Arctic blast : Polar vortex headed to region this week

If you lived in central Canada last winter, you probably remember it looking something like this.

But what IS a polar vortex, exactly? And can we expect to see it again this winter?

A blast of Arctic air is expected to push across many regions of North America this week, including Western Canada and typically temperate areas in the U.S. Last winter, meteorologists referred to the dreaded “polar vortex” as temperatures plunged to punishingly low levels. Some theorized the cold snap was linked to the weakening of a polar vortex spinning above the North Pole.

Some scientists theorize that cold air spills out of the weakened whirlpool above the Arctic. The cold air then travels south across North America. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes, however, that extreme winter weather is often influenced by a host of atmospheric factors.

Agencies/Canadajournal