Tag Archives: Polar Vortex

Third Polar Vortex Likely Coldest

A third “polar vortex” is aiming at the U.S. this week and it could bring the lowest temperatures of this winter’s trio of storms.

The forecast models show the frigid arctic air reaching into northern Mexico and all the way to south-central Florida.  Parts of the Gulf of Mexico could see temperatures well below freezing.

The vortex is also expected to be longer than the previous two, lasting almost three days in some regions.  Cities in the upper to central Midwest could be facing lows below zero for consecutive days with wind chills that could reach -50 degrees.

The National Weather Service said it could actually be warmer in the nation’s northernmost city, Barrow, Alaska, than it could be in most of the Midwest.  Barrow’s predicted high for Monday is -4 degrees.  That is the same predicted high for Chicago.

Forecasters say the temperature without wind chill could reach -17 degrees downtown.  Wind chills could surge past -40 degrees.

In the northern Midwest, residents faced an additional problem as high winds blew snow to the point it made travel impossible.

Officials across the Midwest are encouraging residents to stay inside for the next two days and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.

Southern Canada Hit By Weather-Created “Frost Quakes”

Canadians are experiencing a rare phenomenon as part of the polar vortex that has descended over the central part of North America.

Meteorologists call the incidents “frost quakes” and they can produce a sound as strong as a sonic boom.

The “quakes” happen when ice and rain seep into the ground and then the temperature falls so low that it freezes, causing the earth to split open as during an earthquake.

The phenomenon shocked residents of Toronto who thought someone was breaking into their homes or that gunfire had erupted in their neighborhoods. Toronto police reported hundreds of calls from worried residents over loud, unexplained noises.

Some residents told London’s Daily Mail that the quakes were strong enough to wake them from sleep and make dishes rattle.