The Polar Vortex

By now, you’ve probably heard of something called “the polar vortex” that is “spilling across the midwest.” The question is, what is it? And what does it really mean?

The phenomenon of the polar vortex is not new. And it is not, as one might think, a flurry of polar bears. It has been described as early as the year 1853, and it is actually constantly ongoing. As can be seen in the diagram below, the polar vortex is a mass of cold air that is constantly around the north and south poles. It is generally contained at the poles by a strong jet stream. However, if the jet stream weakens, it can carry the cold air south toward continents in the northern hemisphere, such as North America, and in particular, the midwest of the U.S.

Fine. So it’s cold. So what? Well, it’s not just cold, it’s glacial. Some places have reached more than 50 degrees below zero. Temperatures outside have caused 21 deaths, as well as symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. The most at-risk group are the homeless, who have nowhere to stay. In some places, being outside for even ten minutes can be very dangerous! The best advice at this point is to stay inside and wear lots of layers.

However, things are looking up. By the end of the week, the weather will return closer to normal, dreary February weather. However, flooding might follow, causing additional damage and injuries to these areas.However, flooding might follow this freeze, causing additional damage and injury. According to CBS News, a similar polar freeze in 2014 caused almost five billion dollars in damages!

During the polar vortex, more than 30 record lows were broken. The coldest place in the US was Cotton, Minnesota with a low of -56 Fahrenheit.