The Polar Vortex of 2019
Minnesota is one of the safest states to be in when considering hazards, but every so often there is a polar vortex, or a large pocket of very cold air, typically the coldest air in the Northern Hemisphere, which sits over the polar region during the winter season. According to Accuweather, "The frigid air can find its way into the United States when the polar vortex is pushed farther south, occasionally reaching southern Canada and the northern Plains, Midwest and northeastern portions of the United States." Polar vortexes cause extreme winter weather conditions, and this weather accounts for 14.9% of hazard-related deaths (Hyndman & Hyndman, 3).
This image explains how a polar vortex can occur.
It was the night before my 17th birthday when I got the news that I would not have school for the next six days due to the polar vortex. While I was extremely excited about the snow days, I was also worried about the temperature and the effects that this extreme weather would have on businesses and the homeless population. The temperature sunk to -40 degrees Fahrenheit and with wind chill it felt like -65 degrees Fahrenheit on January 28, 2019 in my little town just north of Duluth, Minnesota.
Meteorologists predicted that the temperature would even dip to where it felt like -70 degrees Fahrenheit in the next few days.
The temperature with wind chill across the Midwest during the 2019 Polar Vortex
As a Minnesotan, I am used to the bitterly cold weather, but this polar vortex was different. I remember going outside during those six snow days and my hair instantly freezing. My face was bitterly cold and it physically hurt to walk. I didn't leave my house for a few days just because it was so cold. The one day I did leave my house I went to a friend's house and the pipes in her house froze. The freezing pipes created a small flood in her house. Luckily, there was not much damage, but I will never forget the freezing temperature that prompted the flood.
The intense cold weather from the polar vortex also created many huge icicles like the ones formed here.
The temperature during the polar vortex hit a new low than I had ever experienced in my lifetime. According to the DNR, "The arctic outbreak from January 27-31, 2019 had some of the lowest air temperatures to visit Minnesota since 1996, and the lowest wind chills since the 1980's."
My mother has lived in Minnesota her whole life and she still refers to this polar vortex as prompting the coldest weather she has ever experienced.
The wind chill and weather was also reported as lower than the temperature on Mars.
Overall, polar vortexes are cool to learn about but not so great when you have to actually experience one!
References:
Cold Outbreak: January 27-31, 2019. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/cold-outbreak-january-27-31-2019.html
Hyndman, D. W., & Hyndman, D. W. (2017). Natural hazards and disasters. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Jillian MacMath, A. (n.d.). What is a polar vortex? Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-is-a-polar-vortex-2/433447
Meme Page:
https://kfan.iheart.com/featured/mansour-s-musings/content/2019-01-30-this-is-minnesota-13-of-the-best-polar-vortex-2019-photosmemes/
I'm from Minneapolis and we had 5 days off of school because it was so cold, but I bet it was even worse in Virginia, MN! My mom didn't let me go outside for more than a quick walk because it was so cold and she was worried I'd get pneumonia. Again, though, I bet it was so much worse where you were!
ReplyDeleteHey Jane, I liked your comment! The weather was all-around pretty bad in the Midwest during the polar vortex, but it did get pretty cold in Northern Minnesota.
DeleteHey, great post! You mentioned that polar vortexes 14.9% hazard-related deaths and that you were concerned about the homeless population. Are the people that die from these events often homeless? Additionally, do you know what the state of Minnesota does to protect at-risk populations like the homeless during events like a polar vortex?
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah, thanks for your comment! When there are extremely low temperatures or harsh weather conditions in Minnesota, there are warming shelters that are run by various agencies. The people that die from such harsh weather events are often times older populations and younger populations of people. The homeless are also most at-risk.
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