Arctic Blast Grips US, Canada

Image copyright: Fox News

The Facts

  • In what the US National Weather Service is calling an "epic, generational" onslaught of arctic air, record low temperatures and high winds from Canada barrelled into the northeast United States Friday.

  • NBC climate reporter Bill Karins tweeted that Northern Maine will become "one of the coldest locations on the planet," facing -30°F (-34°C) temperatures. Wind chills are expected to make it feel as cold as -40°F (-40°C) in New Hampshire and Vermont and -100°F (-73°C) on Mount Washington.


The Spin

Narrative A

As is playing out with this weather system, short bursts of extreme cold do not mean global warming is a myth. In fact, after decades of human-caused warming, "weather weirding" is playing out across the world. Don't dismiss climate change — it could even be contributing to extreme polar plunges like these.

Narrative B

It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.


Metaculus Prediction


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