of year will become displaced and “stretched” in coming days and this could unleash some high latitude cold air masses into the middle latitudes by the time we get into later January and February. In the near term, the weather pattern will be quite active across the eastern states with multiple systems to monitor during the next couple of weeks and temperatures will return to more seasonal levels.