Polar vortex to send bitter cold to the U.S. including DC area
The polar vortex is a ring of cold air that typically circles the Arctic. A strong jet stream essentially acts like a fence, keeping it locked there. If there's any weakening in the jet stream (the fence), the frigid air can become unstable and spill out. This sends the normally trapped cold air much farther south.
It's been a cold start to January, with nearly every single day spent below average since the start of the year.
A person walks near the Washington Monument during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt ...
Most of the country will likely be hit by an arctic blast this weekend into early next week as the polar vortex ushers ... reach the single digits in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.
Dangerously cold weather will put much of the United States into a deep freeze over the weekend as temperatures are expected to plunge by up to 40 degrees behind an Arctic airmass.
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