The polar vortex dips into the Twin Tiers

ELMIRA, N.Y.(WETM) – We start the following work week with a polar vortex. This will bring in unseasonably cold air to the region and wind chill temperatures back to the negatives. But what is a polar vortex?

The polar vortex is the jet stream above the Arctic Circle. It is very cold. Most of the time it stays up there, but there are circumstances where it can dip down into North America.

The polar vortex can dip into North America mainly due to a weakened jet stream. In the mid-latitudes, the Twin Tiers is in the mid-latitude, the jet stream is called the prevailing westerlies as it only travels from west to east. In the Arctic Circle, the jet stream is called the polar easterlies as it only travels from east to west.

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When the jet stream weakens or becomes unstable, it can move in a wavy pattern. This can cause warmer air from the mid-latitudes to move up to the Arctic Circle, and vice versa, the cooler air from the Arctic Circle can move down to the mid-latitudes.

The polar vortex moving into our region doesn’t necessarily have to bring in snow. We will not see snow next workweek, but it will be very cold with highs in the teens and lows falling to the single digits and even into the negatives.

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But, there are ways to keep yourself safe.

“If you have to be out in the cold, make sure to wear plenty of layers. Have an emergency kit at home or in the car, if you’re stranded on the road or the power goes out at your home, and always have a way to get weather information as well,” says Mitchell Gaines, the lead meteorologist at The National Weather Service in Binghamton.

A NOAA Weather Radio is a tool to get information from the National Weather Service. You can find your county to listen to alerts here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM – MyTwinTiers.com.

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