An event in which the normally stable band of frigid air circulating around the Arctic weakens or becomes distorted, allowing a lobe of extremely cold polar air to plunge southward into the mid-latitudes for days at a time. Despite its name evoking a single storm, a polar vortex outbreak is a large-scale disruption of the upper atmosphere's circulation rather than a storm system itself, and can bring record-breaking cold to regions far from the pole.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceThe vortex slows and may wobble, slide off the pole, split into several lobes, or, in the most extreme cases, temporarily reverse direction 1 PeriodicityWeakens, stretches or splits on average about every other year in the Arctic 1 Connections
Demonstrated By
Tundra, Biomes Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sources
1. Understanding the Arctic polar vortex, NOAA Climate.gov
Article body, paragraph describing how often the vortex is disrupted
it happens on average about every other year in the Arctic
Article body, paragraph describing how a disruption unfolds
The vortex slows, and it may wobble, slide off the pole, split into several lobes, or, in the most extreme cases, temporarily reverse direction
View the SourceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrated By: TundraView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.