'Polar vortex' Pushes Subzero Temps into Midwest-Coldest It's Been In Two Decades

AP Via Yahoo News ^ | January 6, 2014 | TAMMY WEBBER and KERRY LESTER

[lbryce]

It hasn't been this cold for almost two decades in many parts of the country.

A whirlpool of frigid, dense air known as a "polar vortex" descended Monday into much of the U.S., pummeling parts of the country with a dangerous cold that could break decades-old records with wind chill warnings stretching from Montana to Alabama.

For a big chunk of the Midwest, the subzero temperatures were moving in behind another winter wallop: more than a foot of snow and high winds that made traveling treacherous. Officials closed schools in cities including Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee and warned residents to stay indoors and avoid the frigid cold altogether.

[V_TWIN]

“frozen cojones”

ouch. lol

[HereInTheHeartland]

Mason City Iowa

Current Conditions

-28 °F (-33 °C)
Wind Chill: -49 °F (-45 °C)

[Mygirlsmom]

Just curious...have they cancelled school in Iowa?

[bert]

Schools are cancelled here....... 700 miles from Iowa

[winodog]

“We’re trying to ... generate a public education campaign, and we urge our users out there to take this seriously even though the numbers have been warmed up,” said Mark Tew”
###
We will take it as serious as we took the metric system

[PowderMonkey]

"Just curious...have they cancelled school in Iowa?"

Nature's way of thinning out the herd. Winter of '71. Lincoln, Nebraska. My first taste of frostbite in -70 wind chill while crossing campus at the University. Young women leaving the gymnasium's indoor swim class with wet hair, found most all of it frozen and broken off before arriving at their next class in the building next door. Two of my classmates were frozen to death in their car, when it broke down out on the highway during night. They were wearing only T-shirts, jeans, sneakers, and their varsity jackets. Local public schools and businesses, however, remained open. "Dress appropriate" takes on a whole new meaning in those conditions.

[ThomasMore]

an increasing number of scientists from several different fields have gathered enough evidence to show that conditions on the Sun affect the climate here on Earth and that the smaller and longer the solar cycle is then the colder it will be on Earth for the next decade or even several decades according to some scientists.

There is evidence to back up the theory. Solar cycles have an average length of 22 years; 11 years leading up to the maximum, and the other 11 leading down to the minimum after which a new cycle begins. It’s common, however, to refer to the solar cycle as lasting on average 11 years, meaning the time taken from the start of the cycle to the maximum of the cycle.

...Verified historical data shows that when there has been a small solar cycle, cold weather follows. These periods of cold are referred to as minimums. There have been several. Scientists know about them by tree ring analysis, which correlates closely with the activity on the Sun, and ice core analysis which is a good record of temperature going back many thousands of years. This data, coupled with direct observation allows a relatively accurate picture to emerge.

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/11/the-link-between-sunspots-global.html

[Max in Utah]

Probably, since Minnesota’s governor ordered all schools in that state closed.

Looks like minus twenties across Northern Iowa and slightly less cold to the south. Brrr...

[Jack Hydrazine]

Joe Bastardi speaks.
http://www.weatherbell.com/saturday-summary-january-4-2014

[DaveA37]

Please send all of the global warming drum beaters to me here in Wisconsin and I’ll gladly subject all of them to their “God of Global Warming”. I’ll start by pouring water on the ice and then have them sit down (bare behinds of course) on said ice, returning only long enough to see if they still believe in their “god of global warming”. Shouldn’t take very long to get them to change their weak minds.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It must be so hot up north that all the cold air is trying to escape!!!!

Damn that global warming!!!!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’m in north Florida with a blanket draped over my shoulders!!

[Right Wing Assault]

Here are a few.

http://www.kcci.com/weather/closings#mid=17582114

[Justa]

“Solar cycles have an average length of 22 years; 11 years leading up to the maximum, and the other 11 leading down to the minimum after which a new cycle begins. It’s common, however, to refer to the solar cycle as lasting on average 11 years, meaning the time taken from the start of the cycle to the maximum of the cycle.”

A solar cycle, peak-to-peak, is aprox. 11 years, not 22.

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/f10.gif

[MortMan]

-5 in Leavenworth, KS. Not sure about the wind chill. Danged cold!

But I’ll take -5 over -16! Stay warm, FRiend!

[MortMan]

You mean the nasty cold cracked his crystals?!? ;-P

[Right Wing Assault]

Wow! I didn’t know you had blankets in FL! ;-) But you are in N. FL, I see, so it makes sense.

Years ago when we were at college orientation for my oldest son (school in northern Indiana) the people sitting next to us were from S. FL. We asked them if their son had ever seen snow. No. (School area averages over 6 ft year and maxed out at 15 ft one year.) Did he have a nice warm coat? Coat? All he had was a sweater and a thin jacket. (School are temp right now -12 F, wind chill -40 F.)

But they were going shopping that day.

I’m sure the kid got used to it.

[444Flyer]

What me worry? Too busy collecting residuals from Al Jezerra.

[OrioleFan]

I hope all the pipes freeze in Algore’s mansion.

[KarlInOhio]

This is feeling like the Twilight Zone episode The Midnight Sun. The first 90% of the episode hypes global warming and then the main character wakes up with everything freezing (sorry for spoiling it if you haven't heard the twist in the 52 years since originally broadcast).