Siberian Express brings Arctic blast across the States
Over the last few days high pressure has been continuing to build across Siberia bringing unusually cold weather.
On Wednesday weather warnings were issued by Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry after forecasters predicted a fall of temperature to –55C
(-67F). On Saturday night the temperature in Ojmjakon, Siberia actually fell to -60.2C (-76F). January temperatures across the larger Siberian cities normally range from –15C to –39C (5 to -38F).
Over the last few days this cold air building over the Polar regions of Canada and Siberia, has now been sent southwards across the States in a phenomenon commonly known as the “Siberian Express”.
The Siberian Express is a meteorological term in the United States which describes the plunge of an extremely cold air mass. When high pressure extends north from the extreme western states of the US into northern Siberia it allows this Arctic blast to surge southeast wards across Canada and central and eastern parts of the US, sometimes as far as the Deep South. It often brings with it significantly below-average temperatures.
Over the last few days and into the weekend, the Siberian Express has been felt as far south as the Gulf Coast. Most of south Mississippi, as far east as the western Florida Panhandle, was placed under a winter weather advisory on Saturday. Freezing temperatures were forecast as well as snow. Up to 7.5cm (3 inches) of snow fell across southern Mississippi during the day, before the storm headed east bringing snowfalls across Alabama and Georgia.
Across both the US and Siberia, the cold weather is forecast to intensify over the coming days.
