While the Western and Southern states are having mild winter weather, the Midwest and Eastern states are experiencing brutal cold weather due to the polar vortex. This phrase is used synonymously because of the frigid temperatures that creates more frequent snow storms throughout the northern half of the United States. Colder temperatures have been arriving late in the winter over the past couple of years, according to Judah Cohen, a climatologist at a weather risk assessment firm “Atmospheric and Environmental Research.” In order to understand where these extreme arctic chills are coming from, it is important to know the nature of the polar vortex. The term alludes to the circular bands of wind near the north, and south poles that are considered the strongest during the wintertime. Also, it is quite above the jet stream in the stratosphere that approximately extends 7 to 31 miles above the earth. The circular bands are like walls that keep the harsh cold air locked at the poles. Yet, those circular bands sporadically break and let the cold air to escape. This occurred in the beginning of January where the polar vortex split into three bands.
Researcher, Dr. Cohen, claims that the frequent polar vortex can be traced back to climate change. Also, he is expecting winter conditions to worsen in February since these impacts can last up to “four to six, and maybe eight weeks.” Astonishingly, the cold weather lead the governors of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin to go through states of emergency where schools and universities were called off for multiple days. In the state of Michigan, people were urged to keep their thermostats at or below 65 degrees so that there was enough energy, and electricity to flow throughout the state. People in the Midwest and east coast are coping with the extreme weather by bundling up heavily to avoid frostbite. The polar vortex isn’t a new phenomenon, yet it is important to stay prepared and up-to-date while this extreme cold season comes to pass.
http://www.cm-life.com/article/2019/02/polar-vortex-and-students
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/climate/polar-vortex-2019.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/us/polar-vortex-extreme-cold-weather.html