All-time Highs to All Time Colds — Polar Vortex Has Hit!

The coldest January in 300 years — a polar vortex from Russia is expected to hit the DMV and greater East Coast next week. Experts say that temperatures are not going to rise higher than the low 20’s, and nighttime lows can be in the single digits.

Polar vortices are gatherings of very cold air, and can be pushed from area to area due to winds and the atmosphere. These vortices will bring a lot of cold temperatures, and may also cause snowfall if the conditions are correct. They are normally formed when a low pressure system is disrupted by a weather event, which could usually be high winds. The vortex is then pushed towards the equator, from its origin that is normally near the poles.

This is one of the coldest Januarys in DMV history, and it is coming off of a massive amount of snow that had hit after the new year, which had kept schools closed for multiple days in MCPS. The cold temperatures coming next week may make it feel like it is in the negatives, due to wind chills in the area. Forecasts also show that more snow may fall, which could stay on the ground for weeks because of cold temperatures that will keep the snow from melting.