People wait in long lines at an H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas on February 17, 2021 as millions of Texans are still without water and power as winter storms continue. Montinique Monroe / Getty Images
As the death toll mounts, secondary effects of the Texas grid failure, driven primarily by the failure of gas, coal, and nuclear plants to handle the cold, are becoming apparent.
<p>At least 16 people are dead and 2.6 million Texas customers were without power as of Wednesday evening. </p><p>Gov. Greg Abbott said he did not know when power would be restored and state regulators said as much generation was falling off the grid as was being added on. Food is also becoming scarce as the storm disrupted food distribution systems. </p><p>Meanwhile nearly 12 million Texans, approximately 40% of the state's population and more than the entire population of Michigan, live in one of the state's 590 public water systems that have reported service disruptions. </p><p>That includes St. David's South Austin Medical Center, which as of Thursday morning still lacked heat because of low water pressure, an issue affecting "a number of other hospitals in the area," according to its CEO. </p><p>Houston residents were expected to be required to boil their water even after pressure is restored — hopefully late Thursday, though more bad weather is expected — and burst pipes caused flooding in Dallas.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p>Death toll and outages: <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/greg-abbott-winter-storm/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8UiAUqPyWUX5ZM5wiD4PsxKekCmxF0hCRvmx9PQMMEIPSCQlweQN6XjWy-zTsvt-k84gJ7LX7WKCqF2T1ui4bBo0hwHIdDLGKzOMzShXxw5yGdiXM&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>; Thermal plant failures: <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2021/02/17/no-frozen-wind-turbines-arent-the-main-culprit-for-texas-power-outages/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_GY8hfWwMfS5xr2kFVb5zDFrjZaRkGfif_2txK2sa95r9ETjGAZocmzAVuVNKFVT5C6yogHwoqzFglkXiCB1aaX4iZoUkSe1Q0ds5cpQqzZN34bLg&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Dallas Morning News</a>, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Perfect-storm-Energy-supply-chain-slashed-by-15955484.php?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9qVDFM54M-aBiF_ftCTdlfMgDp_cpayPqRR0rBBDNZZ4SLr9yBFqJxgdajJ_yxfn0lUE38u84y3WhcCECE1rUhyZ-G8IC-onCpAn0FQJvBVmHWsNs&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/17/968577281/what-went-wrong-with-the-electric-grid-in-texas?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8j1qRUxf7dI8FPjfhTutgL_1z8qawyJcP68GQYGQ6V_ht24cCsm3yVNgbOxnQzy_EtuE4qbDV7hvjFN305eV43QGrqqk02tsGZwKLqTeR9WoVlGlw&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NPR;</a> Unknown restoration timeline: <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/greg-abbott-winter-storm/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ecfMndAEs9U6XfKtXV8JRu-xoppBQlac0SyEPfKIBzthQWCsPRWECVY817h_m3MpblLbrKMssYfbkLz7d3GWgxOFDsKNQorxTsdBMq7rbKxRx1TA&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a>, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ERCOT-Texas-weather-houses-without-power-winter-st-15956295.php?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_HbR2N7Pv8Cuh_PgiAbchrKxu0ef5LDPvKpfwY6pmXGc1PRfAzJ6gAZOlx7ypXllX5jTJhOJs6sA9pxJdIWYR9tlq8fwY9tFKUzAkYzp_HrAeECC0&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-million-americans-more-ice-snow-404012f8d8885259968b8d37b13899d6?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9JQxK71_klWStbztWkZ6JhyfPtr1L-la6JexWkNMqaKtYnLmym1dWj3ZCV7-JPWOzPFHWserT77mK8My9KtAfv7dmEBUyqPXbWAfImQwHWD4OcwTI&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">AP</a>; Food shortages: <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-food-supply-power-outage/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--7S8oDNkZ7Yll879mPcDFZB0wf4AA2aem7Ykxd-LqK7xiuiuv_MqsEs8cF0_w6eXuuTN2be6_rb6J77J3B9a7Il4_SGQSHOAWcmp55roBKpPZx15E&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a>; Statewide water disruptions: <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-water-boil-notices/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9VGjAX-ID1k2pwITAnm-YK_e7ldE_AV3sIjj2xCFzJsHEQ1ZCUkreiYk947zqM0gJ0bUuYiQM7Rkr-QF7TVJ4dP3lF2YTqpFHu-IP80WGhSTXuwWU&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a>; Hospitals: <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/17/winter-weather-texas-st-davids-medical-center-austin-without-water-heat/6791735002/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9eJJvbYBR8vL9aLfTkaA_zg0-fg0Zm5YWn8hfUxN_p5qcc8Qthusa2lIyHEb5Ate_zpHUysFwtlgYbJDprHDs1nePS4Ow3Lk_462tW_gvAXL5RdYo&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Austin American-Statesman</a>; Houston: <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/article/Houston-under-boil-water-notice-due-to-dangerous-15956449.php?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8GAakIZjz-uP7bDGKBosvqb5UQsoeejR_cZTwZPnb2heMbeZ6Xb2YZrEL8HQIvA4W7_rpAiPCcGJl5UmcI2wrcFLlSRWPCsoTFIz3BsbkGpgefZbs&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a>; Dallas: <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2021/02/18/dallas-fair-park-sees-flooding-significant-water-damage-after-frozen-pipe-bursts/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=111754930&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9oSBWeCwTKtEckf6zgkTruB7aFPG3SIpUrhWYNr_tML0dSV3-1PvBOKNn54VHLKCYVUJJdU56hy63Q_uEJpikTSqnmO9IWo2f4iKdAyZtGTuIELMQ&utm_content=111754930&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Dallas Morning News</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Polar Vortex Power Outages: 6 Things to Know About Supply, Demand, and Our Electricity Future
17 February
Climate
Pike Electric service trucks line up after a snow storm on February 16 in Fort Worth, Texas. Ron Jenkins /Getty Images
By John Rogers
The Polar Vortex hitting much of the US has wreaked havoc not just on roadways and airports, but also on our electricity systems, as plenty are experiencing first-hand right now. Households, institutions, and communities across the region — and friends and family members — have been hit by power outages, and all that comes with them.
