When 40 degrees seems warm
January 12, 2010 (Tuesday)
Yesterday morning, on the CNN web site, I heard two ladies, both meteorologists, explain the weather. They were great, and I learned a lot by listening to them. You can view the video if you like by clicking here.
The host of the show called attention to the fact that the entire northern hemisphere is in the grips of bitterly cold weather, including the United States. She asked the weather folks why. I’ll try to give their answer as best I can, but I am certainly no weather man. (Did I tell you I HATE COLD WEATHER???)
Here’s the story about our present cold snap. The earth has tilted in honor of winter and the arctic is dark. At this time of year, night rules the north pole and the arctic circle , which, as you know, lies north of the entire earth, both western and eastern hemispheres. Without the sun’s warming rays, cold air builds. The jet stream is going round and round, circling the cold air, which, as I said, is growing in intensity year by year, until finally the arctic air gets so heavy that it weakens the jet stream and pushes southward. This is happening all around the world, including Europe and Asia. As the song says, “Baby, it’s cold outside!”
This cold winter cools down the atmosphere throughout the northern hemisphere, restoring some balance. We learned in high school science that everything in this natural world tends toward equilibrium. This basic fact underlies all the sciences that try to harness nature.
The good news is that the arctic is releasing its cold air and will require years to replenish its supply. That’s why the earth moves through warm cycles and cold cycles. Makes sense to me. Thank you, lady meteorologists, because I never heard it put like this before.
For us who believe in God’s sovereign power over the natural world, this is just a little insight into how he designed it and is still in control of it. Every time we get to thinking that humankind rules the roost, we need to remember that it’s then that “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh!” (Psalms 2:4).