A strong, stable vortex is like a skater spinning with their arms tucked closely in, holding in an area of cold air over the Arctic. But when there’s a wobble in the rotation, winds in the vortex can ...

How the Polar Vortex Can Bring Arctic Blasts to the U.S. Vast weather patterns can carry blasts of frigid air far from the ...

As the Arctic rapidly warms, the temperature difference between the polar region and lower latitudes decreases, which weakens ...

Recent forecasts suggest some Americans might be getting a much-needed break from the freezing temperatures that have gripped much of the country.

But here’s where things get interesting: the polar vortex’s behavior is closely tied to the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air that flows high above the Earth. The jet stream acts like a ...

When this stratospheric vortex becomes disrupted or stretched, it can distort the jet stream as well, pushing it southward in some areas and causing cold air outbreaks. The Arctic polar vortex is ...

Depending on the strength of the polar jet stream determines how the Polar Vortex moves. When the polar jet stream is strong the Polar Vortex is kept at bay and stays in the Arctic. When it is ...

The polar vortex is a swirling mass of cold air located over the polar regions. Every few years or so, a dip in the jet stream allows this cold air to sink into the U.S. The last few visits from ...

The most predictable is seasonal. In the spring, jet streams move towards a polar vortex, helping to contain cold air in the polar regions. In the fall, they move towards the equator and bring ...

The polar vortex might be recently popular, but it is not new. It’s always existed as a pocket of cold air that resides in the Arctic, but it can be brought south when the jet stream weakens.

Brits could face several inches of snow in the coming days according to shocking new weather maps, with forecasters also ...