<p>Here are six things to keep in mind as we make it through this.</p>
1. Restoring power (safely) is Job 1.
<p>First: Some things about all this we won't know until we have the benefit of a few days — or months — of hindsight, and data. But one thing we do know right now is that electricity, which we so often take for granted, is crucial to so many aspects of our lives.</p><p>For some, power outages are an inconvenience. For others, they're <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/hurricane-irma-power-outage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">life-threatening</a>. So keeping the power flowing, or getting it back up as quickly as possible, is key. Grid operators need to avoid affecting vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure as much as possible when they're implementing rolling blackouts, and need to prioritize them when they're restoring service.</p><p>While all confronting power outages or near misses are indebted to those working around the clock to keep things from getting worse, keeping crews safe is also key. Weather like this, combined with the ongoing pandemic, sure doesn't make for the easiest working conditions, so utilities and grid operators will need to use really solid judgement about where they can safely focus people, and when, for any needed repairs.</p>2. The power outages are about both supply and demand.
<p>Utilities and grid operators have been hit by the double whammies of unprecedented demand and big challenges on the supply side. On the demand side, for example, Texas on Valentine's Day <a href="https://twitter.com/ERCOT_ISO/status/1361142665140711427" target="_blank">shattered</a> its previous winter peak record by almost 5%. The peak was 11,000 MW above what ERCOT, Texas's electric grid operator, was projecting and planning for as of November — some 15-20 good-sized power plants' worth.</p><p>And on the supply side, power lines taken out by the weather are a piece of it, as you'd expect. But it also turns out that all kinds of power plants have gone offline, for a range of reasons. Take natural gas, for example:</p>3. Natural gas plants have been hit hard.
<p>Gas plants suffer from their own supply-and-demand issues. One piece of it is the fact that the same gas that supplies them is also needed for heating homes and businesses. And if a power plant doesn't have firm contracts to get gas when it needs it, the way gas utilities would, the power plant loses out. The laws of physics may also be coming into play, as any moisture in the gas lines succumbs to the extreme cold and gums up the works—valves, for instance.</p><p>And indeed, initial indications are that a lot of the lost capacity is natural gas-fired. Data from Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the grid operator for much of the Great Plains, <a href="https://marketplace.spp.org/pages/capacity-of-generation-on-outage#%2F2021%2F02" target="_blank">show</a> that 70% of its "outaged" megawatts (MW) were natural gas plants.</p><p>ERCOT, which is powered primarily by natural gas and wind, was <a href="http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225210" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warning</a> yesterday that "Extreme weather conditions caused many generating units — across fuel types — to trip offline and become unavailable." It <a href="https://twitter.com/Sonalcpatel/status/1361365934204674053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">clarified</a> elsewhere, though, that the majority of the capacity it had lost overnight was "thermal generators, like generation fueled by gas, coal, or nuclear". In all, Texas was out <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-spiking-across-Texas-15951684.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than a third</a> of its total capacity.</p>4. Don’t think an “all of the above” strategy would have saved the day.
<p>As ERCOT's messages suggests, this isn't just a gas issue, and these last few days should in no way be fodder for the type of fact-free "all of the above" pushes <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/jeremy-richardson/rick-perry-rejects-facts-in-favor-of-coal-and-nuclear-bailouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">favored</a> by the prior administration.</p><p>For example, many power plants, including all nuclear plants, virtually all coal plants, and a lot of natural gas plants, depend on <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/water-power-plant-cooling" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">water to cool the steam</a> that drives the electricity-producing turbines. Any power plant dependent on cooling water will run into trouble if that cooling water is actually frozen solid. And they can have their own troubles with fuel availability during extreme cold.</p><p>(While we're on the subject of fossil fuels: Note that the extreme weather has also <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2021/02/16/stories/1063725119" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hit oil production</a>, with the Permian basin, for example, down an estimated 1 million barrels a day.)</p>5. Wind turbines can be winterized (but Texas…?).
<p>Wind turbines aren't immune to extreme cold, and initial reports show that they, too, have been hit by this wave. In SPP, wind was the <a href="https://spp.org/newsroom/press-releases/spp-becomes-first-regional-grid-operator-with-wind-as-no-1-annual-fuel-source-considers-electric-storage-participation-in-markets-approves-2021-transmission-plan/" target="_blank">#1 source</a> of electricity last year, and initial data from yesterday suggested it accounted for almost a fifth of the capacity taken offline.</p><p>ERCOT also mentions wind turbines going offline; one source <a href="https://twitter.com/Sonalcpatel/status/1361357248988143620" target="_blank">suggests</a> 4,000 MW of wind was offline yesterday morning, compared with 26,000 MW of downed thermal capacity (mostly gas). Wind is ERCOT's second-largest supplier of power, accounting for 23% of its electricity last year (from a nation-leading <a href="https://cleanpower.org/resources/american-clean-power-market-report-q4-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">33,000 MW</a>).</p><p>But wind farms going offline appears to be a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/frozen-wind-farms-just-small-002954294.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">much smaller piece</a> of the picture than detractors will suggest. And wind power has played an important role in keeping the lights on in past extreme cold events (remember the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wind-power-bomb-cyclone-2554824592.html" target="_self">Bomb Cyclone</a>?). They can also be at least partially winter-proofed — by hardening the control systems, using the right fluids, and de-icing the blades. But if you don't see weather like this coming…</p>6. We need to be ready for more extreme weather.
