Polar Vortex collapse set to send temperatures plunging in the US and Canada
Top News
3 weeks ago

Polar Vortex collapse set to send temperatures plunging in the US and Canada

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A polar vortex collapse is expected over the next two weeks, causing extreme winter weather and travel disruption across North America. A polar vortex collapse occurs when the layer between 10 and 50km above Earth’s surface warms up to 50 degrees in just two days - known as sudden stratospheric warming. open image in gallery The science behind the polar vortex The polar vortex collapse will be the second in 2025, after a collapse last month caused deep freezes and travel havoc in North America. “The timing is uncertain for North America but could see a change in the pattern for late March into early April.” open image in gallery The collapse of a polar vortex could bring another major cold spell for North America A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which rotates around the North and South poles of the Earth and corresponds with the narrow bands of wind 8 to 11 kilometres above Earth’s surface, known as the jet stream.

Weather Europe Canada Impact Independent Earth North Cold North America Collapse Polar Pastelok Vortex Polar Vortex Polar Vortex Collapse  cold  uk  polar  north  send  impact  collapse  jet  temperatures  vortex  weather  plunging  canada  sign  set

History of this topic

Polar Vortex collapse to bring severe winter weather with snowfall to Canada, US; What is it? How does it happen?
Trending News
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Polar Vortex collapse to bring severe winter weather with snowfall to Canada, US; What is it? How does it happen?

Live Mint  

A polar vortex collapse is predicted to bring severe winter-like weather to parts of Canada and the US around the middle of this month. A polar vortex collapse occurs when the polar vortex, which is typically a stable, cold air mass circulating around the Arctic region, weakens or breaks apart, causing significant disruptions in weather patterns. A polar vortex collapses …

Polar Vortex collapse: US, Canada and UK brace for extreme freezing temperatures
Trending News
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Polar Vortex collapse: US, Canada and UK brace for extreme freezing temperatures

Live Mint  

A polar vortex collapse is set to strike in mid-March, bringing severe winter weather and major travel disruptions across the US and Canada. This will be the second polar vortex collapse of 2025, following an earlier event that caused freezing conditions and transport chaos across North America. A polar vortex collapse occurs when the strong, cold winds that normally circulate …

Polar vortex makes much of US colder than Greenland, but warmth is coming. Then more cold
1 month ago

Polar vortex makes much of US colder than Greenland, but warmth is coming. Then more cold

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The polar vortex hit its peak across much of America on Wednesday, with an icy grip that made Arctic Greenland seem like a toasty vacation spot in comparison. “They’re sending us the cold air there, we’re sending them the warm air,” said Judah Cohen, seasonal forecast director at the private firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research. “I don’t like …

Polar vortex makes much of US colder than Greenland, but warmth is coming. Then more cold
1 month ago

Polar vortex makes much of US colder than Greenland, but warmth is coming. Then more cold

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I don't like it because I love the winter.” …

What is a polar vortex? US gets a taste of the Arctic this week
1 month, 1 week ago

What is a polar vortex? US gets a taste of the Arctic this week

Associated Press  

The term “polar vortex” usually refers to the gigantic circular upper air weather pattern in the Arctic region. But at times some of the vortex can break off or move south, bringing unusually cold weather south and permitting warmer weather to creep up north. Every U.S. state but Hawaii, California and Florida have some or all parts forecast to have …

US East likely to witness bone-chilling weather next week
1 month, 1 week ago

US East likely to witness bone-chilling weather next week

Live Mint  

The US East is likely to witness bone-chilling weather conditions next week, saod weather forecaster groups. According to forecaster Commodity Weather Group, temperatures will drop 8 to 15F degrees below normal across much of the Canadian Prairies and US Great Plains through February 18 before centering on the Mississippi Valley. Sometime next week, 89% of the contiguous United States will …

Very cold weather is coming. US about to get 10th and chilliest polar vortex this winter
1 month, 1 week ago

