As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen. Now, views from space are showing us what actually happened — and the imagery is no less compelling.
As predicted by the models, the jet stream took a giant southward dip on Dec. 21, opening the door to the Arctic and allowing savagely cold air to surge all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. As this unfolded, a potent storm system exploded, tapping into energy in the jet stream and the stark contrast between temperatures on either either side of the cold front. Worst hit was the Buffalo, N.Y. region, which was buried in places by 50 inches of snow and where, sadly, at least 28 people have lost their lives.
Distortion of the stratospheric polar vortex heralded the coming ...
