Polar Vortex Weather Phenomenon Arriving In Two Waves: Here's Everything You Need To Know

Polar Vortex threatens the United States again this year. The cold air from the arctic will be crossing through Midwest and Northeast states in the next couple of days. Some northern areas will also be bracing for blizzard conditions.

What is Polar Vortex? Polar Vortex is a weather phenomenon that started visiting the United States in 2014. It is basically cold air from Northern Hemisphere that is formed when warmer air traps the cold Arctic air. Since the cold air is denser than warm air, the wind chills are trapped inside the vortex which then drifts lower over in the United States.

Is Polar Vortex caused by global warming? Unlike hurricanes, Polar Vortex is not a storm as it is a permanent characteristic of the Earth's atmosphere as it is spawned above the layer of the atmosphere where storms are usually formed. According to The Weather Channel senior meteorologist Stu Ostro, Polar Vortex is not caused by global warming. While climate change may have altered the nature of Polar Vortex, humans did not create the phenomenon as the weather occurrence is well-known even before the Civil War.

Polar Vortex in 2016? Reports say that Polar Vortex will be coming in two waves, first on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as over the weekend. Reports say that National Weather Service warns of dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions with temperatures that may plunge well over 45 below zero degrees. These dangerous wind chills may cause frostbite within minutes.

In another report, the second wave of Polar Vortex will arrive on Saturday and Sunday which are expected to affect Northern Plains on Saturday and Great Lakes on Sunday then the day after. Affected areas can expect a plunge of 20-40 degrees below the normal temperature, while others will experience the coldest weather during this time of year in many years. This report outlines summary of weather conditions in major cities.