What is a polar vortex?
The polar vortex is always present near the poles and corresponds to the cold temperatures that we typically associate with these regions.
A polar vortex is a massive expanse of cold air swirling near the North Pole. Although it has only recently come into the public eye, this is far from a new phenomenon. The low-pressure area associated with the polar vortex is almost always up there. However, it is important to note that this mass of cold air usually parks itself in polar regions. However, when it strays a bit too far from home, it brings unlikely Arctic-like weather conditions to more southern regions.
Unlike the ozone hole or El Niño winds, there is no initiating event of the polar vortex. The polar vortex is always present near the poles and corresponds to the cold temperatures that we typically associate with these regions. It is a low-pressure zone that flows counter-clockwise, thus helping to keep the colder air farther north.
According to the National Weather Service, this mass of swirling cold air weakens in the summer and strengthens in the winter. However, during the winter season, it becomes less stable and expands, resulting in the movement of this mass of cold air southwards over the United States, carried along with a jet stream.
Regions such as Chicago and Florida in the US saw temperatures that were much lower than the average for these areas. These cold streaks came as a major surprise to those Americans who are used to it being relatively warm in January! The colder weather also affects vehicles, as engines don’t start as easily as they do in warmer climes.
Tragically, these cold winds are also responsible for deaths and weather-related accidents in some regions. When the temperatures drop, school and business closures occur, along with thousands of flight cancellations and power outages.
Some scientists think that the polar vortex is also one of climate change’s symptoms. As ice reflects a significant percentage of the sunlight back into the atmosphere. However, now that the ice caps are melting, this heat is instead being absorbed by the oceans.
As such, they become hot spots and reduce the contrast between the Arctic air and the air of more southern regions. The intensity of the winds that form a barrier between these regions is diminished, which results in the breaking down of the polar vortex. However, some experts also claim that the earth’s atmosphere is an incredibly complicated system, so there is no rock-solid proof if these polar vortex occurrences and atmospheric breakdowns are increasing or not!
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