Very cold weather is coming. US about to get 10th and chilliest polar vortex this winter

Associated Press  

The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America’s winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists warn. This will be the 10th time this winter that the polar vortex — which keeps the coldest of Arctic air penned in at the top of the world — stretches like a rubber band …

Record-breaking cold: Polar Vortex to freeze 89% of US next week
1 month, 1 week ago

Record-breaking cold: Polar Vortex to freeze 89% of US next week

India Today  

The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America’s winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists warn. This will be the 10th time this winter that the polar vortex — which keeps the coldest of Arctic air penned in at the top of the world — stretches like a rubber band …

Warning as polar vortex brings 'life-threatening' cold to US next week
2 months, 1 week ago

Warning as polar vortex brings 'life-threatening' cold to US next week

Daily Mail  

The United States is bracing for a severe cold spell as a polar vortex sends temperatures plunging to 'life-threatening' levels. The polar vortex is expected to engulf at least 20 states directly, including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. The combination of Arctic air and wind …

Weather warning as life-threatening polar vortex will engulf parts of the US with Siberian air: 'There's no escaping'
2 months, 1 week ago

Weather warning as life-threatening polar vortex will engulf parts of the US with Siberian air: 'There's no escaping'

Daily Mail  

Dozens of US states will endure the lowest temperatures they have felt in years as a polar vortex brings 'life-threatening' cold next week The National Weather Service said that much of the Lower 48 should brace for 'the coldest air-mass of the season to date' from Friday to January 24. The polar vortex is bringing freezing air from Siberia into …

Donald Trump inauguration to be coldest in 40 years: Arctic blast hits US
2 months, 1 week ago

Donald Trump inauguration to be coldest in 40 years: Arctic blast hits US

India Today  

The vast majority of Americans are about to get an extended taste of frigid Siberian weather. Another polar vortex disruption will stretch Arctic air across the top of the globe and make Donald Trump’s second inauguration the coldest in 40 years, meteorologists said. “The wind chills would be in the single digits for sure,” the NWS’ Weather Prediction Center meteorologist …

Arctic blast expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to the U.S.
2 months, 1 week ago

Arctic blast expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to the U.S.

NPR  

Arctic blast expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to the U.S. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Axios senior climate reporter Andrew Freedman about the incoming Arctic blast that's expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to large parts of the U.S. LEILA FADEL, HOST: Large swaths of the U.S. are about to get really cold. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: That's because an …

A polar vortex is set to grip much of the U.S. What does that mean?
2 months, 1 week ago

A polar vortex is set to grip much of the U.S. What does that mean?

NPR  

A polar vortex is set to grip much of the U.S. What does that mean? People living "basically anywhere from the Rockies eastward will see below-normal temperatures over the next several days," said Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Sponsor Message These conditions are all thanks to a familiar sounding occurrence: the polar vortex, …

How the polar vortex fuels intense winter weather in the US
2 months, 1 week ago

How the polar vortex fuels intense winter weather in the US

BBC  

How the polar vortex fuels intense winter weather in the US Getty Images Here's how the polar vortex, and climate change, influence extremely cold winter weather in the US. The polar vortex, or Arctic polar vortex, is a ring of strong westerly winds that form between 10 and 30 miles above the North Pole every winter, enclosing a large pool …

Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. We're talking 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit across a …

Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming

Associated Press  

Frigid air that normally stays trapped in the Arctic has escaped, plunging deep into the United States for an extended visit that is expected to provoke teeth-chattering but not be record-shattering. We’re talking 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit across a large portion of the eastern half of the country.” The worst will be in areas that just got hit with …

What is a polar vortex, the weather event causing winter storms in the US?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

What is a polar vortex, the weather event causing winter storms in the US?

