This new
wind pattern transports warmer air into the Arctic and pushes Arctic air farther
south, and may influence the likelihood of
persistent weather conditions in the mid-latitudes.
Sea ice in the Bering Sea this winter was said to be the lowest since the 1850s, largely driven by
persistent winds from the
south rather than the usual north
winds although warm Pacific water was a factor early in the season (AIRC 2018).