2019 Winter Weather  

 

by Madelyn Glennon

The 2019 winter has been full of rain, sub-zero wind chills, ice, snow, and freezing cold temperatures followed by sunny days. Cities throughout the country have experienced extraordinarily cold temperatures and dangerous conditions. The Northern part of the nation has experienced record-breaking conditions and have had to deal with storm after storm.

This weather has been attributed to by the polar vortex, described by science teacher Steve Whiteley as “a huge mass of extremely cold, dry air that sits in the Arctic and minds its own business until a dam breaks and the cold air spills out”. It’s a low-pressure area lying at one of the earth’s poles.

Notably, the midwestern region of the nation has been especially hit hard by the chilling temperatures and heavy snow, particularly Chicago, Illinois. This January, Chicago faced subzero temperatures for 52 hours straight, the longest streak ever in the city’s history, with the wind chill reaching negative 52 degrees.

All over the country, temperatures and storms have led to the death of countless homeless individuals, the cancellations of flights, the closing of schools, and the innumerable number of accidents.The weather is dependant on the air pressure. Whiteley notes that the increase and decrease of air pressure is a good indicator of the upcoming forecast. Lower air pressure is usually associated with warmer air. Cold and clear nights are the result of a high pressure system.

A question that remains is if the rapid changes in the forecast are related to climate change and global warming. Whiteley says the “air spilling down of air from the polar vortex, and the warm air from the south pushes up and displaces the vortex,” which in turn causes many inconsistencies in the weather.

Regarding York Suburban, the snow and icy conditions have caused many delays and days off. Junior Ella Kelly says, “the weather has blessed me with several delays and snow days…I may not like how cold and inconsistent it is, but I do enjoy not having school”. Freshman Rachel Coldiron, who walks to school most mornings, says “by the time I get to school, I can’t feel my fingers.”

Hopefully with Spring just around the corner, the days of icy rain, deep plunging temperatures, and deadly snow storms will be numbered in the upcoming months.