Recently, in March 2026, there have been spikes in temperature with a following frost. In a week, there was a low of 1 degree Fahrenheit and a high of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. With the fluctuations in the weather, many are confused as to what is happening, but it is pretty simple to explain.
South Dakota is about in the middle of the United States, which makes it vulnerable to strange weather changes. Part of the reason is because of a polar vortex. A polar vortex is a large area of arctic air that swirls around the Earth’s poles. This vortex gets stronger during the winter but weakens if there is a sudden warming or atmospheric disruption. When it weakens, the air goes down to the United States, causing freezing temperatures in a very small amount of time. This sudden plummet in temperatures is what we have seen in the past few weeks.
But what about the hot weather? In March, there was a spike in hot weather, specifically right after a week of snow and single-digit temperatures. While many took advantage of this weather by wearing tank tops and going down to the pool, it sparked the question of what was causing this. There are many factors to this increase in temperature, some being jet stream patterns, heat domes and, of course, climate change.
Jet stream patterns are, as described by noaa.gov, “relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere, typically occurring around 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) in elevation,” and cause winds to blow from west to east, though they may switch to going from north to south as they follow boundaries between hot and cold air. During this process, some warm air may be trapped and heat domes are formed.
Heat domes are high-pressure atmospheric conditions that cause warm air to be pushed to the surface and trapped for an extended period of time. This phenomenon can cause “blistering temperatures, devastating wildfires, and drought conditions,” according to Climatecheck.com. While these warmer conditions are nice, heat domes do not always result in pleasant conditions. In 1995, a heatwave hit the Midwest, which was so intense that it killed approximately 600 individuals in the Chicago area. Heat domes are to be watched and monitored carefully due to these past situations.
The infamous and very concerning factor to these high temperatures is climate change. This March has been recorded as 4.7 degrees to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than previous years due to human-caused warming. Climate change has also caused heavier rains, higher chances of wildfires and a longer, worse allergy season, according to climatecentral.org. Check back to “Warmer winters” story to see how to help prevent climate change in your community.
