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Are we witnessing the Gulf Stream closing down? Is the cold November in the US just a precursor of what is to come?

A massive snowstorm has wreaked havoc in the north-eastern US and left seven people dead in upstate New York. After sweeping across the Great Lakes, the storm dumped 5ft (1.5m) of snow in the Buffalo area, with more forecast. The storm caused seven deaths there - one in a car crash, one trapped in a car and five from heart attacks.

Freezing temperatures were recorded across all 50 US states, including Florida and Hawaii, and there were more deaths elsewhere in the country.

New data from The Earth Wind Map and The NOAA Data Satellite both agree and are now showing the Gulf Stream is colder than average in not one area but two!

The huge section in the North Atlantic is still showing colder than average on both website's (see links above) but more alarming they are also both showing the Gulf itself is now colder than average and this was not the case last month.

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Here are the same pictures as above but taken in October, a month ago, we can clearly see the huge colder than normal area in the North Atlantic however the Gulf itself is shown as slightly warmer than average, a trend for most of the Northern Hemisphere.

First the NOAA satellite image taken on the 27th of October.

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And finally here is an old screen grab from the Earth Wind Map from last month, clearly seen is a warmer than average Gulf area!

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A second push of bitterly cold air has blasted its way south and east, bringing extremely cold temperatures for millions of Americans who have already endured nearly a week of January-like chill. There have been more than 350 record lows and record cool highs set, covering 42 states, since Sunday.

On Wednesday morning record lows were broken or tied from New York to New Orleans and more record lows and record cool high temperatures are possible. With a record cold start to October and November in the US and flooding and storms in Europe we can only imagine what December and January could bring! Yesterday, coincidentally this post by L A Marzulli dropped into my mail box, it would seem this story is taking on steam!

Is the Gulf Stream Broken?