Fear the Blob

Beware the Blob!  No, I'm not talking about the B-movie sci-fi monster movie from the late 1950's starring Steve McQueen (nor the 1988 remake).  The movie's plot involves a carnivorous amoeba-like alien life form that crashes to Earth from outer space inside a meteorite that gradually envelops (and eats) any living thing, growing larger and larger and becoming more aggressive at each stage.  The heroes eventually freeze the Blob and transport it to the Arctic, with the prophetic realization that the cold will stop the Blob "as long as the Arctic stays cold."  Hmmm...The Arctic is getting warmer and warmer.

Ironically enough, the Blob that I am referring has a lot to do with global weather patterns.  It's completely different than either "El Niño" (Spanish for "the little boy") or "La Niña" (Spanish for "the little girl").  Basically, the "Blob" refers to a massive patch of unusually warm ocean water that occurs in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, near Alaska and the western coastal regions of North America.  It's caused when (1) weak winds over the Pacific Ocean reduce ocean mixing, so that less cool water from the depths makes it up to the surface and (2) persistent high-pressure systems trap heat in the ocean.  The Blob changes the direction of the prevailing jet stream, leading to warmer, drier winters in the Western United States and colder, snowier conditions in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.

The Blob is not the same as "El Niño" or "La Niña", but it can interact with both of these weather patterns.  Recall that "El Niño" refers to a weather pattern that occurs every 2-7 years when the surface ocean water temperature is warmer in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, producing wetter weather in the Americas and drier weather in Australia.  It's caused by weakening or reversal of the prevailing trade winds.  In contrast, "La Niña" refers to a weather pattern that often follows "El Niño" when the surface ocean water temperature is cooler in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, creating drier conditions in the Americas and wetter weather in Australia and Southeast Asia.  It's caused by stronger than normal prevailing trade winds.  Whereas "El Niño" can strengthen or prolong the Blob, "La Niña" tends to weaken the Blob.

I don't pretend to be a climate scientist, nor do I fully understand meteorology.  What I do understand is that the Blob is supposed to make the upcoming Chicago winter one of the coldest and snowiest winters we've had for a long time!  We last experienced a Blob like the current one during the winter of 2013-2014, when Chicago experienced 23 days with temperatures below zero and several consecutive days of falling snow.

It's likely that our changing climate (dare I say "global warming") is creating the kinds of global weather patterns and conditions that favor the Blob.  I predict that when Chicago is unusually cold and snowy, at least someone in our national government will say something like, "Global warming?  Just look how cold Chicago is today!"  Oh well.  Bundle up Chicago - it's going to get cold!