Rare Weather Pattern Could Drastically Worsen Winter’s Punch

Just when forecasters had predicted a La Niña winter season that could feature warmer temperatures in the northeast, another rare atmospheric front threatens to drastically alter the winter forecast for the entire United States. 

Forecasters are calling it a rare meteorological "fork in the road" that could happen in the next 10 to 14 days that could determine how bad the upcoming winter is actually going to be for almost all of North America.

Weather experts have already predicted a La Niña season for the country, and particularly for the Northeast this year; but a rare collision with the polar vortex- something that has happened only twice in the last 60 years, could potentially wreak "frigid" havoc on most of the U.S. during the upcoming winter.

According to MIT climatologist, Judah Cohen speaking to USA Today and printed in Newsweek, the rare collision could warm the North Pole significantly, potentially displacing the polar vortex much further south than normal for the upcoming winter season. This would ultimately mean much colder temperatures for almost all of the Continental United States, including colder temperatures in the Deep South.

Forecasters say the extended cold trend, which could last from December through January and possibly into February, could have significant affects on agriculture in the south, which normally relies on mild temperatures during the winter months. The rare phenomenon could also mean much colder temperatures and higher snowfall amounts in the norther U.S. and Northeast. The last time we experienced what is called a sudden stratospheric warmer (SSW) was in the winter of 2000 when the north suffered sub-zero temperatures and higher snowfall amounts for weeks at a time.

Forecasters say the next two weeks and the beginning of December will create a much clearer picture, which will determine if an SSW actually occurs.