Al Jazeera  

The expanding of the polar vortex – an area of cold air around the Arctic – southwards is causing cold spells in the US. The rising warm air from the lower atmosphere weakens the polar vortex, allowing it to sp Both types of polar vortexes are important for global atmospheric circulation and climate regulation. The 2013-14 polar vortex resulted in …

Polar Vortex brings ice and snow chaos across US
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Polar Vortex brings ice and snow chaos across US

India Today  

ANNAPOLIS: A huge swath of the U.S. was blasted with ice, snow and wind on Monday as the polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations. Frozen rain fell atop several inches …

A double dose of nasty winter is about to smack much of the US with snow, ice and biting cold
2 months, 3 weeks ago

A double dose of nasty winter is about to smack much of the US with snow, ice and biting cold

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Dangerous ice particularly lethal to power lines — “so …

First polar vortex of 2025 will bring dangerously frosty temperatures for millions of Americans
2 months, 3 weeks ago

First polar vortex of 2025 will bring dangerously frosty temperatures for millions of Americans

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The polar vortex will bring Arctic air across the country The cold may be so extreme that “this could …

Arctic blast impacts millions as ‘dangerously cold’ streak invades US
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Arctic blast impacts millions as ‘dangerously cold’ streak invades US

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Many areas across the northern tier will start …

US in deep freeze while much of the world is extra toasty? Yet again, it’s climate change
1 year, 2 months ago

US in deep freeze while much of the world is extra toasty? Yet again, it’s climate change

Associated Press  

Much of the United States is shivering through brutal cold as most of the rest of the world is feeling unusually warm weather. “When the Arctic is off-the-charts warm, we’re more likely to see frigid cold invade places like Texas that are ill-equipped to deal with it,” said Jennifer Francis, a Woodwell Research Center climate scientist and a pioneer in …

What is sudden stratospheric warming?
2 years, 1 month ago

What is sudden stratospheric warming?

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Forecaster Aidan McGivern said: “We are seeing a major sudden stratospheric warming taking place above the North Pole and …

Watch: Part of Sun breaks off near its North Pole; netizens stunned
2 years, 1 month ago

Watch: Part of Sun breaks off near its North Pole; netizens stunned

Hindustan Times  

Material from a part of the Sun's surface - near its northern prominence - broke off last week, puzzling scientists across the world. Los Angeles based space weather physicist -- Dr Tamitha Skov who runs her website ‘Space Weather Woman’ -- said the piece that broke off is now circulating in a massive polar vortex around the north pole of …

What is the ‘Arctic blast’ that made wind chill temperatures plunge to -78C in the US?
2 years, 1 month ago

What is the ‘Arctic blast’ that made wind chill temperatures plunge to -78C in the US?

Firstpost  

A ‘once-in-a-generation’ cold combined with powerful winds swept the northeastern United States and Canada on weekend. The wind chill in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington dropped to minus 78 degrees Celsius on Friday, the lowest ever in the United States, as per Al Jazeera. Arctic blast According to the US National Weather Service, an Arctic blast occurs when “very cold air …

What is the ‘Arctic blast’ deep-freezing the US and Canada?
2 years, 1 month ago

What is the ‘Arctic blast’ deep-freezing the US and Canada?

Al Jazeera  

Recent temperatures of minus 78 degrees Celsius are reportedly the lowest ever recorded in the United States. A dangerous combination of record-setting cold temperatures and powerful winds buffeted the northeastern United States and Canada over the weekend, creating life-threatening conditions and wind-chills from the Arctic blast. An Arctic blast is defined by the US National Weather Service as when “very …

What is a polar vortex? Weather forecast UK 2023
2 years, 1 month ago

What is a polar vortex? Weather forecast UK 2023

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Forecasters have warned a “polar vortex” – the phenomenon that …

What is the link between winter storms and global warming?
2 years, 2 months ago

What is the link between winter storms and global warming?

