Very cold air and snow again on the way to North America: will there be consequences for Europe too? | Science and the planet

The Meteorological Department expects a new and severe cold wave at the end of this week. Earlier this week, North America saw cold air coming from the north. Part of the polar vortex, also called the polar vortex, is moving toward Central America, making it difficult for the mercury to rise above -10 degrees Celsius during the day. During the night, the mercury can drop further with a snow cover above minimum temperatures of -20°C. Meanwhile, the NWS (National Weather Service) is predicting up to 20 inches of snow cover in parts of the Midwest.

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Very cold weather will also significantly increase energy consumption. That's why ERCOT (the American organization that runs the Texas power grid) has one Weather monitoring Announce. They expect the possibility of power outages due to the extreme cold. At lower temperatures, more heating and electricity are consumed. In Texas, this led to major power outages in 2021, affecting 5 million people.

An outbreak of extremely cold air over North America could have consequences for European weather. The contrasts between warm and cold air become very large over the Atlantic Ocean and this can activate the jet stream. “With an active jet stream, the chance of storms and rain increases in Western Europe. The current winter vaccination extension is likely to be jeopardized by developments in America,” says weather analyst Nicholas Rose.

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