Map shows polar vortex will grip Rockies and northern Plains with temperatures set to plunge to -42.7 degrees Celsius (Picture: NOAA/National Weather Service) ...

In A Nutshell A major study of 42 years of data shows severe winter storms have shifted northwest, away from the traditional snow belt. This shift is linked to changes in the polar vortex, which ...

Weather analysts are divided over the polar vortex’s influence on weather and what that means for the rest of this year’s winter. The polar vortex is an area of low pressure and cold air that ...

Polar vortex could prime atmosphere for spring snowstorms With plenty of cold air in place, the colder pattern during the second half of March could set the stage for springtime snowstorms.

The cold is part of a polar vortex that has plunged large swaths of the country into Arctic weather and “ life-threatening cold.” It’s the 10th and coldest polar vortex so far this season.

A winter weather advisory for Columbus, Franklin County and other central Ohio counties is in effect from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Thursday.