Polar Vortex Hits Country

A polar vortex hit a large part of the United States during the week of December 12, 2016. Although the northeast states felt the brunt of the storm, the vortex spread through almost all of the country.

With all of the effects of this abnormally chilly weather occurring, some may be wondering what exactly it is. A polar vortex is a type of low-pressure system that spins counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect, which occurs because of the earth’s rotation. While the vortex is typically in the stratosphere, the drops in temperature occur when the polar vortex “drops” into the troposphere.

Record-low temperatures pushed in from the north starting on December 15, 2016, hitting Boston and other important east coast cities with snow and below freezing temperatures. This caused traffic jams and other problems in highly populated cities. Later in the week, the vortex expanded to the west coast, and the outskirts of the system hit Los Angeles and other southern parts of the country.

With all of the winter holidays looming, many people had plans to travel to loved ones. Due to this dramatic weather, many flights were delayed which put already crowded terminal goers into masses of anxious travelers. On the roads, crashes were more frequent as well, due to the unusual conditions.

The vortex improved by the end of December 2016, with high temperatures just above freezing by Christmas weekend.

Photo by Kathryn B.