The closer to the ground we go, the more deformed the Polar Vortex gets. In the following image below, we have the lower layers of the Polar Vortex at around 5km/3miles. Winds are of great importance when describing the Polar Vortex, as they are usually the first to show that something in the Polar Vortex is changing. The stronger winds are typically found in the outer edge, also called “the surf zone”. It is circular, with the temperature dropping quickly towards its cold inner core. The image below shows the high-altitude Polar Vortex at around 30km/18.5miles in the middle Stratosphere during Winter. That is due to the influence of the terrain/mountains and strong pressure systems acting as obstacles in the flow. But the lower structure of the Polar Vortex is much more uneven and mainly disrupted. The upper (stratospheric) part is more circular and symmetrical as it spins higher above the ground. But it is also very important if they are properly connected-image by NOAA-Climate. They both play their role differently, which is why we monitor them separately. But above that, we have the Stratosphere, a deeper and drier layer and the home of the ozone layer.įor this reason, we tend to separate the entire Polar Vortex into an upper (stratospheric) and a lower (tropospheric) part. The lowest level of the atmosphere is called the troposphere, where all the weather events are.
You can see the atmospheric layers in the image below. The Polar Vortex extends high up into the atmosphere. You can see the actual structure of the Polar Vortex, connecting down to the lower levels to the pressure systems. The vertical axis is greatly enhanced for better visual presentation. We produced a 3-dimensional image of the Polar Vortex. It extends from the surface layers high up into the atmosphere. This causes a strong temperature difference between the polar and sub-tropical regions, and a large low-pressure (cyclonic) circulation starts to develop across the Northern Hemisphere.
But as the polar temperatures drop, the atmosphere further to the south is still relatively warm. This is because the Sun gets lower, and less energy reaches the North Pole. But more importantly, we will look closely at the latest forecasts and how the Polar Vortex disruption events might be a major player for the rest of Winter.Īs we head into autumn, the polar regions start to cool. We will look at the important role of the Polar Vortex during the Winter season and how it can shape our weather when it is strong or weak. So it matters greatly in what shape or form the Polar Vortex is as we go through the cold weather season. Weather and the stratospheric Polar Vortex are strongly connected, especially in Winter. These important events can have a significant impact on the rest of Winter in the United States, Canada, and Europe. As the forecast indicates, the Polar Vortex will be heavily deformed but will not fully collapse. The Polar Vortex is starting to weaken as a strong Stratospheric Warming event is about to unfold.
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