A polar vortex could bring cold winds to much of the U.S. as the new year approaches—but what exactly is a polar vortex, and how could it affect the weather in 2025?
Why It Matters
While meteorologists say that in most cases, polar vortex intrusions aren’t disruptive, they are sometimes associated with cold air outbreaks and winter storms, which can in turn affect travel conditions. High snowfall can also prompt school closures.
What To Know
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the Arctic polar vortex is a powerful band of west-to-east winds that develops in the stratosphere, about 10 to 30 miles above the North Pole, during the winter season.
It is always present near the poles, though it weakens during summer and intensifies in winter.
During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the polar vortex often expands, pushing cold air southward along with the jet stream, the service said.
“This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States,” the NWS said on its website.
In its January to March 2025 outlook, the NWS said polar vortex winds were expected to remain strong through January, meaning there was a low to medium (20 to 50 percent) chance of a modest cold snap through at least the first half of the month.
According to Severe Weather Europe, an online resource of global weather forecasts, pressure changes over North America, combined with shifts in the polar vortex, will establish a weather pattern that brings cold air and snowfall to the United States during the first half of January, with the potential to persist into the month.
It said forecasts suggested cold air would expand from western Canada down into the northern, central, and eastern U.S. is the first week of January.
Additionally, AccuWeather reported that, should the vortex hit, it could also prompt “some of the coldest air of the season” during February.
What People Are Saying
Meteorologist Ben Noll wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on December 29: “A lobe of the polar vortex threatens to bring some seriously cold and possibly snowy weather to the United States during the week of January 6th.
“Frigid air will overtake just about the entire country.”
Meteorologist Mark Margavage wrote on X on December 10: “Polar Vortex Watch now in effect for a Stratospheric Warming Event December 21-28th leading to the potential for extreme cold and snow in Eastern North America around the end of December into January.
“Currently, this is just a watch meant to raise awareness to the potential impacts of severe cold and snow.”
What Happens Next
The NWS has advised the public to check the forecast for their area on weather.gov to ensure they are dressed appropriately. The agency said that while there is no cause to be alarmed by news of the polar vortex, people should be prepared for colder temperatures.
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