Polar Vortex Incoming in Second Half of January

The frigid conditions seen over the past few days can be expected for the foreseeable future.

The polar vortex, a rotating bubble of cold air around the North Pole, is beginning to separate and will make its way across the continental United States over the second half of January.

The air mass is usually protected by the polar jet stream, which strengthens in the winter. However, the polar vortex sometimes separates and sends cold conditions south.

The cold weather is expected to hit the hardest in the central United States along with a portion of the Northeast.