<p>And that's one of the lessons to learn from this episode, once we get beyond the immediacy of it all: Past performance is no indication of what's going to be coming at us. We know that climate change is bringing not just overall warming, but also <a href="https://ucsusa.org/resources/does-cold-weather-disprove-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more extremes at <em>both</em> ends</a>. We also know that there are all kinds of ways that <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/power-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change affects our ability to keep the lights on</a>.</p><p>So we need to be ready, or readier, for situations like this. And it turns out that there are <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/noreaster-power-grid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a lot of ways</a> we can be. Stronger transmission links can <a href="https://mailchi.mp/acore/acore-statement-on-heartland-power-outages?e=a4ae549508" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">allow regions to back each other up</a> when they aren't all facing the same challenges at the same time. A diversity of (clean) power options can mean some might be available even when others aren't. (ERCOT anticipated yesterday morning being able to reconnect customers later that day in part because of "additional wind & solar output".)</p><p>We also <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/one-way-to-boost-renewables-let-flexible-demand-lend-a-helping-hand" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">don't have to take electricity demand</a> as a fixed, can't-do-anything-about-it quantity. Utilities (including mine, a few days ago) called on customers to <a href="http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225151" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">be as efficient as possible</a> to get us past the latest crunches. Programs put in place ahead of time can reward customers for delaying or shifting their electricity use.</p><p>And energy storage can be an important middleperson between supply and demand, from the large scale all the way down to battery packs in our garages and basements.</p>Getting through this, and beyond
<p>Right now, the task is getting the power back on. Longer term, the goal shouldn't be about ensuring 100% reliability (because of the prohibitive cost of removing that last fraction of a fraction of a possibility of a blackout), but to make them as infrequent and as limited in duration as possible. It should, though, be about making sure we make <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/lights-out" target="_blank">decisions</a> that serve us well in the short term and, in the face of climate change, in the long term.</p><p>Blackouts will happen; that doesn't mean we're powerless against them. The need is there, but so are the tools.</p><p><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/john-rogers" target="_blank">John Rogers</a> is a senior energy analyst with expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and policies.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/john-rogers/polar-vortex-power-outages-6-things-to-know-about-supply-demand-and-our-electricity-future" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>. </em></p>
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Xsandra / Getty Images
Looking for ways to cut down on single-use plastic while grocery shopping? You may already have eco-friendly shopping bags, but bringing your own reusable produce bags is another easy swap.
According to the UN Environment Program, up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used globally each year, and because of the material they're made from, most municipal recycling centers don't accept them (more on this below).
The most sustainable option is to skip the bag altogether. You can also make your own reusable produce bags out of old T-shirts. But if you'd rather purchase them new, here are our recommendations for the best reusable produce bags on the market today.
<p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why make the switch to reusable produce bags?<br/></h2><p>According to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UN</a>, humans produce 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, and about 60% of the plastic produced since the early 1950s has ended up in a landfill or the natural environment.</p><p>Plastic grocery bags and produce bags are made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Technically, this type of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html" target="_self">plastic can be recycled</a>. However, in practice, plastic bags easily clog recycling machinery, so <a href="https://millerrecycling.com/ldpe-out-of-landfills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most municipal recycling centers</a> do not accept this type of material.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study by the EPA</a> showed that only about 6% of the LDPE generated in 2015 was recycled. Other types of plastic, by comparison, were recycled at 18% and 10% rates.</p>Although some <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vancouvers-grocery-store-plastic-bags-2638807121.html" target="_self">grocery stores</a> offer plastic bag recycling, the easiest way to get around this is to refuse plastic bags in the first place. Many cities have instituted <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-plastic-bag-ban-begins-2645319695.html" target="_self">plastic bag bans</a>, but more often than not, it's up to individuals to choose to make the switch to reusable grocery bags in their day-to-day lives.<p><br/></p><p><em><em><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-2641507575.html?rebelltitem=47#rebelltitem47" target="_self">Melissa Smith</a> </strong>is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.</em></em></p><em><em></em></em>
Best Reusable Produce Bag Set: Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTAxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODE2MDIyNH0.qyiKrnX8T4CRp8Y5Kn_cW1oaSF7vDci2gmKEXxJfQmE/img.jpg?width=980" id="8db60" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d39a705e9f90fc1369a1806bc6d4e016" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Eco Joy
<p>If you're making the switch to more sustainable shopping bags and want a variety of products to use, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Sandwich-Biodegradable-Eco-Drawstring/dp/B003PK4W3I/ref=sr_1_36?crid=3TDUCB8ZOM7WI&dchild=1&keywords=produce+bags+grocery+reusable&qid=1613484643&sprefix=produce+bags%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-36" target="_blank">Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags</a> set is a great place to start. The set comes with three mesh drawstring bags, three muslin drawstring bags, a large mesh tote and a zippered sandwich-size pouch.</p><p>Each product is made with organic, non-GMO cotton that's ethically sourced in accordance with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) standards. The cotton comes from India and Turkey, and the bags are hand-assembled in Canada by the owner of Eco Joy, so you can feel good about supporting a small business while reducing your environmental impact.</p><p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 300 Amazon reviews</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Zero-waste; Handmade in Canada; WRAP compliant; Machine washable</p>
$13
Best Mesh Bags: Organic Cotton Mart Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTQyNDQ5MX0.E6MFCOXZ-3EvKDK0MIv34EJO3oE6WMWxiFZBR5aNU_w/img.jpg?width=980" id="ba5c7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="91a9dd3d18f7b4a41fae606ff4d1204b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Organic Cotton Mart
<p>Some shoppers prefer to use mesh bags when shopping for fruits and veggies. We recommend checking out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Reusable-Produce-Organic-Cotton/dp/B07CK2TJKL/ref=sr_1_16?crid=10A7NM0LQ0B7E&dchild=1&keywords=mesh+produce+bags&qid=1613483897&s=home-garden&sprefix=mesh+pro%2Cgarden%2C162&sr=1-16" target="_blank">Organic Cotton Mart's Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags</a> if you're in this camp, as they're made with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton.</p> <p>Mesh reusable produce bags can make the checkout process easier than muslin bags since you can see what's inside them without having to open them up. Plus, the tare weight (i.e., the weight of the empty bag that should be subtracted from the total weight of your produce to make sure you don't pay extra for using your bag) is printed right on the label of Organic Cotton Mart's bags, making everything that much more convenient.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.6 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,000 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable
