The “Great Arctic Outbreak of February 1899” — Polar Vortex and Low Solar Activity to Blame

[Elderberry]

Electroverse February 12, 2019 Cap Allon

The “Great Arctic Outbreak of February 1899” as it became known, is one of the most widespread North American cold snaps in recorded history. It was described in a 1988 academic article as “a benchmark with which to compare similar events.”

The amount of magnetic flux that rises up to the Sun’s surface varies within a solar cycle. Near the minimum of the cycle it is rare to see sunspots on the Sun, and the spots that do appear are very small and short-lived. During the maximum there are many sunspots visible.

The strength of each cycle overall also varies.

The “Great Arctic Outbreak of February 1899” occurred during the solar minimum between ‘weak’ solar cycles 13 and 14 — these were the previous comparably weak cycles to the one we’ve just experienced, cycle 24.



Research has linked low solar activity with colder temperatures in the lower latitudes — Mikhaël Schwander, et al, 2017 — and the sun is currently going through it’s deepest solar minimum in over 100 years.

The lowest-ever recorded temps in many cities were set during the Great Arctic Outbreak of February 1899, but 2019 has started to oust many of these. I’ve listed a few below:

    Feb 8, 2019: Prince Albert broke a -42.8C record that was set in 1899, with a new record of -44.8.
    Feb 8, 2019: -43C tied Williston’s, ND all time record low set in 1899.
    Feb 06, 2019: In Lansing, Michigan the highest the temp got was 3 degrees, beating the record of 5 degrees from 1899.
    Jan 31, 2019: Green Bay tied it’s low of -26C from 1899.
    Jan, 2019: Milwaukee smashed a daily record that had stood since 1899 by six degrees, with a low of minus -21.


There are many more but you get the picture.

My point is climate is cyclic, never linear.

More: https://electroverse.net/the-great-arctic-outbreak-of-february-1899-polar-vortex-and-low-solar-activity-to-blame/