--- title: Polar Vortexes: Researcher Says They Won't Be Common in the Future description: A new study published in the journal "Nature Climate Change" suggests the warming of the Arctic will actually lead to fewer deep freezes canonical: https://time.com/2880137/polar-vortex-climate-change-extreme-cold/ author: Melissa Hellmann article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-16T07:36:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:57:31.797Z article:section: Science og:title: Polar Vortexes: Researcher Says They Won't Be Common in the Future og:description: A new study published in the journal "Nature Climate Change" suggests the warming of the Arctic will actually lead to fewer deep freezes og:url: https://time.com/2880137/polar-vortex-climate-change-extreme-cold/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f803b3dedba8bb4/698685a1169ab0e71e278435/bae9d456a08a4143bcfc240159532907-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: Winter Weather og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Polar Vortexes: Researcher Says They Won't Be Common in the Future twitter:description: A new study published in the journal "Nature Climate Change" suggests the warming of the Arctic will actually lead to fewer deep freezes twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f803b3dedba8bb4/698685a1169ab0e71e278435/bae9d456a08a4143bcfc240159532907-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Relax, Polar Vortexes Aren't Going to Become the New Normal > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=ce60c0bd-9bbe-4f35-b8cf-ded809687d77&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What You Need To Know About The Polar Vortex [Watch (HLS stream): What You Need To Know About The Polar Vortex](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/gYrtrrcc.m3u8) (1:17)  _Published 2014-01-06. With wind chills dropping into -60 territory in some unfortunate parts of the country, you’ve probably heard the polar vortex is to blame._ by [Melissa Hellmann](https://time.com/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Jun 16, 2014 7:36 AM UTC by [Melissa Hellmann](https://time.com/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Jun 16, 2014 7:36 AM UTC The polar vortex that [plagued](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140615143834.htm) much of North America during the winter of 2014—in which Arctic air dipped unusually southward—caused icily low temperatures, school closures and transportation delays, and had many believing climate change was only going to lead to more cold-weather extremes in the future. But not so fast. A new study published in the journal _Nature Climate Change_ suggests that the warming of the Arctic will actually lead to _fewer_ deep freezes over the next century. The lead author, James Screen, is a climate researcher at the University of Exeter and contends that the warming Arctic will, in fact, lead to consistently warmer weather. “Autumn and winter days are becoming warmer on average, and less variable from day to day. Both factors reduce the chance of extremely cold days,” Screen says. Although Screen doesn’t deny that last winter was indeed extremely cold, he stresses that weather is variable and that the frigid weather can’t be [blamed](http://mashable.com/2014/06/15/warming-arctic-means-fewer-extreme-cold-events-in-u-s-europe-and-asia-study/) on some fundamental shift in the polar jet stream. “I don’t think we necessarily need explanations for the past winter other than that’s just weather,” Screen told Mashable. ## Transcript >> Most of us would just call it cold. Bone- chilling, freaky cold. But if you wanna get fancy, call it-- >> A polar vortex. >> Denser known as a polar vortex. >> The dreaded polar vortex. >> Here's what you need to know. With wind chills dropping into negative 60- degree territory in some unfortunate parts of the country, you've probably heard the polar vortex is to blame. A polar vortex forms kind of like a hurricane, a fast- moving blast of frigid air that circles counterclockwise around the north or south poles. Now, normally, a polar vortex doesn't come down as foreign into such dense populations as it has. So, what's it doing here? Basically, if there is warm air over Greenland or Alaska, air that's colder and denser pushes air south-- resulting in frigid temps like the ones we're seeing across the U. S. >> The white on this map shows you where the coldest air is. Right now, it's located right on the U. S .- Canada border. There's a little bit up here in Greenland, and a big mass of cold air over Siberia where it's supposed to be. >> Now, the good news is the U. S. as a whole should start warming up later this week-- though by warming, we mean getting into the 30s or so in parts of the Midwest. Before that, though, according to The Weather Channel, by Tuesday, more than 70 cities are in for record- breaking cold. 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