It’s Colder In Iowa Right Now Than It Is In Antarctica

It has already been a brutally cold winter in some parts of Iowa. On January 12, the long-standing record for coldest temperature ever recorded in the Hawkeye State was matched when a temperature of -47 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Sioux City. When the ice finally settles, this polar vortex may smash that record.

Across Iowa, wind chills are dipping down into the -50s and -60s, with real temperatures getting as low as 30 below! See what's in store for Iowa. Spoiler: it does get better... eventually.

Thanks to the researchers that man the weather stations and observatories in what's usually the coldest place on earth, you can check out how toasty it is near the South Pole this week. It is summer south of the equator, so temperatures in Antarctica are downright warm compared to the dead of their winter.

A polar vortex dips farther south when weather trends warmer. The warmer summers and falls we've been experiencing across the globe causes higher arctic ice melt, which pushes the jet stream farther south, pulling the cold arctic air with it.

The McMurdo Station, pictured above, is the larion in Antarctica. At its peak, it can support 1,258 residents... so get packing, Iowans!

Be safe out there, Iowans! Stay inside if you can, bundle up when you do go out, and don't forget to thank a farmer — because there are no weather delays or telecommute options when pigs, cows, and horses need to eat.