Utterly Insane Pictures Of Just How Cold It Is In America

Polar Vortex. It sounds like it could be some sort of alien death-ray or an extremely powerful washing machine, but what does it have to do with cold weather? A polar vortex is an area of low pressure—a wide expanse of swirling cold air—that is parked in polar regions. The one up north can cause some pretty wild weather and sub-zero temperatures in the United States.