$16
Best Muslin Bags: Simple Ecology Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjY3NDE3N30.f2sAcYTGhqq4ytlNGSyzZexPwqH2SpqpTwsX2fvph10/img.jpg?width=980" id="f90b3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e95c082f9b831bf11004e12b73ae8263" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Simple Ecology
<p>On the other hand, if you just want to purchase muslin bags, we like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Ecology-Reusable-Organic-Shopping/dp/B004UJ0U0C" target="_blank">Simple Ecology's Reusable Produce Bags</a>, which are also made with GOTS-certified organic cotton. Simple Ecology also has a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6AUMBG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01N6AUMBG&pd_rd_w=MA3ZS&pf_rd_p=cbc856ed-1371-4f23-b89d-d3fb30edf66d&pd_rd_wg=hVunQ&pf_rd_r=G6RTQ1Z5DKEY325MAJZ9&pd_rd_r=5d298b3a-1be7-4ebd-a9e1-d5d672a40497&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMzc4RVAxWjNLOTdCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTc0NTAwMzBDMjFYOVJPTUpWSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjYyOTM4M0s4Vk81SVBPS1NFSyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">starter kit</a> that comes with several reusable grocery bags if you're looking for more variety.</p> <p>The benefit of using muslin reusable produce bags is that, unlike mesh, there are no holes for small items to slip through. This means that in addition to larger produce, you can use them to purchase bulk foods like lentils, beans and rice — or even powders like flour or spices — without worrying about anything leaking. They're also best for keeping leafy greens fresh.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,500 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified packaging when purchased from manufacturer
$16
Best String Bags: ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE2Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTkzMDc5Mn0.v_aTdf8TPuA39wgpmS2Dgb_88t2jfcbXDJkC9wf5CrE/img.png?width=980" id="c42d2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ada50990c5c2520886afd23fcca522a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="752" data-height="628" />ECOBAGS
<p>Whether you're buying bread, fresh flowers, produce or all of the above, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ECOBAGS-Market-Collection-Reusable-Natural/dp/B08KFGPGN5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set</a> is ideal for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/farmers-markets-coronavirus-safety-2645581711.html" target="_self">farmers market</a> shopping or large grocery hauls. The netted bags are durable, flexible, and pack down small so they're easy to keep in your car or purse.</p> <p>ECOBAGS is a woman-owned certified B Corp, which means it uses sound social and environmental practices. These bags come in packs of three or five and have a few different handle lengths and color options, but they're all made with GOTS-certified organic cotton.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating: </strong>Not applicable</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Certified B Corp; SA8000 certified for the protection of basic human rights of workers</p>
$36
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A frozen Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada is an example of the polar vortex influencing extreme weather. Seyit Aydogan / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
By Zachary Lawrence and Amy Butler
At the start of February 2021, a major snowstorm hit the northeast United States, with some areas receiving well over two feet of snow. Just a few weeks earlier, Spain experienced a historic and deadly snowstorm and dangerously low temperatures. Northern Siberia is no stranger to cold, but in mid-January 2021, some Siberian cities reported temperatures below minus 70 F. Media headlines hint that the polar vortex has arrived, as if it were some sort of ice tornado that wreaks wintry havoc wherever it strikes.
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uUvgRSQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">atmospheric</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Eck4ZyIAAAAJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientists</a>, we cringe when the term polar vortex is used to loosely refer to blasts of cold weather. The actual <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/polar-vortex-going-make-you-put-sweater-be-afraid-be-very-afraid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">polar vortex</a> can't put snow in your backyard, but changes in the polar vortex can load the dice for wintry weather – and this year, the dice rolled Yahtzee.</p><h2>The Winds of Winter</h2><p>The polar vortex is an enormous, three-dimensional ring of winds that surrounds the North and South poles during each hemisphere's winter. These winds are located about 10 to 30 miles above Earth's surface, in the layer of the atmosphere known as the <a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/atmosphere/stratosphere-overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stratosphere</a>. They blow from west to east with sustained speeds easily exceeding 100 mph. In the darkness of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/arctic-ocean-climate-change-is-flooding-the-remote-north-with-light-and-new-species-150157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">winter polar night</a>, temperatures within the polar vortex can easily get lower than minus 110 F.</p><p>Fortunately for everyone, the stratospheric polar vortex itself won't appear outside your front door. The polar vortex does influence winter weather, but it is more like a domino – when it is knocked over, it can start a chain of events that later result in wild weather.</p><p>The strength of the polar vortex can vary widely during winter, and these variations can lead to shifts in the strength and position of the <a href="https://scijinks.gov/jet-stream/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">jet stream</a>, the fast-flowing river of air in the troposphere beneath the polar vortex. When the jet stream changes, it affects the movement of weather systems, causing different parts of the world to see much warmer or colder, or much wetter or drier conditions.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ec1afae3c2fc9c680a48a02dbdfed65"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I_htSntkNaA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><h2>The Domino Effect</h2><p>Since the Earth's atmosphere is one giant shell of air that moves like a fluid, the polar vortex is interconnected with the weather that moves around the Earth at lower altitudes. Normal variations in the jet stream and weather can disturb the structure of the vortex in the stratosphere. Like an elastic band, the vortex usually rebounds back to its normal shape and size, maintaining its strong winds and low temperatures.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY0OTMyOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDE1NDE2N30.QA1OFTHjaBACG_n-tRg-TMgRGq6deRrIXWkECsrE7LY/img.png?width=980" id="3865c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0892fc583383176e01acfb34a33f1704" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="600" />
Between December (left) and January (right), the polar vortex moved entirely off the North Pole and lost much of its structural integrity. Zachary Lawrence/CIRES/NOAA
<p>But sometimes, these weather and jet stream variations can knock the polar vortex off balance, causing significant wobbles in its shape, location, temperatures and winds. When this happens, the structural integrity of the polar vortex begins to break down. If this happens often enough over a period of time, everything can go haywire with the polar vortex as the winds break down and the vortex warms up.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY0OTMzMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTA2OTA5MX0.9KKxkXJkr-uS2m2ujTVLPxz0WXlS31ZeFhLSKe5fhH0/img.png?width=980" id="a4908" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c9db01a9c2e8bfcfaa8f45db197dae7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="600" />
