Arctic warming may play a role in more persistent weather patterns in North America
New peer-reviewed research <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2018GL080252" target=n>published</a> in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and led by Rutgers University indicates that there is likely a link between Arctic warming and an increase in persistent, large-scale weather patterns over North America.
The Arctic region has been warming at least twice as fast as the global average temperature over the past few decades.
The study shows that persistent weather conditions such as dry and wet spells, heat and cold waves that last four or more days have occurred more frequently in recent decades. These persistent large-scale circulation patterns have also increased when the Arctic was abnormally warm.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2018/590x393_09261858_boulder_flood_main_620.jpg"/>
Excerpt from the <a href="https://news.rutgers.edu/more-persistent-weather-patterns-us-linked-arctic-warming/20180919#.W6vThhNKi8U" target=n>Rutgers Today article.....</a>
<em>The Arctic has been warming at least twice as fast as the global average temperature, the study notes. The persistence of warm Arctic patterns has also increased, suggesting that long-duration weather conditions will occur more often as rapid Arctic warming continues, said lead author Jennifer Francis, a research professor in Rutgers’ Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.</em>
The results of the research suggest that as the Arctic continues to warm and melt that longer-duration, extreme events in North America will occur more often.
The study looked at actual daily precipitation data from 17 stations across the U.S. and large scale pattern data over the eastern Pacific and North America to reach their conclusion.
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