The polar vortex that brought the Chicago area to a halt in January will now be remembered as producing the state’s coldest temperature ever, according to weather officials. Weeks after the ...

ABC7 Meteorologist Cheryl Scott sits down with Illinois state climatologist Trent Ford to dive deeper into the meaning of the polar vortex and its impact here in Illinois.

As in, actual air that should be in the Arctic is in Illinois. ... because “polar vortex” sounds metal as hell. The last occurrence was in 2019, when temperatures hit negative 23.

When a chunk of the polar vortex dislodges from the North Pole, it can bring Chicago's coldest periods of weather on record, such as those recorded during the winters of 1977, 1989 and 2014.

Memorable recent weather events with polar vortex conditions. Jan. 30-31, 2019. ... The lowest temperature ever recorded in Illinois was observed on Jan. 31, 2019, when Mount Carroll ...

A record cold snap in the US has left 21 dead. Here's what makes these polar-vortex events so dangerous and why we may see more of them in the future.

The Chicago Skyline in 2014 as steam rises from Lake Michigan due to a “polar vortex” event. Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images The Arctic air in Chicago is dangerously cold, so much so that ...

An Illinois police department took to social media Tuesday to share photos of a high ... Record-shattering temperatures will sweep a wide swath of the U.S. on Wednesday because of a polar vortex.

As the polar vortex blankets the Chicago area with life-threatening cold temperatures this week, rail crews are literally turning up the heat in order to keep trains running.

The polar vortex is to blame. The United States has been at the epicenter of the planet’s most unusually cold conditions early in 2025. Accessibility statement Skip to main content ...

Borchardt and Friedlein: “While the term polar vortex gained notoriety after bone-chilly cold outbreaks of January 2014 and late January 2019, most cold outbreaks are associated with polar vortices.