It's like "bomb cyclone" or "firenado." It seems like the sort of phenomenon that would be responsible for the record-breaking blast of cold, snow and wintry conditions that reached all the way to the Gulf Coast this week.

According to the National Weather Service, a polar vortex will impact most of the country this weekend, here is what you need to know.

According to the NWS, the Arctic polar vortex is a powerful band of west-to-east winds that develops in the stratosphere, about 10 to 30 miles above the North Pole, during the winter season. It is always present near the poles, though it weakens during summer and intensifies in winter.

A polar vortex is slated to sweep most of the continental US bringing winter storm warnings and a hazardous freeze to millions.

A rare winter storm is getting set to slam the Gulf Coast and South, with cities from Texas to Florida under Winter Storm Warnings.

Abnormal weather events and severe winter storms could be caused by a disrupted polar vortex. Find out here how the polar vortex affects the weather.

New York’s being hit by an arctic polar vortex, making temperatures drop hard overnight after a snow storm hit on Sunday.

Nearly all of Michigan received an extreme cold warning yesterday. A surge of arctic air known as the polar vortex is the cause behind this abnormally cold weather. According to the National Weather Service,

A brutal polar vortex is set to bury the Big Apple in snow Sunday and then deliver deadly single-digit temperatures that will feel like 15 degrees below zero.

Arctic air has brought chilling temperatures as low as 12 degrees in New York City on Monday night but are we in a polar vortex? A polar vortex settled its way over New York City and New Jersey following Sunday’s snow storm,

The polar vortex always exists near the poles, however, it weakens during summer and strengthens during winter, says the U.S. National Weather Service,. President Joe Biden bans future offshore ...

The National Weather Service says Mobile got 7.5 inches of snow on Tuesday, 2.5 inches more than the previous record set all the way back in January 1881. "We're still just shaking our heads in disbelief here at the weather service," says Maniscalco. "But truly a historic snowfall for the central Gulf Coast."