Last night the temperature in Northern Sweden dropped to -37 Celsius, the coldest temperature recorded for a November day since 1995.
24th November 2010 - Photo Fredrik Sandberg / Scanpix
“This year’s winter can be just as cold and snowy as last year. Now, as then, there is a weather phenomenon that causes cold air from the polar regions to plummet over us”,
writes the Svenska Dagbladet
The North Atlantic Oscillation is in a negative phase (NAO-).Before last year’s winter this had not occurred in years. The default mode instead was of the NAO in a positive phase with the warm southwest winds, which resulted in mild, almost snow-free winters in northern Europe.
“Now it looks like last winter. If it continues, it means bitter cold. But you never know when the weather turns, “said meteorologist and researcher Per Kållberg at SMHI to Sydsvenskan. Meteorologists around the world are now discussing if the negative phase will continue. It started in December 2009 and has persisted since then, which is the longest period in over 40 years. Nikkaluokta in northern Lapland had minus 36.6 degrees yesterday – the season’s lowest temperature so far, according to SMHI. It is also the lowest November temperature in Sweden since 1995.
The bitterly cold and long winter last year followed by the early start to this winter is, of course, only weather – not climate.
But I expect in Cancun next week all the “believers” will be chanting their mantra of 2010 being a very warm year. Common sense will be notably absent of course.
The k2p blog 