Located about 20 miles over the earth's surface, the polar vortex is a low-pressure system that leads to the swirling of Arctic air around the polar regions which unleashes cold air much farther south, including in North America.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said that "Once the pattern gets rolling, a major surge in heating demand is expected, and winter storms and lake-effect snow that become intertwined in the cold blasts can hit travel and daily activities hard in parts of the Midwest and East."
That shift in the weather pattern is expected to start at the end of next week, with several separate rounds of snow likely through the end of January into early February.
But for now, here's the five-day forecast.
Sunday, Jan. 10: Sunny with a high in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees and wind-chill values between 15 and 25 degrees.
Monday, Jan. 11: There will be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of around 40 degrees.
Tuesday, Jan. 12: There will be a chance of rain or snow showers on a partly sunny day with a high temperature in the low 40s.
Wednesday, Jan. 13: Mostly sunny with a high temperature around 40 degrees.
Thursday, Jan. 14: Mostly sunny with a high temperature in the low 40s.
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