Its Cold Enough To Wreck Some Business

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During the worst decade on record for global warming, temperatures across the US may set record lows this winter. The reason is global warming. One of its byproducts is causing the Polar Vortex to dip deep into the center and even southern parts of America. The cold, along with snow and ice, will completely exhaust many city cold weather budgets and hammer the profits of airlines. This does not include other disruptions to small businesses and parts of the transportation industry.

35 Degrees Colder Than Usual

“The Arctic air is likely to send temperatures plunging to at least 35 degrees Fahrenheit below average for mid-February across the Midwest and Plains states, with the cold barreling east through the end of the week,” Axios reports.

One statement from the NWS describes the problem. “A closed upper low/trough and deep surface low will work into the Canadian Maritimes by early next week. Trailing upper energies and cold lower atmospheric flow will combine with lingering wrap-back moisture to fuel the Great Lake effect in northern New England. Snows.”

City Budgets Busted

The financial damage starts with municipal budgets. The Federal Highway Administration says that the national budget for now removal is $4 billion a year. The states with the highest budgets have already received nearly-recorded snow levels this year. New York State has a very modest budget for snow plows at $288 million. The western part of the state has already been hit by unusually large amounts of snow, and the winter has two months left.

Airline Losses

Two years ago, winter weather during the holidays cost Southwest Airlines $400 million. While this is unusually high, snow and ice cost the industry tens if not hundreds of millions yearly.