The Hindu  

The world is getting warmer, winters included. The United States, however, has experienced severe winter storms in recent years, and experts are taking a closer look at the link between these extreme cold events and climate change. Even so, "there are certain aspects of winter storms where the climate change linkages are fairly strong and robust," Michael Mann, a climatologist …

Global warming actually causing colder winters because its making polar vortex stretch south into US
3 years, 6 months ago

Global warming actually causing colder winters because its making polar vortex stretch south into US

Daily Mail  

Climate change is often associated with the Earth getting hotter, but a rise in greenhouse gasses is leading to chillier winters in the U.S. and Europe, according to scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Abnormal warming in the poles creates excess energy that causes the polar vortex phenomenon to weaken and split off into smaller 'sister' vortices that travel …

Study: Warmer Arctic led to killer cold in Texas, much of US
3 years, 6 months ago

Study: Warmer Arctic led to killer cold in Texas, much of US

Associated Press  

Warming of the Arctic caused by climate change has increased the number of polar vortex outbreaks, when frigid air from the far north bathes the central and eastern United States in killer cold, a study finds. “It is counterintuitive that a rapidly warming Arctic can lead to an increase in extreme cold in a place as far south as Texas, …

Why we can’t yet say with certainty whether the Texas cold snap is linked to global heating
4 years, 1 month ago

Why we can’t yet say with certainty whether the Texas cold snap is linked to global heating

The Independent  

Why do some scientists suspect there could be a link between global warming and cold snaps? Arctic Sea Ice Some researchers have suggested that the rapid heating of the Arctic could be linked to episodes of unusual cold in mid-latitude regions such as North America and Europe. “And so, with the Arctic warming very rapidly, this temperature difference is getting …

How polar vortex caused subzero temperatures from Greece to Texas
4 years, 1 month ago

How polar vortex caused subzero temperatures from Greece to Texas

Daily Mail  

All across the northern hemisphere from Athens, Greece, to Athens, Texas, snowfalls have blanketed streets and temperatures have plunged to freezing in places where winter usually requires no more than a jacket. The polar vortex has been causing strange weather across the Continent since the beginning of the year JERUSALEM: A general view taken on February 17, 2021 from the …

How the potent polar vortex brings Arctic's frigid weather, winter storms to mainland USA
4 years, 1 month ago

How the potent polar vortex brings Arctic's frigid weather, winter storms to mainland USA

Firstpost  

It’s as if the world has been turned upside-down, or at least its weather. Record cold also hit Europe this winter, earning the name the “Beast from the East.” “We’ve had everything you could possibly think of in the past week,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini, noting that parts of the U.S. have been 50 degrees colder …

Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada
4 years, 10 months ago

Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada

NPR  

Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada toggle caption National Weather Service A late-season polar vortex is headed for the northeastern United States, bringing with it snow and perhaps record low temperatures for the Mother's Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The frigid Canadian air is being dragged south by a low-pressure system now …

Warnings of severe cold return for Canada and US
6 years ago

Warnings of severe cold return for Canada and US

Al Jazeera  

This year’s polar vortex hasn’t gone away yet and the centre of North America now adds windchill to the Arctic cold. Warnings have been issued of severe cold in central Canada and some northern US states, as windchill figures of -40 degrees Celsius in Alberta and nearly -50C in Montana were quoted. The term polar vortex is sometimes bandied about …

US Polar vortex: People are sharing the craziest things happening in the deep freeze
6 years, 1 month ago

US Polar vortex: People are sharing the craziest things happening in the deep freeze

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Polar Vortex: What is the weather phenomenon and how should you prepare for one?
6 years, 1 month ago

Polar Vortex: What is the weather phenomenon and how should you prepare for one?

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The sudden extreme temperatures are the result of …

US weather forecast: Record low temperatures caused by polar vortex ‘threaten 110 million Americans’
6 years, 1 month ago

US weather forecast: Record low temperatures caused by polar vortex ‘threaten 110 million Americans’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Life-threatening temperatures across the …

What Is a Polar Vortex and Why Is It Making It So Cold Right Now?
6 years, 1 month ago

What Is a Polar Vortex and Why Is It Making It So Cold Right Now?