As the polar vortex deforms between December and January, the jet stream became much wavier and brought cold storms farther south. Zachary Lawrence/CIRES/NOAA
<p>This is precisely what has unfolded this year: On Jan. 5, the polar vortex was completely thrown out of whack by an event called a <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/sudden-stratospheric-warming-and-polar-vortex-early-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sudden stratospheric warming</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2020RG000708" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sudden stratospheric warming</a> is the technical name for these violent disturbances that severely distort and weaken the vortex, knocking it off of the pole or even ripping it apart. When this happens, temperatures in the normally cold polar stratosphere explosively rise by as much as 90 F over the span of a few days – hence the name of these events.</p><div id="ddc94" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0a524a784617e498d5240c824aaf7239"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1084935021171924992" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here is my "official" 3D animation of this year's stratospheric #PolarVortex split. Another beautiful event! https://t.co/ml59N1cDoh</div> — Zac Lawrence (@Zac Lawrence)<a href="https://twitter.com/zd1awrence/statuses/1084935021171924992">1547503640.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>At this point, the domino has tipped over: Eventually the jet stream feels the effects of the weakened polar vortex above, and it can begin to undulate. When the jet stream gets wavy, it can dip farther south, bringing cold air and winter storms with it.</p><p>The January 2021 event pushed the polar vortex from its normal position over the North Pole all the way over to Europe and Siberia, nearly pulling it apart multiple times in the process. It can take weeks or months for the polar vortex to recover from something like this. While the vortex pieces itself back together, the undulating, curvy jet stream can bring frigid Arctic air and winter storms to the U.S. and Europe while allowing unusually warm weather to get into the far north.</p><h2>A Strong Polar Vortex Means Warmer, Not Colder, Weather</h2><p>In some winters, weather systems barely affect the polar vortex at all, allowing the vortex to grow colder with faster winds. This can have the opposite effect on the jet stream, causing it to keep cold Arctic air from the polar regions locked up north. This is what happened during the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2020, when the <a href="https://eos.org/research-spotlights/an-extraordinary-winter-in-the-polar-north" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">polar vortex was extraordinarily strong</a> and many regions <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/03/28/the-northern-hemisphere-winter-of-2019-20-was-the-warmest-ever-on-land" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced an exceptionally warm and mild winter</a>.</p><p>Calling any blast of cold air a polar vortex is wrong. The behavior of the polar vortex doesn't just portend colder weather – it can also foreshadow much warmer weather. Most of the time the polar vortex has little influence on winter weather as it flows like normal, miles above the surface. But forecasting and monitoring huge disturbances to the polar vortex allows us to anticipate the chain of events that may leave feet of snow and frigid weather at your doorstep.</p>
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zachary-lawrence-1199731" target="_blank">Zachary Lawrence</a> is a </em><em>Research Scientist, University of Colorado Boulder.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-butler-1205138" target="_blank">Amy Butler</a> is a </em><em>Chemistry & Climate Processes Research Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.<br/>
</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Zachary Lawrence has received funding from NOAA. </em><em><em>Amy Butler has received funding from NOAA and NSF.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-exactly-is-the-polar-vortex-153958" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><iframe height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153958/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1"></iframe>From Your Site Articles
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A woman makes her way along Calle Arenal during an unusually heavy snowfall on January 9, 2021 in Madrid, Spain. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez / Getty Images
By Hannah Fuchs
Let's not waste time. You will need: warm clothes, plenty of firewood and enough supplies (flour, yeast, toilet paper — the usual) to not have to leave the house for the next week or two.
<p>No, just kidding. For pandemic control, it would be helpful <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/human-psychology-quirk-bias-helps-spread-covid19/a-55395870" target="_blank">if we all stayed home,</a> but as a precautionary measure against the approaching polar vortex, this would really be over the top. It's probably indeed going to be bitterly cold in much of the Northern Hemisphere, but we're not in for an apocalyptic winter scenario.</p><p>In the past few years, especially during the cold North American winter <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-northwest-gripped-by-dangerously-cold-polar-vortex/a-17344504" target="_blank">of 2013-2014</a>, the term "polar vortex" has been increasingly used in people's weather vocabulary and blamed — sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly — for any outbreak of wintry weather or very cold temperatures. So, for example, the unusual extreme <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/storm-filomena-blankets-spain-with-snow-and-wreaks-havoc/a-56179164" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">snowfalls in Spain</a> could have had something to do with the phenomenon. Key word here is could.</p>
<div id="40dd2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ba383ef5df2622b97b4bf813f96e7c7f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349033280696414209" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Out of this world! Spain is a winter wonderland right now. Bitterly cold after historic snow. Cencellada, Albacete… https://t.co/LwEvXSQ2tc</div> — Scott Duncan (@Scott Duncan)<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottDuncanWX/statuses/1349033280696414209">1610469572.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The polar vortex was <a href="https://books.google.de/books?id=Df4vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA430&dq=%22polar+vortex%22&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22polar%20vortex%22&f=false" target="_blank">first described in 1853</a> and first observed by radiosondes during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere <a href="https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/researchhighlights/SSW/" target="_blank">in 1952</a>.</p><p>However, when we use phrases like "The polar vortex is coming" or "The polar vortex is here," we probably break the icy heart of every meteorologist. The polar vortex does not come and go — it is often present in our atmosphere during winter and spins around the hemispheres like a stormy roundabout, so to speak.</p><p>That actually means: There is not one vortex, but two — one at the North Pole and one at the South Pole. Their dynamics and potential are expressed with the help of the Arctic Oscillation and Antarctic Oscillation Index. To keep it short: AO and AAO.</p><h2>What Exactly Is a Polar Vortex?</h2><p>The Arctic polar vortex is a circulation of wind high up in the atmosphere — a very ordinary phenomenon, in other words. It forms every year in autumn, when the sun barely reaches the North Pole. In spring, it slowly dissipates again.</p><p>The air up there is extremely cold in winter. The polar vortex can strengthen and weaken. Wind speeds exceeding 320 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour) are typical at an altitude of 10 to 50 kilometers (6 to 30 miles) in the stratosphere, where it is sometimes well below minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit). This is directly above the troposphere, the part where weather occurs. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYyMTA4Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MTI4NTMyMH0.khmxa-namNE7PBkDNL6pRVsR3ilfpB1TKBExDEQe1V0/img.png?width=980" id="674fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28f01eb5434455fac16b60ce0fbda684" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1920" />
