There’s no melting going on in the arctic during winter, regardless of whether the polar vortex spills to lower latitudes. When that happens, it’s entirely possible that Minnesota is colder than the arctic but it’s still plenty cold in the arctic. The melting happens in summer.

There was an extremely cold polar vortex this year. When the polar vortex is stable, it stays at the north pole and sucks warm air from the oceans toward the north pole. Hence the warm weather.

When the vortex destabilizes, the extremely cold air leaves the north pole and floods into lower latitudes.

Currently we are experiencing a lull in global warming with temperatures essentially plateauing over the last several years (at the highs). There’s a good chance that 2023 continues that plateauing trend, so the strange winter doesn’t necessarily mean 2023 will set a record for global warmth.

“Race is not real”…something only a white person would say.

This growing gap is not surprising in an age when homeownership is so difficult. For many, the only path to home ownership is inheritance of a house or down payment. Greater need to rely on inheritance to achieve homeownership means that the inequalities of the past are amplified rather than mitigated. White people can inherit from multiple generations (parents, grandparents, great grandparents) while black people have fewer parents, grandparents, etc. who were homeowners (the main source of intergenerational wealth) and get less inheritance.

When homeownership is based on individual achievement, then the gap can close over time as the achievement gap closes (which it has vs. boomers, greatest, etc.).

DC has a right to shelter law when it's freezing. If the regular shelters, low barrier shelters, and overflow shelters are full then they will literally open up government buildings like libraries and rec centers. They will also provide free transportation to those shelters.

So, if you're worried about hypothermia, there are resources and alternatives to the use of McPherson Square as an encampment. Info on the resources:

https://www.streetsensemedia.org/article/find-shelter-winter-hypothermia/#.Y91fdivMJEY

I wouldn’t have a problem walking anywhere in NW DC at 8pm (dark or not). Running should be safer. The only places I’d avoid are North Capitol St itself (unpleasant on multiple levels) and Rock Creek Park after dark (Chandra Levy was killed running there).

I can’t think of any place in NW DC where if I lived there I’d feel uncomfortable walking in my neighborhood at 7-8pm. I dunno, maybe avoid Sursum Corda too.