US EditionMeteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blast
A stretched polar vortex fueled by low Arctic sea ice and moisture threatens up to 250 million Americans with prolonged cold, heavy snow, and ice causing power outages, officials said.
- On Jan. 24, forecasts show a storm from New Mexico to New England and the Deep South threatening at least 250 million people.
- Meteorologists attribute the polar vortex's elongation to an upper-atmosphere wave linked to record-low Arctic sea ice in the Barents and Kara seas and heavy Siberian snowfall.
- Forecasters note temperatures could plunge to minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit in the North and Midwest, while the Lower 48 lows dance around 11 or 12 degrees on Saturday through Monday.
- As of January 21, 2026, millions of Americans are under advisories and warnings, with forecasters saying winter storms could disrupt thousands of flights and close schools and major roads.
- Judah Cohen, MIT research scientist, notes studies suggest more stretched polar vortex events may continue in the coming years despite Arctic warming, linked to severe winter bursts and possible freezing of two Great Lakes — Erie and Ontario.
147 Articles
147 Articles
Mason City Globe Gazette
North Platte Nebraska's NewspaperStretched polar vortex brings deep chill
WASHINGTON — Warm Arctic waters and cold continental land will combine to stretch the dreaded polar vortex in a way that will send much of the United States a devastating dose of winter weather later this week, with swaths of…
A winter storm threatens the United States, affecting more than 175 million people. Cold temperatures and strong winds are expected, with snowfalls exceeding 30 centimetres. Texas is now home to...
By Chris Dolce, CNN - A major winter storm, one of the most extreme and widespread in years, will slam into more than two dozen states with damaging ice and heavy snow later this week. The system is being fueled and exacerbated by a brutal blast of Arctic air that could set records for the coldest time of year. The storm will be so extensive that snow, sleet, and freezing rain could stretch more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers), from the Grea…
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