Polar vortex: Deep meanders in vortex linked to global warming.

Over the past year or so, I’ve written a few times on how the “polar vortex”—actually, deep meanders or excursions in the usually stable west-to-east direction of the polar cyclonic air stream—may be tied to global warming, but there hadn’t been enough research done yet to be sure. This prevents the normal circulation of air around the globe, so they’re called “blocking patterns.” That’s what was responsible for the tremendous heat wave Alaska suffered in January 2014. I mentioned at the time the idea that global warming may be affecting weather patterns, and of course the denial Noise Machine kicked into gear; I got a lot of comments and tweets mocking the idea. We know that global weather patterns depend on a lot of factors, but the amount of available heat—thinking of it as fuel might help—is a critical one.