New York: NY governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency ahead of a major winter storm triggered by the “polar vortex”. The record-breaking freeze is being caused by a wavy and elongated jet stream, which is carrying Arctic air far more to the south than normal. According to research conducted by Francis, the warming of the Arctic has produced the errant behavior of the polar vortex, which is present each year but usually does not plunge the southern portion of the US into such a freeze. That warming also seems to be producing greater instances of this wavy jet stream phenomenon. Road closures and a health advisory were issued by the state of New York in preparation for what are being described as “life threatening” weather conditions.
Air travel is almost halted. The biggest impact on the airlines was in the Northeast and the Midwest, where polar weather swooped in. Airlines canceled 4,400 flights on Monday, bringing the total to more than 18,000 since last Thursday, according to FlightView.com, a flight information website.
