This year, much of the United States and Europe have experienced the weakening of the Polar Vortex. This phenomenon has pushed colder than expected temperatures southward. Snow fell in Rome for the first time in six years while Norway recorded the lowest temperatures of the cold spell at minus 43 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 42 Celsius. The big deal here is that researchers have found a correlation, variations in the strength of the polar vortex can cause disruptions in expected weather patterns across the northern hemisphere.

![gondola.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmejK6aCRtQzb4VyKHzFernHLKbwtWwJKtapFS1eDUSSXx/gondola.JPG)
[Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/climate/polar-vortex-europe-cold.html)

**What is the Polar Vortex**
The polar vortex is an upper-level low-pressure field of air which rotates around the North Pole. There actually are two polar vortices on Earth one in the Southern Hemisphere over Antarctica and one in the Northern Hemisphere over the Arctic.  It is the insulating body which keeps cold temperatures within the high latitudes. Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said:
>The polar vortex is not a recently discovered phenomenon; in fact, it has been talked about in the meteorological world for decades

**Why is the Polar Vortex weakening?**
The signs are pointing to melting sea ice, caused by global warming. The loss of ice creates patterns of high pressure near the Barents Sea and Kara Sea located off northern Russia. That high pressure blocks the low-pressure system of the polar vortex, weakening it in the process. But no one has been able to show exactly how melting ice in the Arctic sea is causing the polar vortex to shift, at least not scientifically.

![shifting.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdr9JFu6vw8uNt1PnHcySkZDYFusyEHB7emGBf6uxzdUu/shifting.JPG)
[Source](https://www.sciencealert.com/satellite-data-shows-the-polar-vortex-is-shifting)

**Why this year is different**
Sometime ago, In the days leading up to the European cold snap, the polar vortex didn’t just get weaker, it divided into two. One large piece went into northern Eurasia and drifted westward into Europe, earning it the nickname “Beast from the East.” It is currently still affecting countries like The United Kingdom. The other piece ended up in northwestern Canada, which led to the Western United States getting a second freeze after an unusual warm period. The question everyone affected is asking is:
 >is this the new norm?



Thanks for reading.

![upvote-follow-Resteem.gif](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRhDtjokAZnGKi4QwheqksKTFo6m4fsjMYsNNrsitC1xk/upvote-follow-Resteem.gif)