China Approaches -50C (-58F); Record Cold In The Dominican Republic; Summer Snow Down Under, Another 12 *Monthly* Low Temp Records Felled; + The Sun Is Crackling With M-Flares
China Approaches -50C (-58F)
China’s lingering –and already record-breaking– freeze has intensified again this week, with Northern provinces in the grips of yet another fierce Arctic Outbreak.
Temperatures had plunged to -43.4C (-46.1F) on the Greater Hinggan Mountain yesterday evening, with thermometers expected to continue dropping overnight, to perhaps a record-busting -50C (-58F) by morning.
The polar air is now traversing south, into the tropics.
Xinfeng, for example, in Guangdong Province (23.9N), logged -3C (26.6F), the locale’s lowest temperature in 23 years — with more to come.
Record Cold In The Dominican Republic
As reported yesterday (linked below), record cold has swept The Caribbean this week.
The highlands of Hispaniola Island have now also joined in the fun.
The station of Valle Nuevo in the Dominican Republic recently sank to 1.9C (35.4F). This is the country’s lowest temperature ever recorded in the month of December, and the lowest in any month for almost 50 years.
Summer Snow Down Under…
“We had a good drift of snow this morning, but it’s very surreal,” said Jindabyne local Olivier Kapetanakos. “[It’s] not normal”.
Areas like Perisher Valley, Thredbo Village, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn have all seen summer snow this week, with more –along with sub-zero lows (C)– forecast to continue for the foreseeable, as a ‘blocking’ weather pattern prevents warm air from returning to Australia’s southern shore–a pattern that becomes more prevalent during times of low solar activity, such as the historically low output we’ve been receiving since solar cycle 24 (so around 2008).
And while the summer snow is impressive –and at times unprecedented– it is the cold that’s the real story here.
This is also the view of MountainWatch.com‘s Reggae Elliss, who said: “It’s not run of the mill stuff because of the length of time we’re seeing with this period of cold weather.”
The intensity of the freeze is equally anomalous…
…Another 12 *Monthly* Low Temp Records Felled
More cold records from were set this morning, Thursday, December 15 — at least another dozen.
Of the 12 locales that set new monthly low temperatures, the standouts are probably Cobar with its 8C (46.4F), Trangie with 6.2C (43.2), and Glen Innes with its truly frigid -1.7C (28.9F)–which is also a new ‘summer’ record low.
Australia has broken going-on 100 monthly cold-records so far this December, including Victoria’s -5.4C (22.3F)–the state’s lowest summer temperature ever; and Perisher’s (-7C/19.4F)–the entire Aussie continent’s coldest summer temperature ever.
The Sun Is Crackling With M-Flares
NOAA forecasters say there is a 75% chance of M-flares and a 15% chance of X-flares today, Dec 15. And with 11 numbered sunspot groups crossing the face of the sun, odds are good that any eruption will be geoeffective (impact Earth).
Yesterday, fast-growing sunspot AR3165 unleashed a remarkable series of M-class solar flares.
All day long, no more than a few hours went by without a significant explosion:
Fortunately, while the sunspot strobed Earth with more than 10 pulses of extreme ultraviolet and X-radiation –which caused shortwave radio blackouts across all longitudes, impacting aviators and mariners using frequencies below 15 MHz– preliminary coronagraph data from SOHO suggests that all of these M-flares will miss Earth.
Maybe next time?
Dr Tony Phillips, of spaceweather.com, points to another large sunspot, ‘AR3163’, which also has unstable ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field. Such a field poses a threat for M-and-maybe-X-class flares–and it is directly facing Earth:
Stay tuned for updates.
Cap, thanks for doing such a great job on reporting cold weather events taking place. I live in the Southern Sierra, elevation 2,400 feet. The past 2 winters we get rain in November & December then it shuts down for a dry winter. Not good for the cattle business. Very little profit.
Same pattern is occurring this year. We have had some good rain again this Autumn, green grass popping up now. But this weekends rain has cancelled out with none in the forecast. Our 2 Bakersfield ( 1 hour away) tv weathermen have stated that November & December daily temps are 10 degrees below normal. Here in the mountains the days are not warming up but very cool. Thanx Again, Ron from Poso Flat.
Thank you for this Article Cap,
It is totally amazing how it can be Summer in Australia with these amazing temps!!!
My little experiment yesterday with screen shots of Accuweather predictions for Christmas paid off. Port Jervis, NY, stayed the same at 24 F for the high, while the prediction for San Angelo, Texas in far west Texas, dropped 5 F from 50 F predicted in the morning to 45 F for a high on the 24th Dec last evening!!
Hunga Tonga Maximum Cooling Effect predicted for 1 Feb 2023!
Then it stays cold for a year! Let’s see if the models can factor that into their predictions!
Stay tuned for more!
DS
Dallas, when you say that Then it stays cold for a year, are you saying this about only the southern hemisphere only ??? or also the northern hemisphere ? I am wondering now about North America, USA. Any thoughts ?
Two days ago the forecast for Arlington Wa USA one week out on 12 21 22 was supposed to be -1F with 21 inches of snow on the ground. Yesterday the forecast jumped up to 10F and now the forecast is for 40F no snow, rain. Totally different forecast in two days for one week away. Crazy. Same for here, supposed to be 12F snow now 39F and rain. Crazy. I can explain it though, I put my four studded snow tires on my 4X4 yesterday. Works every time. If I didn’t put them on it would snow five feet. Ho ho ho!
