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Polar Vortex

  • 11 Jan 2025

Recently, the plunging polar vortex brought subfreezing temperatures to some of the southernmost points of the United States.

What is Polar Vortex?

  • The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles.
  • It always exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter.
  • The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles.

Types

There are two types of polar vortex:

  1. The tropospheric polar vortex occurs at the lowest layer of the atmosphere — it extends from the surface up to about 10 km to 15 km — where most weather phenomena occurs.
  2. The stratospheric polar vortex occurs at around 15 km to 50 km high. Unlike the tropospheric polar vortex, the stratospheric polar vortex disappears during the summer and is the strongest during the autumn.