'Polar vortex' puts Midwest in deep freeze; heads to DC

In the grip of what meteorologists called a polar vortex, Minneapolis schools closed for the first time in 17 years. Class was also canceled in Chicago, which for the day took on the nickname “Chi-beria.” Advertise | AdChoices. The bitter air is set to

The polar vortex, the cause of the cold snap, is a counterclockwise-rotating pool of cold, dense, arctic air that is being driven south by the jet stream, forecasters said. But while particularly strong, the duration of the cold is predicted to be

Move over, haboob. See you next summer, heat dome. The weather phenomenon hogging all the attention now is.

In the grip of what meteorologists called a polar vortex, Minneapolis schools closed for the first time in 17 years. Class was also canceled in Chicago, which for the day took on the nickname “Chi-beria.” Advertise | AdChoices. The bitter air is set to

Meteorologists across the nation have pointed to a "polar vortex" as one of the many systems responsible for what is set to be a rare and extreme-weather weekend. As if the northern U.S. hadn't already recieved its share of wintry weather, the vortex