POLARVORTEXMAYBRING AREABLASTOFARCTICAIR

Subzero temperatures possible later thismonth and into February.

A disruption in the polar vortex may bring frigid, arctic air to southwest Ohio late in the month, and it could last for a couple of weeks.

Thelasttimethisextremely cold air arrived in the region was in 2014. That brought actual temperatures of minus-15 degrees tominus19 degrees for parts of the area. Wind chills plunged to as low as minus-49 in the region.

The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that always exists, surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It weakens in summer and strengthens in winter, but with some regularity can weaken during wintertime as well. This is often associated with large outbreaks of arctic air in the United States.

When the polar vortex is weak, it can allow cold air to enter the jet stream and dip down into parts of North America.

Meteorologists are tracking awarming andweakening of the polar vortex that could lead to an outbreak of arctic air toward the end of January. The extreme cold, with subzerotemperaturesanddangerous wind chills, could remain into the first coupleweeks of February, according to some weather models.

Those exposed to extreme cold can experience frostbite in amatter of minutes— especially on bare skin and hands and feet. Hypothermia is another threat, when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.

The polar vortex brought subzero weather in 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1989, according to the NationalWeather Service.