In the atmospheric layer above it, about 10 to 30 miles up, is the stratospheric polar vortex, where every winter a sunlight-starved Arctic spins up a mass of cold air that, ultimately, dissipates ...

A sudden stratospheric warming event reversed the winds that make up the northern polar vortex on March 9. A new animation shows the vortex also moved away from the Arctic towards Europe.

The Polar Vortex is a fast-spinning circular motion usually located about 50,000 feet in the atmosphere. The swirling vortex, when strong, can actually suck the Arctic cold up into the North Pole ...

January was more than 5 degrees above average around Alaska, according to reporting in the Washington Post. A complex combination of factors, including an erratic polar vortex, kept Alaska warmer ...

How Alaska’s cold keeps ending up in the Lower 48 A few atmospheric factors — including the polar vortex — have come together to make the US the epicenter of cold this winter.

Polar vortex is not a synonym for “cold snap,” according to the Polar Vortex Blog at Climate.gov, and it’s not the only weather pattern to blame for blasts of cold air.

Like the Arctic Blast, also known as the Polar Vortex or the damn-it’s-cold-in-Dallas weather front that is swooping into the U.S. in increasing frequency from Russia and Canada.

News Nation/World As U.S. shivered through polar vortex, one state was unusually warm Jan. 29, 2025 Updated Wed., Jan. 29, 2025 at 8:46 p.m. 1 of 3 ...

As U.S. shivered through polar vortex, one state was unusually warm It’s been warmer in Alaska than in three dozen other states. January 29, 2025 5 min Summary ...

Anchorage, Alaska, has not even received 4 inches of snow since Dec. 1. The record snows in the Deep South and the frigid temperatures east of the Rockies were primarily generated by the infamous ...

The polar vortex can be a powerful source of winter weather, but it's not the only cause of severe cold and snow in regions better known for warmth and sunshine.