What the Polar Vortex Will Do to Earth this Decade

When I lived in Iceland in the 1980's, we experienced a storm that could be described as an arctic hurricane. Winds were over 100 mph and it was total whiteout conditions.

Who else prefers cold weather over hot weather? Or it it just me?

I’m shocked that you didn’t include the 2021 Texas Freeze. This was one of the most extreme examples of the subzero temperatures surging so far south due to a buckle in the jet stream that lasted for a week. Hundreds of people died in this. Snow and ice was on the Texas beaches as well.

12:02 even -22C is something you can prepare for. Major cities in Canada like Edmonton and Winnipeg get those all the time during the winter. In winter 2021-2022, -22C temperatures happened 64 times in Winnipeg (called Winterpeg for a reason) 33 times in Edmonton 25 times in Quebec City 24 times in Calgary 16 times in Ottawa 8 times in Montreal 0 times in Toronto (although it reached -21C three times) 0 times in Vancouver (the mildest big Canadian city, only reached -14C that year) However, the UK doesn't normally have a reason to prepare for such cold, so it... doesn't... and pays the consequences on the rare occasions that it does.

On a cold winter night, years ago, there was a full moon backlighting these incredible high altitude clouds. They were moving across the sky at a ridiculous pace─it had to be over 100MPH. The air was so clear and crisp that the moon lit up the entire sky, so the clouds were plain to see across a wide field of view, only growing darker at the edges as I looked farther away from the light source. These clouds were in the jet stream of a weak polar vortex that had swooped down into the southern United States in the form of a cold front. After the storms at the head of the front blew through, dank humidity was replaced with a cool crispness that can only be properly described as cleansing. Like a new lease on life. I still remember looking up at the sky like it was something out of a sci-fi movie. The effect was mesmerizing. And memorable.

Down in Tasmania we got hit by a southern polar vortex about 4 years ago. It led to the first major snowfalls in northern Tasmania since the 1960's. Pretty bizarre stuff.

Another tax incoming. Cooling tax i guess it will stop the freeze.

everyone is so surprised by the weather, bad weather has always been a thing, just because you were born yesterday does not make the weather any more worse than it has been in the past. and if it changes to something you have not observed yet does not make it strange, only to you.

I learned of this many years ago while studying electrical refrigeration. The vortex is exactly what is used in supermarket refrigerators that are permanently open.

Man, this was beautifully put together. As a flight instructor, you motivate me to be able to present this information in a much better way.

As above, so below. The Oceans behave much the same way and exert their extreme effects on the weather above them. Fantastic presentation. Thanks!

Scientists don't get enough credit for the work they do. This information and how it came together is jaw dropping. Respect to all the scientists in the world. ✌️☘️

A living planet. Everything is lively. Always moving, always on the go. Traveling through space. Spectacular.

Your video has a much better ending than Game of Thrones though!

Living in Eastern Finland right now I can feel the polar vortex for sure. November with -21C temperatures today, -25C in the morning in some places.

It’s crazy to think about how much places get affected from something like colder temperatures than usual. Temperatures in the -20’s Celsius are average-cold winter days in Canada. Alternatively, the +20’s are the average summer temperatures as well.

Never seen a video which explained wetter patterns so clearly. Thank you. I learned so much in this video.

I’m obviously in love with your space videos, but with the current pace of space research, there’s really only so much to talk about. In lieu of this, I’m thrilled you’ve found other types of topics to make videos about. You’re an incredible video maker, and you should never stop.

I will never ever forget the South Texas Christmas of 2004. When it began snowing on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning to levels never seen before in this part of the world, it was indeed a historical event. The last thing you thought about was being cold. Christmas morning, we were making snow angels. It was an absolute meteorological miracle all the way from El Campo in Wharton County to Victoria and Corpus Christi, Tx. This snowfall produced memories that will last a lifetime. Cities with the most snow were Alice, Beeville, Bay City, Corpus Christi, El Campo, Goliad, Hebbronville, Lake Jackson, Port Lavaca, Port O'Connor, Rockport, Sinton and Victoria. The Best Christmas ever!!!! We want that again. I live in El Campo. Measured snowfall was 7 inches at the time.

I live in labrador,the storm of 82,when it hit temps went down to -100c,people had to abandon their homes,my family included,most of the town had to evacuate to a school that had back up power,when it was over alot of homes were completely buried,fish tanks frozen solid,etc