{"id":949097,"date":"2026-10-28T07:02:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/949097\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T07:02:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:02:17","slug":"polar-vortex-impact-on-canada-weather-unknown-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/949097\/","title":{"rendered":"Polar vortex: Impact on Canada weather unknown, experts say"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experts say this winter will be a super El Ni\u00f1o and it could be the strongest on record. