Stretched Polar Vortex Drives Prolonged Winter Cold Across North America, Asia

In early 2025, a stretched polar vortex over North America and Asia caused prolonged cold spells by creating persistent high-pressure atmospheric patterns that concentrated cold air outbreaks, highlighting the influence of Arctic climate disruptions on mid-latitude weather. This discovery, made by an international team including NOAA and several universities, may improve forecasting of extreme winter events by linking stratospheric vortex behavior with surface weather patterns. Meanwhile, meteorological agencies in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands announced the first named storms for the 2025-2026 North Atlantic winter season—Amy, Bram, and Chandra—selected from public suggestions to raise awareness of severe weather amid intensifying climate-driven wind and rain extremes. The practice of naming storms, which began in 2015, helps communicate risks as shifting weather patterns increase flooding susceptibility in the region. These developments reflect ongoing efforts to understand and prepare for changing winter weather dynamics influenced by climate change.