The Science Behind the Polar Vortex

As we get into the season of winter, the term, polar vortex, often gets mentioned when it gets cold. The polar vortex is around all year round at the North and South Poles, although it is stronger in the winter than in the summer. The coldest air on Earth is located within this vortex of arctic air, and sometimes that air moves south to affect parts of Europe, Asia, and North America in the winter season.

A common misconception with the polar vortex is that whenever it's cold, people say it's the polar vortex. That is always incorrect because the polar vortex is always over the North Pole. However, the vortex typically weakens at times, allowing for pieces or branches of the polar vortex to bring the extreme cold southward. Now you know the science behind the polar vortex!

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