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What Causes Extreme Cold Weather?

Extreme cold weather is when the temperature drops below -15 degrees Fahrenheit. According to a study performed by University of California, Berkeley, extreme cold weather is responsible for approximately 0.8 percent of annual deaths in the United States. These deaths do not only happen during the severe weather, but for weeks after as well, due to the long term effects of the weather on the human body. Extreme cold does not have one single cause, but is formed by a combination of different factors.

  1. The Planet's Rotation

    • The Earth gets its heat from the sun. Our planet revolves around the sun, and the planet itself spins on an axis. The planet revolves around the sun in an elliptical pattern, meaning that at some points it is further away from the sun than at other points. When it is further away from the sun, it is hard for the planet to attain heat, and at some points receives very little heat from the sun.

    The Earth's Axis

    • It is a common misconception that the axis on which our planet spins is vertical. It is actually tilted at about 23.4 degrees. Due to this tilt, certain areas of the planet experience longer periods of darkness than others. With less exposure to the sun, temperatures are not as easily sustained and can drop rapidly. The rotation of the planet, along with the axis on which it spins, cause the planet to experience changing seasons.

    Seasonal Effect

    • During the winter solstice, the planet is furthest away from the sun. It receives very little heat from the sun, and is forced to rely on the heat generated from its own core to sustain livable conditions. The only way that the heat is contained within the planet is through the changing weather patterns. During the summer, cloud cover keeps extreme heat from reaching the planet's surface. During the winter, however, the clouds serve to trap the planet's heat, increasing temperatures. High winds and snow storms also have an effect on the temperature, as the snow reflects heat away from the planet. High winds serve to prevent people and objects from being able to hold heat.

    Winds

    • Wind also has an effect on temperature. Heavy winds carry in snow storms from the oceans that can severely decrease temperatures in the affected regions. These winds accompany the snow, and often follow it. When the winds pass through areas, they reduce core temperatures of people and objects, making it much harder for the region itself to maintain a safe temperature. For the same reason, the National Weather Service normally states a windchill temperature in addition to the normal temperature. This windchill tells people what the temperature feels like with the wind blowing.

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