Updated Feb. 4, 2026, 2:16 p.m. ET
Don’t put away that winter jacket just yet. The polar vortex is expected to be impacted by a sudden warmup of the stratosphere, which will bring freezing temperatures to the Northeast this weekend and into February.
There has been a persistent surge of Arctic air strengthening its hold on much of the United States after a significant winter storm blasted over the nation in late January, sending temperatures well below average. “Another reinforcing shot of Arctic air is expected to send temperatures plummeting back down into the single digits overnight into this weekend,” noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers on their website.
A major change to the polar vortex is expected this month, so the frigid temperatures that have been plaguing the country’s eastern half won’t go away anytime soon, according to AccuWeather.
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A sudden stratospheric warming will impact polar vortex
This week’s abrupt Sudden Stratospheric Warming caused the polar vortex to weaken, which is predicted to cause colder, more erratic weather patterns throughout the United States in the days ahead.
A Sudden Stratospheric Warming occurs each winter when temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere increase quickly – up to 100° degrees – in a matter of days. The polar vortex, a ring of high-altitude winds, weakens, splits, or reverses as a result of this event, allowing frigid cold Arctic air to move southward into North America and Europe, according to the National Weather Service.
Frigid temperatures predicted for Northeast
According to AccuWeather, much of the North will continue to experience cold weather. However, the first half of the week might feel a little milder than previous weeks, except for the breezy coastal regions in the mid-Atlantic and New England on Monday that feel cooler because of the wind.
An Arctic front will move into the Great Lakes and Northeast later this week, bringing with it more snow and freezing temperatures.
SOURCE: AccuWeather.com, NOAA, National Weather Service, Space.com, Severe Weather Europe and USA TODAY research.
