November 11, 2014

Vortextual Context Bozeman, Montana 2014

With the large mass of cold air sweeping across most of the country this week, the already overworked term polar vortex is being dragged out again to boost the storm’s promotional potential. Here in this part of Montana we’ve  received only a couple of inches of snow so far, with not much more expected. We are however predicted to get to double digits below zero tonight and tomorrow night. While that has generated the predictable amount of grumbling, it’s really business as usual for this time of year. It’s hard to get overly excited about what amounts to pretty normal weather, especially when it follows one of the nicest and longest Indian Summers I can remember. (Temps were in the 60’s even on Sunday before the front moved in.) So, in this context, the polar vortex hysteria isn’t playing well. I’m not sure if I should feel sorry for those of you in parts of the country where this cold weather is really going to be a unusual hardship or just plain envious that you live somewhere where it is in fact unusual.]]>