The cold snap that swept through the Midwest has some benefits, expert says
There were some benefits to the arctic blast that gripped much of the nation this week, CBS Minnesota reported. The hard freeze is good for bodies of water in Minnesota, said Emily Schilling, who teaches biology at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.
"It means the spring thaw will likely come later because we have more ice, it takes longer to melt, and that's really good for our cold water fish species. They like the water to stay cold," said Schilling.
That means trout and other cold water fish should be more plentiful when the ice melts. The extended cold snap also helps form a thick ice cover on lakes and that should make a dent in aquatic invasive species such as milfoil.
Lakes aren't the only benefactors of the generous amount of cold. The deep freeze could also make a dent into an emerald ash borer outbreak that's killing trees all over the Twin Cities.
"So there's definitely some good impacts on our ecosystems," Schilling said, "and also for the health of wildlife in Minnesota."
Schilling said another reason the cold is good for the lakes is that it helps preserve the ice by giving balance to our warmer winter days.
The polar vortex brought activity across the Midwest to a grinding halt this week. Everything from schools to air travel to businesses and utilities were being affected, CBS News' DeMarco Morgan reported.
Temperatures across the upper Midwest have felt like the negative 50s, when factoring in wind chill. In Chicago, more than 4,000 flights were canceled over a two-day period.
