NATION
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, January 8, 2016
Polar vortex, El Nino at center
stage of weird weather show
“We have all of these
large and unusual
events happening all
at the same time and I
don’t think it has ever
happened before.”
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON — Get ready
for weather whiplash as powerful
climatic forces elbow each other
for starring roles in a weird winter
show.
The spine-chilling polar vortex
is taking center stage in Europe and
bringing persistent cold to much of
North America — except in Holly-
wood, where soggy El Nino won’t
give up the spotlight.
After El Nino delivered a balmy
Christmas Eve to the eastern U.S.
and shattered national records with
a warm, wet and wild December,
Minnesota may host one of the
coldest NFL playoff games in
history this Sunday, with wind
chills around 20 below, meteorol-
ogists predict.
“The biggest thing is this whip-
lash,” said University of Oklahoma
meteorology professor Jason
Furtado. “It’s going to be a shock
for people.”
The center of the cold blast
starts this weekend in the U.S.
in the upper Midwest, and then
moves to the Hudson Bay area next
week, while in Europe it starts in
the east and north and then spreads,
Furtado said. Europe may have to
get used to temperatures 20 or so
degrees below normal.
“Temperature will be dominated
by the impact of the polar vortex,”
said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast
chief for the private Atmospheric
and Environmental Research
company outside Boston. It will
feel similar to 2013 and 2014, he
said.
Americans became painfully
familiar with the polar vortex
during those winters. This time,
America’s winter temperatures
will depend on when the wet and
warm El Nino pushes itself back to
prominence, Furtado said.
“We have all of these large and
unusual events happening all at
the same time and I don’t think it
has ever happened before,” said
Rutgers University climate scien-
tist Jennifer Francis.
For a winter this dramatic, it
may help to consult the program:
Medford Police Department via AP
A surveillance photo provided
by the Medford Police Depart-
ment shows a bank robber who
demanded cash from a Chase
Bank branch in Medford on
Monday. Medford police shared
photos of the robbery suspect
on social media, leading many
to comment that the suspect
looked a lot like “Dirty Jobs”
television host Mike Rowe.
— Jennifer Francis, Rutgers
University climate scientist
sippi River Valley isn’t usually an
El Nino signature though, Cohen
said.
Act two
Medford robbery
suspect resembles
‘Dity Jobs’ star
7KH VZLWFK ÀLSSHG7KH$UFWLF
Oscillation and its North Atlantic
sidekick went negative big time.
“When it’s a negative AO, that’s
AP Photo/Nick Lo Verde, File
In this photo taken in 2014, the United States side of Niagara when people start mentioning the
Falls in New York had begun to thaw after a “polar vortex” that words ‘polar vortex’,” Halpert
said.
affected millions in the U.S. and Canada.
This time, there’s cold air, but
Another air pattern playing it’s mostly dry so far, despite El
weather worldwide, especially in
the Americas and Asia. It is closely a small but key role is the Nino, which still spawns a series
associated with heavy rain in Cali- Madden-Julian Oscillation, which of rainstorms hitting California.
fornia, and general warming. It has travels in the warm parts of the Meteorologists say wetter weather
less effect in Europe because that’s ,QGLDQ DQG 3DFL¿F RFHDQV DQG could bring heavy snowstorms, but
IXUWKHUDZD\:LWKLWVÀLSVLGH/D may have triggered changes that that’s not likely for another week
Nina, it is known as the El Nino ³ÀLSSHGWKHVZLWFK´LQ'HFHPEHU or more, although cities along the
Southern Oscillation, and it lasts Furtado said.
Great Lakes may get lake effect
Still other characters may be snow.
about a year.
Playing off against El Nino is a factor in making the jet streams
So far the east-moving moisture
the Arctic Oscillation, and its index oscillate more wildly: A huge blob from El Nino is staying south of the
measures differences in atmo- of warm water in the northern Arctic plunge, but that may change.
spheric pressure between the Arctic 3DFL¿F XQXVXDOO\ ORZ VHD LFH
For now, the AO is dominating
and mid-latitudes. When the AO is levels in the Arctic’s Barents Kara LQLWV¿JKWZLWK(O1LQRHVSHFLDOO\
positive in the winter, polar air stays sea area; a cool patch of water off in Europe, Cohen said. NFL
trapped up north and the weather is Greenland, likely from melting ice players and fans will likely brave
relatively mild further south. When sheets and glaciers; winter storm temperatures around one below
the AO is negative, the cold Arctic Frank that hit England; and of zero in Minneapolis.
air escapes and plunges into lower course man-made climate change.