<p>The polar vortex thus has no direct effect on our weather, but there are still interactions: It influences the jet stream. This band of high velocity wind blows at an altitude of 10 kilometers (6 miles) and controls the high- and low-pressure systems.</p><p>In a typical winter, the jet stream is quite strong and brings mild windy and rainy weather from the Atlantic to Europe. The polar air stays in the vortex. However, if the jet stream is weak, there are bumps in the jet stream, and a polar vortex split could happen. </p><h2>The Collapse: Will It Become Frosty Now?</h2><p>Every now and then, about every two winters, there is a strong warming of the stratosphere due to warmer air flowing in. Greenland and the North Atlantic, for example, are said to throw the vortex particularly out of balance with their warmth. </p>
<div id="c849e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="83d72081c8ad90d173524c79c3fe973b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1348586699224395776" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Another split of the #PolarVortex is set to happen 15th-17th Jan. A stratospheric ridge noses in between two vortex… https://t.co/nPj0wmRuSc</div> — James Peacock (@James Peacock)<a href="https://twitter.com/peacockreports/statuses/1348586699224395776">1610363099.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The polar vortex stumbles — or rather squiggles — and air currents can assert themselves more frequently. This split causes temperatures in the stratosphere to rise by 60 to 80 degrees Celsius within a very short time.</p><p>To put it more graphically, you can imagine a flying circle of pizza dough that is jerking through the air out of shape. In the worst case, the pizza (the vortex!) loses its shape completely or even splits.</p><p>Then there is a lot of whirling up there, which also has an effect on the entire Northern Hemisphere: Arctic air provides for icy temperatures. </p><p>This is exactly what happened on January 5, 2021, and will probably hit us again soon. Forecasters say we can expect the cold snap in mid to late January, and it could last in spurts into February. Again, key word: could. </p><h2>Or Maybe Not ...</h2><p>But the phenomenon of the interaction between the polar vortex and wind circulation is complicated — and not yet fully understood. Meteorologists disagree on whether there really will be a freezing winter onset. </p>
<div id="61163" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6bf8068fe0ef6acc77daa5d20c887ef9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349664429185634306" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A strong example of knock-on effect in latest #Forecast model runs. The further west a low moves cold air (C) Mond… https://t.co/qnE7piXtH3</div> — James Peacock (@James Peacock)<a href="https://twitter.com/peacockreports/statuses/1349664429185634306">1610620050.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The reason: the approaching Atlantic depressions. They are supposed to cause the winter air to move from the west further to Russia, and the snow line is supposed to rise to over 1,000 meters. But that does not mean that it will stay that way for the rest of winter. The cold may well return.</p><p>In the end, the weather just does what it wants — whatever our forecasts. </p>
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Hot Arctic and a Chill in the Northeast: What’s Behind the Gloomy Spring Weather?
20 May 2019
Science
Jennifer A. Smith / Moment / Getty Images
By Brenda Ekwurzel
When temperatures hit the 80s Fahrenheit in May above latitude 40, sun-seekers hit the parks, lakes, and beaches, and thoughts turn to summer. By contrast, when temperatures lurk in the drizzly 40s and 50s well into flower season, northerners get impatient for summer. But when those 80-degree temperatures visit latitude 64 in Russia, as they just did, and when sleet disrupts Mother's Day weekend in May in Massachusetts, as it just did, thoughts turn to: what is going on here?
Hot Arctic
<p>Before we jump into the science, let's take a quick look at the unusual spring weather. This past weekend, Russia was the scene of record-high temperatures. A city above the Arctic circle — <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkhangelsk,+Arkhangelsk+Oblast,+Russia/@65.9842063,21.0114658,3.95z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x441833f755c232e1:0x403eec437ac89a31!8m2!3d64.5472507!4d40.5601553" target="_blank">Arkhangelsk</a> — recorded a high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit on May 11 at the <a href="https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/ru/arkhangelsk/ULAA/date/2019-5?cm_ven=localwx_history" target="_blank">Talagi Airport weather station.</a> The average high temperature for Arkhangelsk this time of year is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/05/14/it-was-degrees-near-arctic-ocean-this-weekend-carbon-dioxide-hit-its-highest-level-human-history/?utm_term=.6130b4150f75" target="_blank">around 54 degrees Fahrenheit</a>.</p>Gloomy Weather
<p>Meanwhile in the Northeast U.S., try having a conversation that doesn't loop back to the endlessly gloomy, chilly, unseasonable weather. When gloomy weather becomes such a dominant topic of conversation in a region, a form of citizen science is occurring, and it tells you something: it is unusual, it is anomalous, it is downright wacky.</p><p>Many locations are not seeing the sun nearly as much as normal memory serves — and science confirms — for this time of year. The Long Island town of Islip, New York, recorded its <a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2019-05-08-northeast-rain-fatigued-but-might-catch-break-soon" target="_blank">longest streak of rainy days on record </a>from April 20 to May 7. It rained for <a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2019-05-08-northeast-rain-fatigued-but-might-catch-break-soon" target="_blank">21 days this April in Boston</a>.</p><p>It's not just in the Northeast: repeated rain events resulted in much of the contiguous U.S. being ranked in the <a href="https://twitter.com/mattlanza/status/1128750813839597569" target="_blank">99th percentile for soil moisture on May 14</a>, including many of the Plain states (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas) and most states eastward. This is a continuation of a high soil moisture ranking percentile pattern (see Jan – April 2019 in Figure 1). Soil moisture ranking percentile is from the <a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/soilmst/w_lb.html" target="_blank">1948-2000 Climatology</a></p><p>As of this writing, there are headlines with exasperated tones wondering when winter will truly depart, including:</p><ul> <li>"Chicago narrowly misses breaking 112-year-old record for late-season snow" – <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-met-snowfall-totals-late-april-snow-20190428-story.html" target="_blank">April 28, Chicago Tribune</a></li></ul><ul> <li>"It MAY snow in the Northeast this week. In MAY" – <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/13/us/may-snow-northeast/index.html" target="_blank">May 13, CNN</a></li></ul><ul><li>"Extreme weather pattern to divide nation next week…"– <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/05/16/wild-weather-possible-next-week-big-storm-central-us-degrees-southeast-snow-western-plains/?utm_term=.4f863c95d3a8" target="_blank">May 16, Washington Post</a></li></ul><p>In that third article, Jason <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/05/16/wild-weather-possible-next-week-big-storm-central-us-degrees-southeast-snow-western-plains/?utm_term=.4f863c95d3a8" target="_blank">Samenow describes the abnormal late May forecast </a>for snow, hail, tornadoes, flooding, and excessive heat to different parts of the contiguous US over upcoming days.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUzOTc4OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2Njk4MzA5NX0.AmDaSgXlTwaYx4RZDXcB5PP2xhiWnyqXs28kd14fwII/img.png?width=980" id="3df26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b80d10bbfcc0fff8217702720944635" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Continental U.S. Monthly Soil Moisture ranking percentile for Jan-April 2019. Repeated rain events resulted in a large portion of the contiguous U.S. being ranked in the 99th percentile for soil moisture on May 14.
