Will Polar Vortex Affect Electronics Supply Chain?

The Polar Vortex, a crippling cold front, has interrupted many air transportation service routes and ground shipping in the Mid-West and Atlantic coast of the United States.  California, as well as most adjacent Western states, are not directly affected.

Unlike the tsunami and earthquake of 2011 which devastated manufacturing facilities in Asia, the Polar Vortex is expected to be a short term weather situation that will dissipate without impacting the underlying infrastructure.

Suppliers are re-routing US shipments through alternative routes where possible, and ramping up delivery schedules for when roads and airports fully re-open. Overall, it does not appear that the Polar Vortex is causing any significant issues with North American supply chain and logistics. Many companies have also remained closed out of consideration for the safety of their employees and are operating on reduced production schedules.

Digikey, located in one of the hardest hit areas – Thief River Falls, Minnesota, is not reporting any major disruptions in service. Neither are Avnet (Phoenix, Arizona), Arrow (Englewood, Colorado), Mouser (Mainsfield, Texas) nor Future (Quebec, Canada).

As long as this weather pattern doesn’t persist, it’s not expected that the polar vortex will have immediate or long lasting impact on the electronics supply chain.

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(Image Credit – Bing Images )

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