Polar Vortex Chatter

Many meteorologists, including myself, couldn’t help but shake our heads at the number of national media outlets that put out falsified information regarding the great “Polar Vortex” that was “wreaking havoc” across much of the Continental US. Although a polar vortex was responsible for our cold snap, it wasn’t exactly what these sources made it out to be. Many took to social media to express their displeasures, while slamming the likes of Good Morning America, along with others. For a simplified break down of what a Polar Vortex actually is, have a look at the following diagram, produced by the New York National Weather Service:

Polar Vortex Break-Down — Polar Vortex Breakdown

Now that you have a better understanding, check out a few responses from those in the world of meteorology:

Someone needs to tell ‘Good Morning America’ people don’t live in the mid/upper atmosphere. #ScienceFail pic.twitter.com/BRWgBRtUws

— Joe Pennington (@5NEWSJoe) January 7, 2014

Dear media super-geniuses: “Coldest temperatures in 20 years” means it was this cold 20 YEARS AGO. #polarvortex http://t.co/ahdpOr9IfU

— Michael Graham (@IAMMGraham) January 7, 2014

Check out the rest of the conversation by visiting this piece put together by Twitchy.

For more fun, BuzzFeed has a list of 15 Things That Really Deserve The Name “Polar Vortex” … enjoy!