Damages
<p>Unfortunately, the consequences of these gloomy, chilly and rainy or snowy conditions are very real in terms of damages, both personal and in the larger economy. People are taking time away from work — lost labor hours — to deal with them. People are pumping water out of basements and throwing away cherished items lost to water damage.</p><p>Some of the flooding is from intense storms like the <a href="https://co.ng.mil/News/Archives/Article/1810834/governor-activates-colorado-national-guard-for-another-bomb-cyclone/" target="_blank">two rare interior U.S. bomb cyclones</a> that caused <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=23&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiimf6dtaHiAhWJr1kKHXp9BRgQFjAWegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJzTwtgsXPe4&usg=AOvVaw2AJXCUaOuBotzgMcmIp64e" target="_blank">flooding</a> and prompted governors to spring into action, calling on the <a href="https://co.ng.mil/News/Archives/Article/1810834/governor-activates-colorado-national-guard-for-another-bomb-cyclone/" target="_blank">National Guard</a>. There is a current backlog of unmet <a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/governor.nebraska.gov/files/doc/press/Governors%20Disaster%20Supplemental%20Letter.pdf" target="_blank">disaster relief requests</a>. Some of the flooding is from water tables rising since relentless repeated rain events don't allow the soil enough time to dry out.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/global-warming-impacts/floods" target="_blank">natural and human-driven</a> aspects of flooding are critical to tease apart so we can better prepare our communities for the flood risk of today and the changing flood risks of the decades ahead. This is especially important when <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/433523-disaster-stricken-communities-arent-receiving-the-funds-they-were" target="_blank">investing dollars in infrastructure</a> that are anywhere near surface water or groundwater (also known as the water table).</p>Eurasian October Snow Cover Extent Indicator
<p>It may seem counter-intuitive, but the story of the strange weather unfolding this spring in the U.S. is related in part to snow last October in Eurasia. This indicator — the Eurasian October snow cover extent indicator — is proving to be worthy of additional attention by U.S. weather geeks. The good news is that the scientists who were paying attention to the Eurasia snow extent behavior during October, along with a host of other indicators, gave <a href="https://www.aer.com/science-research/climate-weather/winter-2019-recap/" target="_blank">advanced warning of the emerging U.S. winter and spring weather pattern for 2018/2019</a>. Winter sports enthusiasts rejoiced and sought the snow-peaked slopes of Colorado and Utah.</p><p>The bad news is it can feel extremely bouncy going through record-breaking cold and record flooding, with temporary relief periods over these past months. It can feel like riding a seesaw. But the lasting memory of the major pattern is what becomes the talk of the region. Terrific winter snowpack, tragic flooding and gloomy northeast.</p><p>You may wonder about the Eurasian snow extent indicator and the broader connections. I encourage those who want to know, to spend some time clicking on the links here or links in earlier blogs that point to even more information (see <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/brenda-ekwurzel/us-winter-2018-2019-bomb-cyclones-arctic-outbreaks-abundant-snowfall-flooding-and-an-unseasonably-warm-alaska" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/brenda-ekwurzel/arctic-report-card-2017-ice-cover-is-shrinking-faster-compared-with-prior-1500-years" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/brenda-ekwurzel/unseasonably-warm-arctic-winter-is-thawing-alaska-and-may-be-linked-to-noreasters" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/erika-spanger-siegfried/global-warming-in-the-arctic-a-sensitive-climate-gone-off-the-rails" target="_blank">here</a>). These describe the details regarding how Arctic sea ice decline, particularly in the <a href="https://polarbearscience.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/kara-sea_pbsg.jpg" target="_blank">Barents-Kara sea ice</a>, north of Scandinavia and Russia, contributes to ocean and atmosphere behavior. Which contributes to Eurasian snow cover extent behavior. And ultimately a wavy jet stream with episodic cold outbreaks over winter and spring in the Northern Hemisphere, including the U.S.</p><p>Here is an example of the science as Judah Cohen <a href="https://www.aer.com/science-research/climate-weather/winter-2019-recap/" target="_blank">explained</a>, "There is a growing consensus that it is Barents-Kara sea ice in the late fall and early winter that has the greatest impact across Eurasia. Therefore, low Barents-Kara sea ice in November for example, favors a strengthened Siberian high, increased poleward heat flux, a weak stratospheric Polar Vortex and finally a negative Arctic Oscillation. An important point regarding the Siberian high is that it strengthens or expands northwest of the climatological center. For low snow cover and/or high sea ice the opposite occurs." Translation, a weakened polar vortex means more cold outbreaks deep into U.S. territory like this past winter and spring.</p><p>We know that burning coal, oil, and gas and the resulting global warming has caused dramatic declines in Arctic summer sea ice extent (minimum occurs in September). It takes longer to cool the warmer than normal Arctic ocean enough to grow new sea ice or thicken remnant ice in the following October and November. Over each successive decade, we are more likely to experience low Barents-Kara sea ice extent over more years, causing weather geeks to keep monitoring jargon indicators: Sea ice extent, Eurasian Snow Cover Extent, Stratospheric Polar Vortex, El Niño Southern Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, Arctic Oscillation and more to improve U.S. seasonal outlooks.</p><p>This is little consolation to those throwing out their flood-soaked cherished items from Kansas to Maine this spring season.</p>
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Air temperatures at 4 a.m. EST on Jan. 29, 2019. NASA Earth Observatory
During bouts of extreme weather, we always turn to our beloved meteorologists to analyze, forecast and report these events.
