Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:35 UTC According to the satellites, the global lower troposphere cooled rapidly during the past two months (Dec + Jan). Mid-latitude cooling is only intensifying-further during February as record-breaking polar blasts are about to descend into North America, Europe, and Asia simultaneously: tight ZONAL flows to unusually wavy MERIDIONAL ones. This reduction in energy is effectively "buckling" those bands of fast-flowing air, with the upshot (in the NH) being the transportation of tropical warmth anomalously-far north, and, conversely, the sinking of polar cold unusually-far south. North America North America is now on course for something widespread truly historic. "Arctic Air is About to Bring Dangerously Cold Temps," reads one mainstream headline; "Arctic Blast Will Bring a Deep Freeze From Chicago to New York," exclaims another.