Extreme Cold Alert: What is the Polar Vortex and Why is it Dangerous? Will it affect India? , peppermint

Americans are preparing for dangerously cold temperatures on Thursday, with life-threatening conditions predicted and the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. Overnight lows are expected to drop to minus 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 31 degrees Celsius) in some northern parts of the United States over the weekend due to the Arctic “polar vortex.”

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A blast of Arctic air is set to cover much of the United States, with temperatures below zero from Friday through next week. This will affect millions of Americans in nearly all contiguous states.

What is the polar vortex?

The polar vortex is a large, low-pressure cold air system that typically forms near the Earth’s poles. During winter, it can expand and shift, causing cold air from polar regions to move into lower latitudes, often affecting North America, Europe, and Asia. When the polar vortex weakens or shifts, it can cause extreme cold, sometimes resulting in dangerously low temperatures, strong winds, and significant snowfall in areas far from the poles. This phenomenon is responsible for “Arctic blasts” that bring life-threatening cold conditions.

As reported reuters, Temperatures will drop below 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 C) in the northern Plains and upper Midwest, into the teens in the central Plains and Midwest and near 30 degrees in parts of the South on Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Will enter the East Coast and Southeast on Monday.

What happens during the polar vortex?

The NWS has warned that the extreme cold will pose a “life-threatening” risk of hypothermia and frostbite.

Americans living in the south, such as the Southern Plains, can expect to see sub-zero wind chills starting Sunday night, said Zach Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

As the report states, “It will actually last for several days for much of the southern US, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast as we head into early to mid next week.” reuters,

The coldest weather so far this season will be caused by a phenomenon called the polar vortex. The polar vortex is an upper-level jet stream that normally rotates around both the North and South Poles, but when it weakens and expands it can push cold air into the US and Canada.

donald trump inauguration

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that his inauguration ceremony will be held indoors on Monday due to severe cold. Temperatures are expected to reach just 23 degrees in Washington, D.C. on Monday, a wind chill that will make it feel even colder.

States from Virginia to New England could see heavy snowfall along with frigid temperatures, with Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston potentially receiving several inches of snowfall.

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Southern states also could get snow from an isolated storm starting Monday night in parts of Texas, which could spread south to the Gulf Coast, Taylor said.

“It’s something we’re keeping a close eye on, given the sensitivity of people who are not used to winter weather and those kinds of conditions,” he said.

The weak polar vortex could cause a disturbance in the west, leading to heavy snowfall in the western Himalayas and cooler temperatures in northern India. This change in weather patterns often results in cold conditions and significant snowfall in higher altitude areas.

(with inputs from agencies)