Why giant snowballs in Siberia are bad news for Americans

Snowballs in Siberia could mean a bitter winter for Americans.

Giant snowballs have appeared on the beach in Siberia and they mean bad news for Americans. Do the Russians have a secret weapon in a possible war against the West?

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - A beach in Siberia is covered with massive snowballs and it is bad news for Americans. Are the Russians planning to attack America with snowballs? Actually, they sort of are.

A proverb says "The two greatest Russian generals are January and February." According to some meteorologists, parts of America may feel like Siberia this winter.

The snowballs form when conditions are just right. When the Gulf of Ob freezes over, then the ice retreats, chunks of ice break off and are rolled over and over forming snowballs. They range in size from several inches to three feet across.

Siberian snow levels are the highest they've been since 1998. Some meteorologists use these snow levels to predict the severity of the coming American winter.

Using this method, scientists predict the USA and Western Europe will experience a severe winter. The dreaded polar vortex is likely to return.

The polar vortex is a mass of super-cold air from the Arctic which sometimes dips south, blanketing the ground with snow and ice. The polar vortex usually stays in the Arctic, but scientists say global warming has caused the loss of sea ice which in turn is causing the vortex to shift.

Troubled meteorologists say they've already noticed the vortex shifting this year.

The polar vortex is dangerous because of the severe cold it brings south. Ice in particular can break power lines, cause accidents and fatalities.

So by all predictions, America is going to experience a little bit of Siberia's weather this January And February.

---

The California Network is the Next Wave in delivery of information and entertainment on pop culture, social trends, lifestyle, entertainment, news, politics and economics. We are hyper-focused on one audience, YOU, the connected generation. JOIN US AS WE REDEFINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.