US EditionHow the polar vortex and warm ocean intensified a major US winter storm
The storm combined a southward polar vortex, jet stream disturbances, and warm Gulf moisture to cause heavy snow, ice, and power outages across the central and eastern U.S.
- Residents across much of the United States experienced a severe winter storm in late January 2026, with hundreds of thousands in the South losing power and bitter cold expected to linger for days.
- Multiple jet-stream disturbances combined to pull moisture from the Gulf of Mexico while a southward-stretching Northern Hemisphere stratospheric polar vortex overlapped the jet stream.
- Vertical atmospheric waves connected the stratosphere and troposphere, propagating energy downward and exaggerating jet stream swings while condensation of moisture from a warmer ocean intensified snow and ice.
- Federal scientists warn that forecasting relies on models and data from government labs like the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which faces proposed funding cuts, while many questions remain.
- Scientists note that a warmer ocean and atmosphere increase moisture that can intensify storms, yet Earth's warming reduces overall snow and fuels debate on cold-season extremes.
20 Articles
20 Articles
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How the polar vortex and warm ocean intensified a major US winter storm
The sudden blast may have come as a shock to many after a mostly mild start to winter, but that warmth may have partly contributed to the ferocity of the storm.
Extreme winter storm paralyzes the U.S.; Peruvian in Maryland reports polar cold and fear of blackouts.
What we're reading: Polar vortex incoming
Here’s some of the news that has caught our eye this week Polar vortex stretched: A stretched polar vortex will bring dangerous subzero temperatures, heavy snow and ice to 230 million Americans starting Friday, with the storm stretching from New Mexico to New England. Meteorologists warn the frigid weather could stick around through January into early February, with some comparing the potential damage to a major hurricane. Source: PBS News Rate …
Unrecognizable New York: Photos Showing the Brutal Transformation of Central Park After Winter Storm
New York dawned unrecognizable after a storm with the most intense snowfalls of recent years, a phenomenon that completely transformed Central Park’s appearance and left images that quickly went viral on social networks. Photographs spread after the storm, which intensified on the weekend, captured the magnitude of change: invisible trails under the snow, trees turned into natural sculptures and an unusual silence that amortized Manhattan’s cons…
Ocean County Says Snow Cleanup Continues After Major Storm — What Do You Think of the County’s Response?
Following a major snowstorm that impacted Ocean County from Sunday, Jan. 25, through the morning of Monday, Jan. 26, county officials say cleanup operations remain ongoing as crews continue working to restore safe travel conditions across the region. More than 200 county employees worked around the clock during the storm to maintain approximately 630 miles […]
How the polar vortex and warm ocean intensified a major US winter storm
By Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell, and Judah Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) A severe winter storm that brought crippling freezing rain, sleet and snow to a large part of the U.S. in late January left a mess in states from New Mexico to New England. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power across the South as ice pulled down tree branches and power lines, more than a foot of snow fell in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, and…
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