Act three
latitudes, treating the United States Act one
and Europe to the polar vortex — a
No spoilers here. Will the polar
This was last month. El Nino vortex hold the stage for weeks
swirling air mass that carries spine-
appeared in classic form, tying or months? Will the cold AO and
chilling temperatures.
The North Atlantic Oscillation 1997-1998 for the strongest on wet El Nino combine for whopper
LVDELWSOD\HUZLWKDELJLQÀXHQFH record. The Arctic Oscillation was snowstorms?
over Europe’s weather. As with its very positive, trapping cold air in
Rutgers’ Francis doesn’t think
Arctic cousin, the more negative northern latitudes. With so many the moisture and the cold can keep
its index, the colder the continent warm, wet days further south, avoiding each other, saying “we’re
VSULQJÀRZHUVSRSSHGXSDQGWUHHV going to have major major dumps
becomes.
The jet streams also are bloomed in December.
of snow. We just don’t know
“It’s not surprising we were where.”
important to watch. These rivers of
DLUKHDYLO\LQÀXHQFHORFDOZHDWKHU 70 degrees on Christmas Day,”
Furtado predicts El Nino will
everywhere, carrying storms and said Mike Halpert of the National push aside the cold in America, but
clearing skies around the planet. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- not in Europe, where it has less of
Usually in the winter, the jet stream istration’s Climate Prediction DQLQÀXHQFH&RKHQLVOHVVFHUWDLQ
The cast
that affects most people in the Center in College Park, Marylanvd. about what will happen as these
El Nino often spawns winter forces morph and interact over
The star is El Nino, a veteran of United States and Europe moves
this stage for a few decades now. relatively straight from west to east. tornadoes in the southern U.S. and time.
This natural warming of the central But when it weakens, it can plunge they appeared on cue, killing two
“There’s a lot going on; the
WURSLFDO 3DFL¿F RFFXUV HYHU\ WZR south and north and even get stuck dozen people in just four days. The weather has been crazy,” Cohen
KHDY\UDLQWKDWÀRRGHGWKH0LVVLV- said. “Expect the unexpected.”
to seven years or so, and changes at times, creating odd extremes.
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SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Mostly cloudy
Mainly cloudy; ice
at night
35° 24°
33° 27°
MONDAY
Partly sunny and
chilly
Low clouds and
freezing fog
Chilly with some
sun
34° 20°
33° 20°
34° 22°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
35° 27°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
33°
40°
68° (1902)
27°
26°
-7° (1937)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.01"
0.40"
0.01"
0.18"
0.40"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
37°
32°
40°
28°
67° (2002) -13° (1937)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.01"
0.28"
0.01"
0.10"
0.28"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
New
First
Jan 9
Jan 16
Full
Jan 23
36° 24°
34° 23°
35° 25°
Seattle
44/34
ALMANAC
7:35 a.m.
4:28 p.m.
6:03 a.m.
3:43 p.m.
Last
Jan 31
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Today
TUESDAY
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
36° 28°
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Copyright © 2015, EO Media Group
Spokane
Wenatchee
33/23
38/29
Tacoma
Moses
44/28
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 36/28
34/23
45/35
43/28
39/27
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
45/30
38/25 Lewiston
37/29
Astoria
39/29
49/37
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
44/34
Pendleton 35/14
The Dalles 36/28
35/24
39/32
La Grande
Salem
38/20
46/34
Albany
Corvallis 46/35
47/35
John Day
38/21
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
35/19
47/36
37/21
Caldwell
Burns
35/21
28/14
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
49
34
37
51
28
35
47
35
36
38
33
38
36
49
50
54
35
39
35
44
38
46
33
35
44
38
39
Lo
37
19
21
44
14
14
36
23
28
21
19
20
17
37
39
44
19
28
24
34
19
34
23
17
33
25
27
W
pc
c
pc
pc
c
c
pc
c
c
c
pc
c
c
c
pc
pc
c
c
c
pc
pc
pc
sf
c
pc
c
c
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
Hi
46
31
36
50
28
31
45
33
35
36
34
34
33
49
47
53
34
36
33
42
36
44
32
32
42
33
38
Lo
38
19
23
39
17
16
33
23
27
23
17
23
22
32
38
39
21
25
27
36
21
35
20
18
35
27
24
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
r
pc
sn
r
sn
pc
r
c
c
c
sn
pc
pc
r
r
r
pc
c
c
r
sn
r
c
c
r
c
c
WORLD CITIES
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
34
69
49
49
70
9
47
61
35
76
51
Lo
11
63
44
42
39
6
38
53
20
65
40
W
s
s
sh
pc
s
c
c
c
s
pc
c
Sat.
