The US can't decide if it's winter or summer, so it's doing both at the same time

In a move that can only be described as meteorologically unhinged, the United States is currently running two completely opposite seasons simultaneously. According to the Guardian, parts of the north-western US were dusted with unseasonable snow this weekend while the east coast is gearing up for a heatwave that could push New York and Washington DC to a sweaty, soul-crushing 40 degrees Celsius by the end of the week.

Cold front crashes the summer party out west

A strong cold front swept in from the northern Pacific over the weekend, barrelling into western states that had, until very recently, been baking under high summer temperatures amid ongoing drought conditions. The cold snap stretched all the way from the Canadian border down to California - yes, California - bringing what can charitably be described as extremely unwelcome snow for late June.

To be clear: this is not normal. These are unseasonably low temperatures for a region that was already dealing with the stress of drought. Mother Nature, it seems, does not do things by halves.

Meanwhile, the east coast is preparing to melt

While westerners are digging out their jackets, residents of New York and Washington DC are being warned to prepare for temperatures that could hit 40C - a figure that belongs in a conversation about Death Valley, not a conversation about grabbing brunch in Manhattan.

For context, 40C is the kind of heat that makes pavements shimmer, turns subway platforms into saunas, and convinces otherwise rational people to eat ice cream for breakfast. It is not a vibe.

Why is this happening?

The dramatic contrast is the result of clashing air masses - the same basic atmospheric drama that has always driven extreme weather, but playing out with increasing intensity. The western cold front represents an abrupt reversal from the high temperatures the region had been experiencing, while a heat dome effect is expected to bake the eastern seaboard.

Climate scientists have long warned that a warming planet does not simply mean everywhere gets uniformly hotter - it means weather patterns become more erratic, more extreme, and frankly more confusing for everyone trying to pack a suitcase.

Bottom line

If you live in the US right now, check which half of the country you are in before choosing your outfit. The nation is essentially two different planets this week, and the forecast is not interested in your feelings about it.

Source: The Guardian