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Warming Northern Arctic Winds Could Mean Less Extremely Cold Winter and Fall Weather Events

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A warming climate in the Arctic could soon makes its effects known to the rest of the world, as some scientists believe this will lead to less extreme fall and winter weather events.

According to Mashable, James A. Screen, a climate researcher at the University of Exeter, conducted his own study on the matter. He found that as the Arctic becomes warmer northern cold winds are cooling off faster than ones from the south, leading to a smaller overall temperature variability.

Screen published his study in the journal Nature Climate Change, but some of his contemporaries argue that the effects of a warming Arctic are exclusive to the Arctic. Contrary theories to Screen's state the Arctic's rapid warming are actually pushing high-altitude winds across the Northern Hemisphere, contributing to extreme cold weather events like the "polar vortex."

"Autumn and winter days are becoming warmer on average, and less variable from day-to-day," Screen said in a press release. "Both factors reduce the chance of extremely cold days."

Based on his research, the Exeter scientist found in 33 of 34 computer model projections a decrease in future temperature variability.

"You're kind of taking the edge off of your cold extremes," Screen told Mashable. "Those cold northerly winds are warming more rapidly than the warm southerly winds, which means you get fewer cold extremes."

He also said the recent "polar vortex" or the extremely cold winter in the U.S. and parts of Europe was less intense than some people may believe.

"What happened in the past winter wasn't anywhere near as unprecedented or unusual as [it was] made out to be," he said. "I don't think we necessarily need explanations for the past winter other than that's just weather."

Despite what his peers may say to the contrary of his research, Screen concluded simply that warming northern winds are going to mean less cold days.

"Cold days tend to occur when the wind is blowing from the north, bringing Arctic air south into the mid-latitudes," Screen said in the release. "Because the Arctic air is warming so rapidly these cold days are now less cold than they were in the past."

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