Hi
38
70
54
50
72
8
50
62
36
78
51
Lo
16
65
41
41
43
3
43
53
26
67
40
W
s
c
pc
r
s
sn
sh
sh
pc
pc
pc
WINDS
Medford
49/37
Klamath Falls
33/19
(in mph)
Today
Saturday
Boardman
Pendleton
VAR 3-6
NNE 3-6
NE 3-6
VAR 3-6
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Fog today; some sun, then
clouds in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and
breaks of sun today. Mostly cloudy tonight;
cold near the Cascades.
Western Washington: Areas of fog in the
morning; otherwise, partly sunny today.
Eastern Washington: Mostly cloudy today;
a couple of morning fl urries near the Idaho
border.
Cascades: Times of clouds and sun today.
0
0
0
0
0
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Northern California: A little rain at the coast
today; partly sunny elsewhere.
Corrections
The East Oregonian works hard to
be accurate and sincerely regrets any
errors. If you notice a mistake in the
paper, please call 541-966-0818.
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MEDFORD (AP) — This is a
dirty job one Discovery Channel star
would not do.
Fans of the TV show “Dirty Jobs”
noticed that photos of an Oregon
bank robbery suspect resembled host
Mike Rowe. The attention prompted
a bemused Rowe to mention that he
was in Kansas at the time.
Police in the city of Medford
released surveillance photos of the
suspect on social media, leading
many people to comment that the
man looked a lot like Rowe, the
Mail Tribune reported Wednesday.
The police department joked
RQ LWV YHUL¿HG )DFHERRN SDJH WKDW
all the tips led it to issue an arrest
warrant for the TV host. After Rowe
revealed that he was across the
country, police posted that they were
“now looking for a suspect wearing
a Mike Rowe mask.”
Rowe — whose show chronicles
jobs considered icky, such as road
kill collectors — told the newspaper
that he agreed the man was his
doppelganger.
“I just laughed out loud,”
Rowe said in a phone interview
Wednesday. “It does look like me.”
The Rowe lookalike is accused of
demanding cash from a Chase Bank
branch on Monday. Police are still
looking for the real suspect.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Rain will dampen areas from the southern Atlantic coast to the Ohio
Valley and central Great Lakes today. Snow will fall from the central Plains to the Upper
Midwest and on part of the Four Corners region.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 78° in Naples, Fla.
Low -3° in Berlin, N.H.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
36
55
50
45
19
59
36
41
60
53
42
43
67
24
41
49
2
21
84
71
48
68
42
53
62
59
Lo
24
45
43
36
10
50
26
36
51
40
35
40
40
12
38
34
-5
-4
71
49
43
55
28
37
49
46
W
sf
pc
c
r
sn
pc
c
sh
sh
r
r
r
pc
sn
r
c
pc
sf
s
t
c
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
Sat.
Hi
37
55
55
50
18
59
34
43
69
56
40
50
49
27
48
49
11
-2
82
60
50
73
29
51
56
57
Lo
21
44
49
46
10
40
24
40
56
45
23
42
30
10
39
31
3
-15
67
37
29
52
9
37
29
49
Today
W
s
r
c
sh
sf
r
c
r
sh
sh
sn
c
pc
pc
c
s
pc
pc
sh
pc
r
t
sn
pc
sh
r
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
56
62
79
39
35
60
71
43
50
35
46
55
35
44
51
22
38
53
54
33
60
54
44
51
45
41
Lo
48
51
69
33
14
48
58
38
31
19
39
42
27
34
44
5
27
44
41
24
51
47
34
36
39
29
W
c
pc
sh
r
sn
sh
pc
pc
pc
sn
c
r
pc
pc
r
sf
pc
pc
c
sf
pc
pc
pc
r
r
c
Sat.
Hi
55
55
82
38
15
58
69
49
37
20
54
57
39
46
57
15
38
55
43
34
60
56
43
53
53
31
Lo
35
30
71
22
-4
35
45
46
21
1
48
43
36
39
48
-4
24
39
15
20
54
44
36
36
46
15
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
r
r
sh
sn
c
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pc
c
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c
c
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sf