Slate  

As a frigid cold snap descends on the Midwest, threatening residents with temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero—in some places, the low will be the coldest seen in decades—experts are warning that the conditions could turn deadly. Scientists call these “sudden stratospheric warming” events, when a continent-sized chunk of rapidly sinking air quickly heats up and disrupts the …

Record winter temperature, icy outbreaks and sudden warming to become more extreme
6 years, 1 month ago

Record winter temperature, icy outbreaks and sudden warming to become more extreme

Firstpost  

It might seem counterintuitive, but the dreaded polar vortex is bringing its icy grip to parts of the US thanks to a sudden blast of warm air in the Arctic. It’s called “sudden stratospheric warming.” That warmth split the polar vortex, leaving the pieces to wander, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research, a commercial firm …

Science Says: Get used to polar vortex outbreaks
6 years, 1 month ago

Science Says: Get used to polar vortex outbreaks

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — It might seem counterintuitive, but the dreaded polar vortex is bringing its icy grip to parts of the U.S. thanks to a sudden blast of warm air in the Arctic. It’s called “sudden stratospheric warming.” That warmth split the polar vortex, leaving the pieces to wander, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research, a …

Polar vortex strikes the US with dangerous sub-zero temperatures
6 years, 1 month ago

Polar vortex strikes the US with dangerous sub-zero temperatures

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A dangerous polar vortex …

Bomb cyclone: What is the shocking-sounding storm sweeping the US, and how long will the chilly weather last?
7 years, 2 months ago

Bomb cyclone: What is the shocking-sounding storm sweeping the US, and how long will the chilly weather last?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Science Says: Why there’s a big chill in a warmer world
7 years, 2 months ago

Science Says: Why there’s a big chill in a warmer world

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Anchorage, Alaska, was warmer Tuesday than Jacksonville, Florida. “Then when it weakens, it causes like a dam to burst,” and the cold air heads south, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research, a commercial firm outside Boston. The cold will continue and could actually worsen for much of the East Coast this weekend because …

Freezing polar vortex is about to hit the US after last deadly cold winter in 2014
8 years, 3 months ago

Freezing polar vortex is about to hit the US after last deadly cold winter in 2014

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The polar vortex could …

Ready to shiver? Arctic air to put America on ice
10 years, 2 months ago

Ready to shiver? Arctic air to put America on ice

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Much of America is about to get the Arctic shivers. National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Kocin, an expert on winter storms, said it is a classic pattern of massive blasts of Arctic air hitting just about everyone east of the Rockies. He said it will rival last year’s January Arctic outbreak that introduced the phrase “polar vortex” to …

Are freezing winters CAUSED by global warming?
10 years, 6 months ago

Are freezing winters CAUSED by global warming?

Daily Mail  

Global warming could be triggering increasingly cold winters in some parts of the world, scientists have claimed. Researchers have discovered a link between rising ocean temperatures, and a large pocket of cold air known as the polar vortex. And as global warming continues to heats oceans, freezing winters could increase The polar vortex was responsible for the extreme and freezing …

Polar vortex: Deep meanders in vortex linked to global warming.
10 years, 6 months ago

Polar vortex: Deep meanders in vortex linked to global warming.

Slate  

Over the past year or so, I’ve written a few times on how the “polar vortex”—actually, deep meanders or excursions in the usually stable west-to-east direction of the polar cyclonic air stream—may be tied to global warming, but there hadn’t been enough research done yet to be sure. This prevents the normal circulation of air around the globe, so they’re …

New Study Links Polar Vortex to Climate Change
10 years, 6 months ago

New Study Links Polar Vortex to Climate Change

Slate  

As the last few days of summer linger, you’d be forgiven if you feel a wave of anxiety upon the inevitable return of crisp, cold mornings. Through a blend of statistical analysis of recent weather and computer modeling of a world in which rapid Arctic ice loss hadn’t occurred, the study establishes a link between the warming ocean, melting ice, …

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