Bitingly cold Arctic air keeps pummeling the U.S. with ruthless cold snaps—despite warming winters nationwide. A study explains why: the solution lies far above your head, in the upper atmosphere where the polar vortex resides. Two recurring cycles ...

In an early sign of the winter weather that's coming, the dreaded polar vortex is making news yet again. The polar vortex is "ramping up from its summer slumber," said meteorologist Judah Cohen in an Oct. 1 email to USA TODAY. The vortex is a gigantic ...

The polar vortex, a mass of cold air over the Arctic, is beginning its seasonal strengthening. A strong polar vortex typically keeps the coldest air locked near the North Pole. A weaker or wobbling vortex can send pockets of frigid air south into the U.S ...

In recent years, as extreme weather events have occurred with increasing frequency, scientists have been searching within the chaotic atmospheric system for clues that can enhance forecasting capabilities—factors such as ENSO,

The polar vortex is stirring up, bringing the earliest hints that the weather is changing as autumn has officially arrived. In the short term, this means gradual cool-downs and a more active storm track across the northern United States. But not everywhere ...