# Why Polar Vortexs all of a sudden?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 11, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343 "2014-11-11T13:37:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ArztWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArztWolf)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/1 "2014-11-11T13:37:55Z")
Why is it that we have only had “Polar Vortexs” in the past two years? I never heard of them happening in previous years? Is it a new phenomenon or just new terminology?
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### Author:  [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/2 "2014-11-11T13:54:29Z")
The polar vortex has always been there. It is believed that climate change has tended to weaken the rotation of the vortex in winter, which allows cold and warm air to meander instead of being held in place by the vortex. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_vortex)has a pretty good explanation.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/3 "2014-11-11T14:04:04Z")
In order for anything to make the news, it needs to be a freakin’ huge deal. “Hey, look, it’s winter, and it’s going to be cold and windy.” _crickets chirp_ “POLAR VORTEX!” :eek:
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/4 "2014-11-11T14:48:06Z")
Because “COLD FRONT FROM CANADA” has lost its terror and the weather folk needed a new catchphrase to keep people’s attention.
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### Author:  [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/5 "2014-11-11T16:24:33Z")
I seem to recall that once upon a time they were sometimes called an “arctic blast”. Or would that have been something else?
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### Author:  [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/6 "2014-11-11T16:54:02Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Because “COLD FRONT FROM CANADA” has lost its terror and the weather folk needed a new catchphrase to keep people’s attention.
The scary thing is, hyperbole can only be carried so far. Eventually, the news media is going to run out of escalatory words. We’re going to need a Canadian weather-themed supervillian. Any volunteers?
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/7 "2014-11-11T16:58:02Z")
They tried using “The Kodiak Killer,” but that got confused with the Zodiac Killer, and then the animal rights activists got involved and it went downhill from there.
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### Author:  [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/8 "2014-11-11T17:06:36Z")
The Polar Vortex is an actual thing, distinct from a cold front or a blast of arctic air. It’s the area of low pressure that usually sits up by the North Pole. The reason why we’re hearing about it all of a sudden is that for the last year or two, the Jet Stream that keeps it up there has been weakening, and the low pressure system and the accompanying cold air circulating around it has been popping into North America for extended visits.
So while on this side of the North Pole has been very, very cold, the other side (where the cold air normally lives) has been rather warm. That could very well be why those mysterious holes have been showing up in Siberia.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/9 "2014-11-11T17:33:06Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> They tried using “The Kodiak Killer,” but that got confused with the Zodiac Killer, and then the animal rights activists got involved and it went downhill from there.
How about “The Frigid Pucksucker”? That’s got a Canadian feel to it.
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/10 "2014-11-11T17:54:54Z")
Iceman Cometh, eh?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/11 "2014-11-11T18:04:57Z")
A giant frrrrozen horrrible beastie with hyoooge fangs.
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/12 "2014-11-11T18:27:47Z")
[Warning! Monster lizard ravages east coast!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wML2V6crNc0)
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/13 "2014-11-11T19:30:06Z")
Read the descriptions about the “Blue Northerner” that used to hit in North Texas.
Maybe the cold air does this more often now but hardly a new thing.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/14 "2014-11-11T19:31:30Z")
[Oh! My own little bunny rabbit! I wil name him ‘George’ and I wil hug him and squeeze him…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JlVqfC8-UI)
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/15 "2014-11-11T19:44:53Z")
The polar vortex paid a visit to the UK back in late 2010. And last winter, while the PV was freezing American butts, it was unusually mild (and wet) over the UK. I didn’t see a flake of snow all last winter.
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### Author:  [@Bert\_Nobbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bert_Nobbins)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/16 "2014-11-11T20:23:54Z")
> [@Colophon](#):
>
> The polar vortex paid a visit to the UK back in late 2010. And last winter, while the PV was freezing American butts, it was unusually mild (and wet) over the UK. I didn’t see a flake of snow all last winter.
Yes indeed. Where I live (London) we did not have a single frost all winter. A whole bunch of plant types survived the winter for the first time, saving me and Ms Nobbins a good deal of money on our horticulture.
“You can lead a horticulture but you cannot make her think”
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/17 "2014-11-11T20:33:28Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#):
>
> Yes indeed. Where I live (London) we did not have a single frost all winter. A whole bunch of plant types survived the winter for the first time, saving me and Ms Nobbins a good deal of money on our horticulture.
>
> “You can lead a horticulture but you cannot make her think”
Unfortunately a load of weeds and bugs survived as well.
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/18 "2014-11-11T20:48:17Z")
> [@Recusant](#):
>
> The scary thing is, hyperbole can only be carried so far. Eventually, the news media is going to run out of escalatory words. We’re going to need a Canadian weather-themed supervillian. Any volunteers?
I think you have too high an opinion of humanity if you think we’ll run out of escalatory words. Am I the only one who’s heard things like “super extreme” “very unique” and “best bff” being thrown around?
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/19 "2014-11-11T21:06:22Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#):
>
> Yes indeed. Where I live (London) we did not have a single frost all winter.
I’m about 400 miles north of you and we didn’t have a single hard frost either.
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-polar-vortexs-all-of-a-sudden/704343/20 "2014-11-11T21:14:25Z")
Please. Polar _Vortices_.
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