Get Ready — Polar Vortex To Make A Return This Winter

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Bundle up.

New research predicts the polar vortex will make a return to the northeastern United States this winter. The vortex is Arctic air which can cause unseasonably cold conditions in late winter and early spring.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore explained what could cause the overbearing cold weather this winter.

"If you really delve deep into it there's actually a couple of vortices," DeVore said. "Ones in the lower level of the atmosphere, ones in the higher levels. All of that -- part and partial -- looks like there's a shift in one of the polar vortices that is expected to happen going into this winter."

The polar vortex normally indicates unseasonably cold conditions in February and March, which would mean bad news for spring lovers.

"I think the bigger effect on our winter weather is going to be change going from El Nino to a mild La Nina, which is going on right now," DeVore said. "If you remember our AccuWeather forecast for the future for the winter, [it] has us being in that cold ans stormy zone."

DeVore said current conditions are nowhere near those record-cold predictions and November has actually been about four degrees warmer than normal.

Most of the northern United States was affected by a polar vortex in the winter of 2013-2014, which ushered in record-low temperatures.

Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.

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