The polar vortex is essentially a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of Earth’s poles. It constantly sits over the poles but expands in the winter.

The polar vortex is a broad region of freezing air that lives above the North Pole. It can make for frigid weather when the jet stream, which usually holds it in place, bends and lets that cold ...

In a year without much winter weather, there’s a chance of a bitter blow before spring takes hold. Experts say a disruption of the polar vortex could unleash cold, stormy conditions to the ...

The polar vortex is technically in the stratosphere, the middle layer of Earth's atmosphere. That area of low pressure is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) above the Earth's surface, Furtado said.

A researcher expects the polar vortex to strengthen over the next two weeks. This has a big impact on our day-to-day weather here in the Great Lakes region and even the Northeast. Judah Cohen ...

The polar vortex – everyone's favorite wintertime whipping boy – is actually a gigantic, circular area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that typically spins over the North Pole ...

The polar vortex split will help cause temperatures to plummet and potentially set the stage for some snowstorms. A recent strong "sudden stratospheric warming" event has caused the vortex to weaken.

The science behind the polar vortex is incredibly complicated, and we've only recently begun to understand how changes at our planet's poles impact weather at more moderate latitudes.

The polar vortex appears to be on the move. That’s because stratospheric warming is occurring at high altitudes above the North Pole, resulting in a spike in temperatures.