I see it everywhere, humans imagining great complexity where there is none. It’s a mind virus, and it’s tied in with Pride, and the desire to be important.
The climate is NOT complex, and a site that understands we are entering a mini ice age (or a bona fide one) should realize this.
Well gee, I’m not a “climate scientist” but once I saw the solar minimum advocates were correct (it’s called listening to your senses, and remembering what it was like outside when you were a little kid in the early 79s) – I predicted the equatorial pacific would continue to get colder – solar output is kinda important, duh.
This also explains the wavy jet stream and DECREASING WATER VAPOR at the altitude where it counts. A freshman Microbiology major like me understood that water does a neat little negative feedback thing called condensation and evaporation.
THE CLIMATE IS CONTROLLED BY SOLAR OUTPUT AND WATER VAPOR, PERIOD. YOU CAN FACTOR IN LARGE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. IF YOU’RE GONNA TALK TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE YOU ARE TALKING 0.0001 PERCENT.
I forgot to mention in my mini diatribe, the western US is pretty much screwed from here on out, due to the simple fact that low solar output (low atmospheric water vapor) and la ninas for decades equals MEGADROUGHT for at least a few decades probably century or more.
Next year the equatorial pacific will be cold cold again, and people might start getting a clue – good time to leave these states, where people are rude, obnoxious and self-important (sorta like the northeast states).
Megadroughts in many places worldwide of course, solar output is kinda important for evaporation and wind patterns. And trees being destroyed or dying everywhere is a double whammy, transpiration is huge for generating humidity , the sierras in california are decimated from bark beetles and mismanagement.
I guess my “mini diatribe didn’t get published.
I’ll summarize quicikly.
I see it everywhere, humans trying to make things complicated where simplicity exists. It’s tied into pride and self importance.
I knew when the solar minimum folks were correct, that the equatorial pacific would continue to cool. It’s pretty darn simple, low solar output. What is also not known or covered up is the basic fact that water vapor at the altitude where it counts is decreasing rapidly. Just use your mind and senses. Remember when you were a kid (if you have some maturity) in the 70s, remember what the climate was like.
Water vapor does a neaty-keen little negative feedback loop thing called condensation and evaporation – it’s kinda important and enables life on a planet.
The climate is controlled by solar output and water vapor PERIOD. You can throw in large volcanic eruptions.
Talk to me about anything else and I’m gonna ignore it, You’re talking fraction of a fraction of a percent.
I live in the south of Uganda and it’s normally a bit colder these months because it’s the rainy season but it’s colder than normal. When I looked at the weather app to see the average temperatures during these months, I see we are about one or two degrees below the average lowest temperature.
I must say I don’t mind too much because I like the colder nights but I was wondering, DS. What do you think will happen to a landlocked climate on the equator like Uganda. Do you have some advice regarding preparing myself and my neighbours here.
Ah sorry, I directed the question at the wrong person! I meant Cap Allon but if you have some advice, DS, please share it with me 🙂 The more the better.
Well now you have a You Tube mention, from Space Weather News dot com, 12/15/2022. Hopefully your viewership numbers rise.
Snowdrifts in Moscow are getting higher
The weather in Moscow changes very quickly, like in a fairy tale about twelve months. The anticyclone brought severe frosts, it was replaced by a cyclone from the south with heavy snowfalls, then turned into sleet and rain. But another cyclone brought heavy snowfalls. And the snowdrifts grew again.
Their height at the VDNKh station increased by the morning of December 14 to 16 cm, and on the morning of December 15, the height of the snow cover increased to 18 cm. In Izmailovo – up to 23 cm, in Konkovo – up to 24. In the Region there is even more snow. In Vnukovo, up to 21cm, in Pavlovsky Posadka, up to 22 cm. In Klin, snowdrifts have grown to 25 cm, and in Kolomna – up to 31 cm.
“”So much snow usually happens in January. “”
Earlier, in 1988, the snow cover in Kolomna increased to 35 cm.
http://www.hmn.ru/index.php?index=1&ts=221215105349
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Winter in Moscow (and other parts of the world) is snowy (and cold) a month ahead of time, isn’t it!?
Worst spring I can remember in Victoria, Australia…constant wet and cold spells.
This week has been terrible for mid December summer month. Hail, rain/snow and wind….temps in the low teens.
Talking to average people and they all agree on one thing…these clowns called scientists are liars.
A record cold ‘summer’ so far down under. And on the same day of these record low temps the morons in government just legislated price caps on coal and gas. Expect record high power prices combined with outages in 2023. Weak men create hard times.
Just a reminder – it is hot now in the coastal strip of “sunny Queensland” in northern Australia. [Record migration of persons to Qld recorded – still room for more but avoid Brisbane area – too prone to hail storms , flash floods etc]. Unfortunately I cannot do anything about the impending nationwide electricity shortage mentioned by Nick.
Great article Cap, though my computer seems to like overlapping some of the segments – Sigh.
I have been wading through Valentina Zharkova’s dissertation on the causes of our imminent Global cooling – wonderful stuff but the maths is out of my reach.
She does not disagree with the global warming advocates that it will get warmer in the longer term – up to 2600 AD, but her analysis confirms that SC25 will be lower than SC24 and that SC26 will be the equivalent of the Maunder Minimum though of much shorter cyclic duration.
In essence she says that we will experience a solar winter through until about 2053 after which time warming will recommence.
It is worth your reader’s time to look it up on YouTube though it is 82 minutes long