Polar Vortex and Warm Ocean Fueling Major US Winter Storm

• A severe winter storm is impacting the central and eastern U.S. in late January 2026, bringing freezing rain, sleet, and snow from Texas to New England.
• The storm's intensity is linked to a strong Arctic air mass creating temperature contrasts with warmer air from the south, and moisture pulled from the very warm Gulf of Mexico.
• The stratospheric polar vortex, a belt of fast-moving air high above the North Pole, stretched southward over the U.S., creating ideal conditions for severe winter weather.
• Energy from the jet stream bouncing off the polar vortex amplifies north-south swings, making severe winter weather more likely.
• Despite global warming, severe winter storms can still occur, potentially intensified by disruptions to the polar vortex linked to Arctic warming and increased moisture from warmer oceans.

Why It Matters: A combination of the stratospheric polar vortex and warm ocean waters is intensifying a major US winter storm.