Climate models show increasing Arctic cyclone activity

Abstract

Winter in the Arctic is not only cold and dark—it is also storm season, when hurricane‐like Arctic cyclones traverse northern waters. Arctic cyclones predominantly occur in subpolar regions, around Iceland or the Aleutian Islands. Like all cyclones, Arctic cyclones are characterized by strong localized drops in sea level pressure. One expected consequence of global climate change is an Arctic‐wide decrease in sea level pressure, which would serve to increase extreme Arctic cyclone activity, including powerful storms that can sometimes hit in the spring and fall.