Could early February's blast of cold in the northeastern United States be one of the last appearances of our wintertime foe, the polar vortex?
While forecasters can't yet say that for sure, a warmer stretch of weather appears likely for much of the nation: According to a forecast from AccuWeather, a gradual moderation in temperatures is expected to develop during the second week of February across the Midwest and eastern United States.
However, while conditions will turn less cold, lingering snow and ice will slow the warming process and keep winter-related risks in place, AccuWeather said.
Keep in mind that a stronger polar vortex is good news for warm weather lovers in the U.S. When it's strong, the vortex and its cold air usually stay bottled up over the Arctic where they belong. When the polar vortex weakens, it often allows unspeakably cold air to funnel south into the U.S.
"As the polar vortex strengthens next week, the jet stream will become strong, but in a general west-to-east setup over the U.S. and southern Canada," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said in an online forecast.
