In March, scientists were taken aback by an unexpected shift in the direction of the Arctic’s polar vortex. This change, which occurred around March 4, is considered one of the six strongest events of its kind since 1979, according to climate scientist Amy Butler from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as reported by Spaceweather.
The stratospheric polar vortex is a large spinning mass of freezing cold air that forms high up in the atmosphere near the North Pole. It is maintained by a powerful wind current that circulates around the polar region from west to east, with the strongest presence during winter. These winds can reach speeds of about 155 miles per hour, similar to the minimum wind speed for a Category 5 hurricane, and are often referred to as the polar night jet.
The recent change in direction of the polar vortex was attributed to “Sudden Stratospheric Warming events,” which caused an influx of ozone from lower latitudes around the Arctic. This increase in temperature led to an unexpected reversal of
