Abstract
Some winter days are so cold and snowy that you feel like you are living at the North Pole. But what causes the weather to be so cold? Freezing temperatures and heavy snow at lower latitudes often follow a weak polar vortex. A polar vortex is a band of strong winds that traps a large mass of cold air above the North and South Poles. When the polar vortex weakens, extreme cold air moves away from the poles. We wanted to work out what factors cause a weak Arctic polar vortex event. We found that warmer ocean temperatures cause air pressure changes. This change in air pressure causes a shift in the polar vortex in the upper atmosphere. Our results can help predict weak polar vortex events in winter. Predicting these events will improve the ability to forecast extreme cold and snow.
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