Polar Vortex

Week of December 14, 2025 – December 20, 2025

by Lizzy Suzedell, Environmental Educator

Have you heard about the polar vortex on the news lately? This week, I saw article titles saying that the “polar vortex has broken,” and that this will bring a “wrecking ball” and “mother lode” of “icy vortex air” across the country. While this weather phenomenon does bring us extremely cold temperatures, I always laugh a little bit when I read such headlines. The polar vortex sounds scary, but it’s really just a normal part of the earth’s climate.

The polar vortex is a large area of cold, low pressure air found near the earth’s poles. It’s called a vortex because this air rotates. In the northern hemisphere, it flows counterclockwise around the north pole. The southern boundary of this arctic air is marked by the polar jetstream, which is a current of air high above the ground that moves from west to east across the United States and Canada. The jetstream then continues across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and back to North America again, making a big circle. The polar vortex actually exists year round (even in the summer), but its winds are strongest during the winter.

When the rotational winds of the polar vortex are strong, cold air is held close to the poles, and the jet stream moves in a straighter, more even line around the northern hemisphere. However, when they weaken, arctic air drifts away from the north pole and down towards us. If you were to look at a weather map during this time, you’d see bends in the jetstream, with a large area of cold air dipping southward. We’ve already experienced a few of these cold snaps from the polar vortex this season.

Up here in New York State, periods of very cold temperatures are a regular part of the winter. However, it is very important to be prepared for it by dressing properly and having emergency plans in place for when things go awry. Even though the polar vortex is a normal phenomenon, extreme cold can be very dangerous, and sometimes, it can bring other hazards with it (like blizzards). Additionally, research suggests that the polar vortex may be getting disrupted more frequently due to climate change. This could lead to more extreme changes in winter weather in the years to come.

It’s hard to believe that winter hasn’t officially started yet (the solstice is in one week). Time will tell how the polar vortex impacts our weather for the rest of this upcoming season. For more reading and visuals about the polar vortex, check out this link from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/severe-weather/what-the-polar-vortex

We invite our members to enjoy a weekly blog written by our naturalists. Every blog will be uniquely different but always inspired by nature. We may share a memory from a recent hike at The Woods or teach you about an animal or plant that lives on the preserve. No matter the topic, we will be sharing with you our passion for nature and celebrating the connections we all have to the natural world. Each blog will be connected to a weekly set of activities and ideas to help you put nature in your hands, even if you’re at home!