Extreme European Cold to Soon Ease; 169 Now Dead
A frigid dome of high pressure from Siberia is responsible for the deadly cold gripping eastern Europe. Ocean warmth being deflected around this high is causing temperatures to soar 30 to 50 degrees above normal north of mainland Europe within the Arctic Circle.
A bit of relief from the extreme cold gripping eastern Europe is on the horizon, but cannot come soon enough for residents. The cold has claimed at least 169 lives.
Widespread subzero cold from the depths of Siberia continued to have a firm hold on Ukraine, Poland and surrounding countries Friday morning.
The good news is that the cold Friday night will not be as extreme across Ukraine as clouds and snow spill northeastward. The disadvantage is that the snow will create its own problems for residents.
By the end of this weekend, a bit of relief from the brutal cold will come to Poland and Belarus.
The return of mild temperatures, however, will not follow. Unseasonably chilly air will continue to flow throughout Europe next week, but will fail to produce a repeat of this week's extreme temperatures.
Ice covers most of the Wisla River (also known as the Vistula River) in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 1, 2012. Video courtesy of YouTube user Gillymusing.
At least 169 lives have been lost due to the brutal cold across eastern Europe, according to the Associated Press.
The most deaths have been recorded in Ukraine with a total of 101 lives lost. Sixty-four of the dead were homeless and found frozen on the streets.
More than 1,200 other Ukrainians were hospitalized due to hypothermia and frostbite. Health officials have told hospitals to stop discharging these patients to prevent further deaths.
Temperatures bottomed out at their lowest point so far this week in Belarus, Poland and surrounding countries Friday morning.
Warsaw, Poland, endured a low of 9 below zero (F, 23 below zero C), the coldest temperature reading in the city since January 2010.
Temperatures plummeted to 17 below zero (F, 27 below zero C) in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Not since January 2006 have temperatures been that cold in the city.
At the airport that lies outside of the city, temperatures plummeted to 26 below zero (F, 32 below zero C).
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| Precip | 3.99" | Wadena, MN |
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