A powerful storm east of Greenland equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane is drawing warm air into the pole region pushing temperatures above freezing point on Thursday. Weather buoys deployed in the region are reporting temperatures as high as 32 degree Fahrenheit ( 0 degree Celsius) according to the North Pole Environmental Observatory.
The unusual spike in temperatures comes after Arctic sea ice decreased by 19,000 square miles during last month when it normally gains ground. Scientists estimate that such an event could have created a channel for warmer air to flow north. A similar spike in temperature to the freezing point was reported in December 2015 also. Brian Kahn of Climate Central writes:
As isolated data points, the back-to-back winter warm-ups would be weird. But taken in the larger context, it’s part of an unsettling trend for a region that is being rapidly reshaped by climate change. The atmosphere is again set up in a way that’s funneling warm air into the Arctic via the Bering Strait and North Atlantic. There’s also been a ton of missing sea ice in the region — the result of what’s been a really abnormally warm year for the region all around. That’s left warmer ocean waters exposed, essentially helping lock in warmer-than-normal air temperatures as well.
The unprecedented warm temperatures has direct effects on Arctic wildlife. Studies show that reindeer populations are shrinking as a result of warming temperatures. Melting ice shrinks also habitat for animals like polar bears.
