Brace yourself for a brutal winter: Experts say disruptions in the polar vortex could cause temperatures to plummet in parts of the US.

As its name suggests, the polar vortex is found around the north pole. LOOKING AHEAD: Check back on January 3 for a look ahead at what we can expect for the first month of 2018 and beyond. Polar vortex is … The polar vortex is a great gyre of air that forms each winter and circulates above the North Pole, way up in the stratosphere. The polar vortex – everyone's favorite wintertime whipping boy – is a large area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that normally spins over the North Pole (as its name suggests). Here comes the polar vortex. The polar vortex – everyone's favorite wintertime whipping boy – is a large area of cold air high up … What is the polar vortex?

But what is it? During the winter and spring, the U.S. warming hole sits over the Southeast, as the polar vortex allows arctic air to plunge into the region.