In the eastern US and Canada, polar air currents with strong gusts of wind have caused extreme frost. At the top of Mount Washington in the northeastern US state of New Hampshire, the so-called wind chill temperature, which was influenced by the wind, fell to minus 78 degrees Celsius (local time) on Saturday night, according to the US weather agency NWS. ) – the lowest in the world US by measured value, according to the bureau.
According to the American broadcaster CNN, the new wind chill record measured on Mount Washington was below the previous low of minus 76 degrees Celsius, which was measured in Alaska. It was caused by the combination of an air temperature of minus 43 degrees and wind gusts with a speed of up to 177 kilometers per hour. At 1,920 meters, Mount Washington is the highest mountain in the northeastern United States and the mountain is notorious for its extreme weather conditions.
The NWS field office in Caribou, further north in the state of Maine, reported a wind chill of minus 51 degrees for the city of Frenchville, which is on the border with Canada. According to the NWS, such temperatures can lead to freezing of unprotected skin within five minutes.
In addition, so-called frost quakes were reported from the region. According to the NWS, these vibrations on the Earth’s surface are caused by sudden cracks in frozen ground or frozen water in the bedrock.
Before the cold snap, the US Weather Bureau warned of arctic cold that “occurs only once in a generation”. The state of Maine has not experienced a similar frost since the 1980s.
However, temperatures were also up to 15 degrees below the seasonal average in much of the northwestern U.S. and the Atlantic Coast, according to the NWS. Due to the extremely low temperatures, there were weather warnings, including in the Canadian province of Québec and other parts of Eastern Canada. A wind chill of minus 41 degrees was measured at the airport in Montreal and minus 34 degrees in Boston. In New York City, minus 16 degrees was measured in Central Park.
During the course of Sunday, warmer air masses should put an end to the extreme cold.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
