Behavior or Polar Vortex Will Keep Cold Air Locked Over U.S. Through February

The polar vortex is set to spoil the chance of an early spring in the weeks ahead. The long-range forecast is predicting that the vortex will continue to remain unstable, allowing Arctic air to spill to the south and across the U.S. border. Here is a look at what meteorologists are predicting about the behavior of the polar vortex into February, and how that will impact the threat of more winter weather.

Erratic Polar Vortex Will Translate to More Winter Weather Through February

Winter is showing no signs of easing across much of the U.S. heading into the last official month of the meteorological season. The instability of the polar vortex will keep the threat of Arctic air intrusions in the picture for the next few weeks. The ongoing cold temperature pattern will also support the development of more rounds of snow and ice across the Plains, the Mississippi Valley, the Appalachians, and up and down the East Coast well into February.

Not only is the persisent weather weather a disruption for travelers and many facets of everyday life, but the unseasonably cold temperatures are also putting major demands on energy grids across the eastern half of the U.S. Energy bills are soaring as heating systems have to work overtime.

The polar vortex has been particularly weak this year. This storm that spins at the top of the Arctic Circle has broken down frequently over the last few months, allowing the cold air to escape and dive to the south. The breakdown of the polar vortex has been largely responsible for the unseasonably cold temperatures that have been hovering over the eastern U.S. for the last week. This pattern is expected to linger into next week, ushering in some of the most brutally cold readings of the season thus far.