A strong winter storm recently hit the United States, impacting more than 60 million people and leading to weather warnings in 30 states. The storm created dangerous situations, such as icy roads, school shutdowns, and power failures, with at least five deaths reported. Seven states, including Maryland and Virginia, declared emergencies, and the National Weather Service warned of more severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail.
The main cause of this extreme weather is the polar vortex, a cold air system that usually stays near the Earth’s poles. When this system weakens, freezing Arctic air moves south, affecting areas far from the poles. This time, the polar vortex’s instability brought icy conditions to parts of the U.S., causing widespread problems.
The polar vortex comes in two types: one in the lower part of the atmosphere (tropospheric) and one higher up (stratospheric). The lower one affects most of the weather we experience, while the higher one is found further above. When the polar vortex weakens, the jet stream—which normally keeps warm and cold air apart—starts to act unpredictably, letting cold air move farther south.
Climate change might be influencing this, but scientists are still studying how. Since the polar areas are warming faster than the rest of the planet, experts think the polar vortex and jet stream are getting weaker and more easily disrupted. This can lead to more cold air moving south, making winter storms stronger.
Experts, such as Steven Decker from Rutgers University, believe that global warming might be weakening the polar vortex and the jet stream, which could make these events happen more often. While scientists are still studying exactly how this works, it’s clear that changes in the climate are affecting weather patterns around the world.
To deal with these events, we can improve weather forecasts and prepare better for extreme weather. But as climate change keeps impacting global systems, understanding things like the polar vortex is becoming more and more important for planning how to handle disasters.