The polar vortex split apart. Here’s what to expect. You'll want a winter coat.

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The polar vortex could have big implications for the northeast winter.
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▼ The polar vortex is making big changes for the new year. Around January 1, this whirling blob of cold air, which sits 10 to 30 miles above the surface of the North Pole, broke apart into at least two “sister” vortices. Disruptions like this can cause a ripple effect leading to chilly weather further south, and meteorologists say there’s potential for a spell of wintry weather to hit the northeastern U.S. and western Europe toward the end of the month.
But we don’t know that for certain just yet—here’s why.
What the Polar Vortex Is—And Isn’t
Though we might associate the polar vortex with anomalous cold weather and Nor’easters, it’s not unusual at all. “Sometimes you see headlines like the polar vortex is coming,” says William Seviour, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Bristol. “In fact, the polar vortex is always there.”
Every fall, as the Arctic loses light and becomes especially cold, the greater disparity in temperature between the North Pole and equator leads to the formation of the polar vortex. These cold westerly winds make their home in the stratosphere, the second atmospheric layer up from the ground-level troposphere. “It looks like a very large tornado,” says Michael Ventrice, a meteorologist with The Weather Company. “But much more macro scale.”
If left alone, the vortex hangs out through winter and dissipates in late spring. But, (▪ ▪ ▪)

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Polar vortes: New thing.