As one blast of Arctic air pushes out to sea, already a new surge of cold air, driven by a breakdown of the polar vortex, is likely to expand from central Canada and through the midwestern and eastern United States by early next week.
The Arctic blasts won't stop there as more cold waves could follow before the cold waves diminish past the middle of the month, AccuWeather long-range meteorologists say.
The polar vortex is a large upper-level low-pressure area or circulation that typically resides above the Arctic Circle. When this storm is strong, it tends to keep the coldest air in the Northern Hemisphere locked up over the pole.
However, when it weakens or stretches, frigid air can move southward.
"The polar vortex has been in a weakened and stretched state since late November," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. "We are seeing the result as Arctic air pushes southward across the central and eastern U.S. in recent days and may continue to do so for the next couple of weeks or so in waves."
