Why does the atmosphere behave like a cold roller coaster?

Hey weather friends! We all know winter is coming, but have you ever wondered why it sometimes gets really crazy cold and wet in extremes? Well, it looks like the atmosphere has a few tricks up its sleeve. Imagine the atmosphere as a giant roller coaster, sure, it may be warming due to climate change, but that doesn’t mean winter is any less wild. Recently, a group of scientists made an amazing discovery about the jet stream, that river of fast-moving air that circles the northern hemisphere. Turns out he’s doing some crazy pirouettes!

Scientists found that the jet stream sometimes becomes a kind of serpentine, pushing polar air downward and trapping cold and moisture in North America and Europe. Think of it as a carnival snake catching stuffed animals in a carnival game, but instead of stuffed animals, it catches cold and wet! And here’s the crazy thing: these atmospheric waves have been showing up more often since the 1960s, which means more weeks of polar cold and extreme wet days during the winter. Crazy, right?

Now, why should you care? Well, aside from the low temperatures being uncomfortable, these atmospheric waves have wreaked havoc, crippled power and transportation systems, and have even been responsible for hundreds of deaths. Imagine being stuck in the middle of an extreme winter for weeks at a time! So, even though the average winter weather is getting milder, we still face these crazy cold and wet periods. The reason is that atmospheric waves along the jet stream can be really stubborn.

In short, this phenomenon is like an exciting roller coaster, but not always in a good way. Weather is more connected than we think, and understanding these patterns helps us prepare for what winter has in store, so while we wait for that crazy winter, stay warm and dry. The weather always has surprises for us!