Polar Vortex, Round 2 Heading Our Way
By Lisa White in News on Jan 17, 2014 9:20PM
Get ready, Polar Vortex, Round 2: It’s Back is heading our way next week. While we wish it really was just a bad weather-themed horror film, the bitter cold temperatures are a reality and apparently coming back to Chicago for a second visit this month. Accuweather even predicts that there is a chance the cold “may rival that of early January in some areas.”
In its current position, the vortex is acting like a giant pinwheel over southern Canada and the North Central and Eastern U.S. It’s spurting out a series of weak spotty snow flurries and storms. Sound familiar? Accuweather then drops this bomb on us:
“However, during the third and fourth weeks of January, some changes will take place. The high amplitude pattern is forecast to get more extreme. The polar vortex will move farther south and get stronger."
They go on to explain that this will cause cold to intensify in the Midwest and East (just like earlier this month) while drought will build in California and the West. This new surge of very cold air will potentially bring with it days of near or below-zero temperatures and the possibility of life-threatening conditions and frostbite again. There might also be a large storm or two ramping up to the bitter cold.
Basically January weather is going to feel like a real life version of Groundhog Day. Depending on how you feel about this, either keep your fingers crossed for or against a potential second round of snow days from school or work. Accuweather goes on to point out this is all courtesy of the polar vortex, like we’re getting some nice complimentary gift bag from mother nature. We’re going to go stock up on booze, salt (since the city apparently doesn’t have much) and blankets to ride out the next wave.