Gordon Forgey

The northern plains, midwest and east are being savaged by cold. Millions of Americans are suffering through subzero temperatures. Wind chills have been reported as low as minus 60 degrees.

The weather is playing havoc with transportation. Thousands of scheduled flights have been cancelled. Some travellers stranded last weekend say they cannot get a flight until early next week. Others tried to avoid the chaotic airports by taking a train. More than 500 passengers were stranded overnight on Amtrak trains in the frigid weather near Chicago.

Some mayors have asked all citizens to stay off the roads and highways to avoid the danger of freezing to death in case of an accident or mechanical breakdown.

In general, this is the coldest weather in two decades. Some locations are reporting all time lows. It was so cold in Kentucky that a wanted man turned himself in to authorities just to get warm.

It is all the result of a “polar vortex” that has swooped south because of a change in the jet stream.

The cold is life-threatening. It is devastating for livestock. Worries persist that power grids will not be able to meet demand.

It all makes the banana belt of the Palouse look pretty good. What’s so tough about waking up to a sweet 16 degree morning as we did recently?

Even better, local short range forecasts predict warming and some precipitation for the parched fields.

As they say, it could be worse.

Gordon Forgey

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