Why this US cold snap feels bone-shattering when it’s not record-shattering

The brutally frigid weather that has gripped most of America for the past 11 days is not unprecedented. It just feels that way.

The first quarter of the 21st century was unusually warm by historical standards – mostly due to human-induced climate change – and so a prolonged cold spell this winter is unfamiliar to many people, especially younger Americans.

Because bone-shattering cold occurs less frequently, Americans are experiencing it more intensely now than they did in the past, several experts in weather and behavior said. But the longer the current icy blast lasts – sub-freezing temperatures are forecast to stick around in many places — the easier it should become to tolerate.

Read more on AP News.