So you know it's really cold outside when trusted weather experts, like Minneapolis's Chris Shaffer of WCCO-TV, dedicate The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" to Mother Nature amid temperatures that feel like the negative 30s, 40s and 50s.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="ce55c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="487OCE1576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090379688005042178" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Right now I am singing that boss song from @theweeknd to Mother Nature. I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE WHEN I'M WITH YOU! https://t.co/4bjpzROOqJ</div> — Chris Shaffer (@Chris Shaffer)<a href="https://twitter.com/WCCOShaffer/statuses/1090379688005042178">1548801750.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>As the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-tweet-global-warming-2627422039.html" target="_self">deadly polar vortex</a> grips much of the U.S., cities are clocking temperatures lower than most of Antarctica, <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/polar-vortex-us-colder-antarctica-record-low-temperatures-2019-1" target="_blank">Insider</a> reported. </p><p>For instance in La Crosse, Wisconsin, temperatures dropped to -30<strong>°</strong>F at 5.20 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the local <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLaCrosse/status/1090571778139832320" target="_blank">National Weather Service</a> (NWS), and it may be the office's "<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLaCrosse/status/1090576212722880512" target="_blank">all-time coldest record</a>." </p><p><span></span>Meanwhile in the South Pole, AccuWeather data showed that only one weather station had a lower temperature than La Crosse around the same time, Insider noted. All the other weather stations on the continent recorded much warmer temps. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3c35b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="SQ8NU61576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090571778139832320" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We have officially hit -30 here at the NWS La Crosse office as of 520 a.m. The wind chill is -54. Be sure to dress… https://t.co/GnAUw3R90A</div> — NWS La Crosse (@NWS La Crosse)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLaCrosse/statuses/1090571778139832320">1548847548.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Sure, Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere, meaning it's in the middle of its summer. But cities like Chicago are forecast to be in the 25-below range on early Thursday, so it could be colder than the North Pole and Alaska, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/29/polar-vortex-2019-chicago-colder-than-antarctica-alaska-north-pole/2715979002/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported. </p><p>"The Arctic Ocean—including the North Pole—will probably be around 20 below," said weather.us meteorologist Ryan Maue, according to USA Today. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="94ff0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4BBV651576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090299898963152899" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Colder than Chicago over the next 2-days?
Here are the places on Earth that are expected to be colder than -20°F:… https://t.co/v9GxA0YYhD</div> — Ryan Maue (@Ryan Maue)<a href="https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/statuses/1090299898963152899">1548782727.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Meteorologist Jen Carfagno, the host of AMHQ at The Weather Channel, <a href="https://twitter.com/JenCarfagno/status/1090357229927231489" target="_blank">noticed</a> that it's so cold that NWS Lincoln ran out of colors for its weather map. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="66c22" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UO4C901576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090357229927231489" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When the forecast is so cold you need a new color table 🥶😳 https://t.co/TvyxoeWVjs</div> — Jen Carfagno (@Jen Carfagno)<a href="https://twitter.com/JenCarfagno/statuses/1090357229927231489">1548796396.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>WDRB meteorologist Rick DeLuca of Louisville, Kentucky chimed in with a big "<a href="https://twitter.com/RDeLucaWX/status/1090379812353519617" target="_blank">NOPE!</a>" about the -60°F wind chill in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Tuesday. <br></p><p>"But at least it's a dry cold," NWS Twin Cities joked back. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8ce33" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5Z8G8Q1576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090293874889838594" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@NWSGrandForks But at least it's a dry cold</div> — NWS Twin Cities (@NWS Twin Cities)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities/statuses/1090293874889838594">1548781291.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>DeLuca also tweeted a photo of a shirt that literally froze from Louisville's blistering wind chill. <br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="afe03" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1AQHPM1576662368"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090448929563516928" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FROZEN SHIRT: Wind Chill Advisories and laundry night don't mix well. #snowfox https://t.co/5xkb1DDc1M</div> — Rick DeLuca (@Rick DeLuca)<a href="https://twitter.com/RDeLucaWX/statuses/1090448929563516928">1548818259.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Andrew Buck Michael, meteorologist for <em>Good Day Columbus</em>, reminded us that many Midwesterners would probably rather be in Florida right now, where it feels 131 degrees warmer in Key West compared to Park Rapids, Minnesota. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="f2863" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1HNEJ51576662369"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090589873113911296" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">CHECK THIS OUT! The current "feels like" temperature is -65 in Park Rapids, MN with the wind chill, but it feels 13… https://t.co/v03g0KB8uL</div> — Andrew Buck Michael (@Andrew Buck Michael)<a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewWSYX6/statuses/1090589873113911296">1548851862.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Jokes aside, these snow squalls and wind chills can be very dangerous. Meteorologist John Kassell of Akron, Ohio shared a recent warning from NWS Des Moines telling residents that the weather will be "the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced" and for people to "avoid taking deep breaths, and minimize talking" while outdoors. </p><p>Unfortunately, many Americans will continue to freeze for the next few days. Air temperatures in parts of the continental U.S. could break all-time record lows for Jan. 30 and 31, NASA wrote in a <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144489/arctic-weather-plunges-into-north-america" target="_blank">blog post</a> on Tuesday, adding that at least 90 million Americans could experience temperatures at or below zero degrees Fahrenheit, citing data from the NWS. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8ae6d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5ZY8H81576662369"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090592035424387072" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Extreme cold is so dangerous and life-threatening across the Upper Plains and Midwest that folks are advised to avo… https://t.co/kfPQWqZxNK</div> — John Kassell (@John Kassell)<a href="https://twitter.com/JPKassell/statuses/1090592035424387072">1548852378.0</a></blockquote></div>
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