Just days before Christmas, unprecedented warmth was recorded at the North Pole.
A buoy that sits nearly 90 miles south of the location registered a temperature of 31 degrees. Although still below freezing, the temperature is about 50 degrees higher than normal.
There were two major players in unusually high temperature. The first was a large and very strong low pressure system north of Greenland. The counterclockwise flow around this system pushed abnormally warm and moist air toward the pole. The second is the lack of sea ice in the Arctic, particularly in the Barents Sea.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the lack of sea ice in the Barents Sea is approaching record low levels. With less ice to reflect solar energy, it becomes absorbed in the ocean, warming the water and the air above it. Record warmth in November contributed to the melting of this sea ice, in turn promoting this unusually warm period once again.
A recent study published by the journal Nature said these events usually happen once or twice a decade, dating back to the 1950s. Although it's too soon to say if they are happening more frequently, 2016 is the second year in a row temperatures climbed to astonishing levels in the Arctic.
There is a constant ebb and flow to the atmosphere. Because of this excessive warmth at the poles, the cold air that usually sits there needs to go somewhere. This is exactly what happened earlier this month when North America experienced a plunge in temperatures, known as the Polar Vortex. We'll have to wait and see if the same happens this time around. For now, long range models project local temperatures to be near or slightly above normal through the first week in January.
About the Author
