What is the polar vortex?
Quick Answer
The polar vortex is a large area of cold, swirling air high above each pole that can spill south and bring freezing weather.
The Full Story
Each pole has a polar vortex, a band of strong west-to-east winds in the stratosphere, roughly 16 to 50 kilometres up, that keeps frigid air trapped near the pole. It is strongest in winter. Sometimes a sudden warming in the stratosphere weakens or splits the vortex, allowing lobes of Arctic air to plunge into North America, Europe or Asia. A famous example came in February 2021, when an Arctic outbreak caused power failures in Texas. The term became widely known after a severe cold outbreak in North America in January 2014.
Key Facts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The spinning wall of wind that keeps Arctic air locked up"