Climate risk missing in polar vortex reporting » Yale Climate Connections

Needed: Reporting on climate risks from polar vortex The late January deep freeze across much of the U.S. offers a valuable 'teachable moment' for media: Polar vortex heightens risks from climate change.



Americans watched toward the end of January as winter storm Jayden plunged much of the country (including parts of the Midwest where I live) to record-breaking low temperatures.

The extreme cold upended daily life, closed schools and universities, and disrupted mail service in 10 states and air travel around the country. Meanwhile, Australia experienced its hottest January on record.

NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captures a polar vortex moving from Central Canada into the U.S. Midwest from January 20 through January 29. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech AIRS Project)

Climate risk missing in polar vortex reporting » Yale Climate Connections