Sudden Stratopheric Warming Event = Big Chill

The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond website sends out weather advisory in blog, "The Big Chill: unusual stratospheric phenomenon is bringing frigid cold to U.S." A phenomenon known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming will contribute colder weather with possibility of more snow in weeks ahead:

"An unusual event playing out high in the atmosphere above the Arctic Circle is setting the stage for what could be weeks upon weeks of frigid cold across wide swaths of the U.S....This phenomenon, known as a 'sudden stratospheric warming event,' started on Jan. 6, but is something that is just beginning to have an effect on weather patterns across North America...The ongoing event favors colder and possibly stormier weather for as long as four to eight weeks after the event, meaning that after a mild start to the winter, the rest of this month and February could bring the coldest weather of the winter season to parts of the U.S., along with a heightened chance of snow."

On the surface, weather forecast seems the norm for January, but degree of cold and snow will tell real story! It's time to bundle up!

Winds Of Uranus

Uranus, seventh planet of solar system, appears a placid blue in 1986 Voyager 2 image (picture). New infrared images captured by Keck Observatory in Hawaii, reveal "bizarre weather" patterns on Uranus, however. “Some of these weather systems stay at fixed latitudes and undergo large variations in activity. Others are seen to drift toward the planet’s equator while undergoing great changes in size and shape. Better measures of the wind fields that surround these massive weather systems are the key to unraveling their mysteries," said Larry Sromovsky, a Wisconsin Univ.-Madison researcher in recent Universe Today article. Sromovsky leads new study of Uranus using Keck II telescope.  A theory offered by article:  "One possible explanation, is that methane is pushed north by an atmospheric conveyor belt toward the pole where it wells up to form the convective features visible in the new images. The phenomena may be seasonal, the team said, but they are still working on trying to put together a clear seasonal trend in the winds of Uranus." It's a wrap on Uranus storm patterns, please stay tuned for weather updates!