Polar Vortex is dangerous. It gives people life-threatening cold temperatures and fierce winds that will spread across every area. According to weather reports, Polar Vortex can be felt more much on the area of Midwest and Northeast over the next several days. A snowstorm will also add to the wintry misery for parts of the northern U.S. with blizzard conditions possible in some areas.
Polar Vortex: The Culprit To An Extraordinary Chill Weather
According to USA Today, the cold will come in two waves, the first Wednesday and Thursday and the second — which could be even more brutal — over the weekend. Some locations could experience their coldest December temperatures in several years and only a few record lows may be threatened. Wind chills this cold can cause frostbite in less than 10 minutes.
CNN reported that 76 locations across the United States have shattered their daily record cold high temperatures for December since the beginning of the month. That means some towns saw their coldest December day ever. The bad news is that it's going to get even colder for the rest of the week. Below-freezing temperatures are expected to seven percent of the country — in fact, most of the country will see the coldest air since last winter.
This storm pattern is reminiscent of the 2014 Arctic outbreak that started a social media trend called the "polar vortex." The term took off, especially on Twitter, and meteorologists have been trying to clarify to the public what the name means. The polar vortex always exists near the north pole. An upper-level meteorology pattern called the polar jet stream locks in the cold air to the Arctic.
Things You Need To Know About Polar Vortex
As described by the National Weather Service, the polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It always exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter. The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. Many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream
Polar vortex circulates the North and South Poles year round, in the winter it becomes weaker, which causes cold air to leak southward with the jet stream. However, as reported by Motherboard, while the polar vortex may be associated with bitterly cold temperatures, because it exists so high in the atmosphere, it doesn't actually bring any snow or ice. That said, depending on where you live, it may be cold enough to turn regular precipitation into a snowy blanket.
