Polar Vortex Collapse Leads To Snow Chaos
Europe and the eastern United States experience record-breaking snow levels and arctic temperatures
One week after the east coast of the United States was hit by one of the biggest blizzards in New York City history, Germany and central Europe are now covered in record-breaking snow masses.
Both events can be traced back to a collapsing polar vortex that enables cold arctic air to travel south, which causes very cold temperatures and major snowfall in affected areas.
What is the Polar Vortex?
The polar vortex is a low-pressure cyclone in the upper atmosphere above the polar regions of the Earth. It exists year-round but is weakest in the summer and strongest in the winter.
When it is getting fall, the north pole starts to cool very quickly because it is no longer getting any energy from the sun. Regions further south that still receive a few hours of sunshine every day, cool at a much slower rate. This causes a pressure drop near the pole and warmer air travels north. Due to the Coriolis effect, the air starts to rotate and feeds the polar vortex.
The polar vortex can range from stable to very unstable. When it is stable and strong, it’s a well defined single…
