Severe US winter storm and the stratospheric polar vortex [OC]

data: GFS forecast from UCAR server
viz: ParaView, python, Powerpoint
data link: https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/data/nsf-unidatas-thredds-data-server

Forecast for Jan 26th at 18 UTC. Shaded colors are surface temperatures with a white line at the freezing point (0 C, 32 F). The light blue band is the jet stream in the middle of the troposphere and the dark blue band is the stratospheric polar vortex. For more info on the relationship and what we know and don't know about the link to climate change, please see: https://theconversation.com/how-the-polar-vortex-and-warm-ocean-are-intensifying-a-major-us-winter-storm-274243

This is a very dangerous storm, please use official NWS forecasts for guidance (weather.gov). Also, please note that our ability to predict, understand, and respond to severe weather critically relies on the work of US federal employees and national laboratories.

Mathew Barlow
Professor of Climate Science
University of Massachusetts Lowell