The cold was caused by a southern migration of the polar vortex, likely caused by a sudden stratospheric warming event that occurred the prior month. Temperatures fell as much as 25–50 °F (14–28 °C) below average as far south as the Gulf Coast.

Mar 5, 2021 · Polar vortex expert Amy Butler and Arctic expert James Overland offer perspectives on the February cold snap in the southern U.S., the polar vortex, and how the Arctic might influence mid-latitude weather.

Feb 2, 2021 · Every single state in the US – including Hawaii – will reach below freezing temperatures on Monday morning. Check how cold your low will be Monday. This includes 86% of the country and 235 million...

Jan 28, 2021 · Top figures show 10 millibar (mb) geopotential heights for (left) December 26, 2020 as the polar vortex began to weaken, (middle) on January 5, 2021 when the stratospheric winds reversed sign and (right) on January 15, 2021 during the warming event.

Feb 16, 2021 · Here are some of the records that have been broken across the United States by the cold weather as well as some of the more interesting statistics recorded due to the extreme temperatures. There...

Feb 13, 2021 · From wind chills near 60 below zero in the Upper Midwest to an ice storm all the way to the Gulf Coast, it is rare that winter weather gets this extreme. The culprit is a polar vortex teaming...

Feb 3, 2021 · The polar vortex is a large area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that normally spins over the North Pole (as its name suggests). It usually keeps the coldest air locked up in the Arctic.

Jan 3, 2025 · Arctic air tied to a stretched polar vortex will soon sweep across the U.S., exposing millions of people to frigid temperatures and even reaching the Gulf Coast. In extreme cold, frostbite can...

The January 2021 event pushed the polar vortex from its normal position over the North Pole all the way over to Europe and Siberia, nearly pulling it apart multiple times in the process.

Feb 16, 2021 · The polar vortex is a gigantic circular upper-air weather pattern in the Arctic that envelops the North Pole. It's a normal pattern that is stronger in the winter and tends to keep the...