Weather Underground blogger Bob Henson reported that the January chill stemmed from the polar vortex—an upper-level circulation pattern that rings the Arctic. The vortex extended southward, allowing the development of a strong Siberian high. This cold, dense, low-level air mass then spread southeast across the continent.According to news reports, the temperature in Bangkok, Thailand, dipped to 16°C (61°F); lows there typically stay above 20–25°C. Taipei, Taiwan, got down to just 4°C (39°F), a low not seen in 44 years. Snow fell in Japan and South Korea, stranding travelers.Farther north, Mongolia and Inner Mongolia also saw anomalously low temperatures in January. In Eergu’Na, Inner Mongolia, temperatures reached a record-low of -47°C (-53°F). The cold weather in Mongolia, however, goes beyond the timespan portrayed in this this map. Extremely low temperatures and heavy snowfall—a winter phenomenon locally called dzud—have persisted since November 2015 and are expected to affect almost 1 million people, according to Reliefweb. Animals are vulnerable as well; Mongolia lost about 20 percent of its livestock during the 2009-2010 dzud.
Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News 