The Polar Vortex

Elsa

All the way back home Elsa thinks about the polar vortex and what that could be. She walks in the front door and takes off her winter clothes and heads on over to her computer. 

‘What is the polar vortex?

The polar vortex is a gigantic circular upper-air weather pattern in the Arctic that envelops the North Pole. It's a normal pattern that is stronger in the winter and tends to keep the coldest weather bottled up near the North Pole. The jet stream usually pens the polar vortex in and keeps it there, but at times, some of the vortex can break off or move south, bringing unusually cold weather down into the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Record-low temperatures freeze central US - The central U.S. has experienced record low temperatures over the past week as the polar vortex continues its icy grip on the region. Looking ahead, yet another winter storm is forecast for portions of the central and eastern U.S. over the next several days. 

Bundle up to beat wind chill - Subzero wind chills will be common throughout the week, so be prepared if you must venture out. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin because of wind and cold.

Beware of 'black ice' on roadways - Black ice is a winter driving danger, especially at night and early in the morning. It often forms on It often forms on bridges and overpasses.  How black ice forms:

1. Bridges cool more overnight as they lose heat from top, bottom and sides

2. The surface of a bridge can be as much as 6 degrees cooler than the roadway

3. If the bridge surface is at or below freezing, rain, fog and drizzle can form a thin layer of ice

4. Stopping distance on ice is three to nine times greater than on a clear, dry road surface.’ (Source)

Let’s continue - Polar vortex: The science behind the cold

Start at the beginning – The year that spring forgot