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.

Chain reaction behind the upcoming polar vortex Like falling dominoes, one change in the weather in a part of the world will have big ramifications thousands of miles away.

The polar vortex is area of fast-moving winds well above the Earth’s surface and the jet stream that circle the Arctic during the Northern Hemisphere’s coldest months.

Winter, which is warming faster than any other season for much of the US, seems to be making a comeback for the first time in years; this January was the coldest in the Lower 48 since 1988.

The polar vortex is a large area of cold air and low pressure that typically remains around the North and South Poles. Imagine it as a giant whirlpool of cold air. During winter, this whirlpool ...

What the polar vortex is and isn’t The polar vortex, as explained by the National Weather Service, is a large area of low pressure and cold air that encircles the Earth’s poles.

The polar vortex has returned to the U.S., and frostbite-inducing temperatures are blasting millions of Americans.

This week, parts of the U.S. are experiencing the 10th and coldest polar vortex event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air into the U.S. and Europe.

The polar vortex is coming back. After a half-month hiatus, frigid air will again surge across the United States beginning this weekend through next week, as the unusually cold blob of air dips ...

John Wheeler: It is cold, but don't blame the Polar Vortex When the Polar Vortex is in a weakened state, a jet stream wobble sending polar air into the mid-latitudes becomes more likely.

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.