The polar vortex sits in the stratosphere, which starts at around 6–20 kilometers (4–12 miles) above the planet's surface and reaches roughly 50 kilometers (around 31 miles) above.

The final collapse occurs when the vortex begins spinning eastwards and remains that way until the next winter. Here is what you can expect from the weather for the next week.

February 2022 was also characterized by an extremely strong stratospheric polar vortex—a large spinning mass of cold air in ...