Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Due to a pulse of abnormally warm air, the North Pole could rise above freezing this weekend in the dead, dark of winter. In recent days, the northernmost weather station in Greenland lingered above freezing for 24 hours.

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Capital Weather Gang

Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides

By Jason Samenow February 21 at 2:28 PM



The temperature difference from normal over the Arctic averaged over the next five days in the GFS model forecast. (University of Maine Climate Reanalyzer)

While the Eastern United States simmers in some of its warmest February weather ever recorded, the Arctic is also stewing in temperatures more than 45 degrees above normal. This latest huge temperature spike in the Arctic is another striking indicator of its rapidly transforming climate.

On Monday and Tuesday, the northernmost weather station in the world, Cape Morris Jesup at the northern tip of Greenland, experienced more than 24 hours of temperatures above freezing according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “How weird is that?” tweeted Robert Rohde, a physicist at the University of California at Berkeley. “Well it’s Arctic winter. The sun set in October and won’t be seen again until March. Perpetual night, but still above freezing.”

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This thaw occurred as a pulse of extremely mild air shot through the Greenland Sea. ... Warm air is spilling into the Arctic from all sides. On the opposite end of North America, abnormally mild air also poured over northern Alaska on Tuesday, where the temperature in Utqiaġvik, previously known as Barrow, soared to a record high of 31 degrees (minus-1 Celsius), 40 degrees (22 Celsius) above normal.
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The warmth over Alaska occurred as almost one-third of the ice covering the Bering Sea off Alaska’s West Coast vanished in just over a week during the middle of February, InsideClimateNews reported.
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Jason is The Washington Post’s weather editor and Capital Weather Gang's chief meteorologist. He earned a master's degree in atmospheric science and spent 10 years as a climate change science analyst for the U.S. government. He holds the Digital Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. Follow @capitalweather

Previously at DU: A Top-Secret US Military Base Will Melt Out of the Greenland Ice Sheet

[raven mad]

1. It sucks.

Here in Fairbanks, we're going to get 5 to 10 feet more snow. YOU come plow the driveway...............

Everything is too warm for this time of year.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. 80-90 degrees north is about 20 Celsius above normal - like spring 2 months early

http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/meant80n.uk.php