polar vortex

[poh-ler vawr-teks]

noun

plural

polar vortices, polar vortexes 

1. a whirling mass of very cold air that sits over the North or South Pole.

   A displaced polar vortex is causing Arctic temperatures across the United States.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polar vortex¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Inside the planet's polar vortex, temperatures drop dramatically -- much colder than the air outside -- and the continuous darkness of the long Martian winter allows ozone levels in the atmosphere to rise sharply.

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"The atmosphere inside the polar vortex, from near the surface to about 30 kilometers high, is characterized by extreme cold temperatures, about 40 degrees Celsius colder than outside the vortex," said Dr. Kevin Olsen of the University of Oxford, who presented the results at the EPSC-DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki.

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On Earth, the polar vortex can sometimes destabilize and drift south, sending cold air into lower latitudes.

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Mars' polar vortex develops as part of its seasonal cycle, driven by the planet's 25.2-degree axial tilt.

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Meteorologists have also warned that a polar vortex is making its way toward the northern Rocky Mountains and northern Plains in the middle of the countryand is expected to land this weekend.

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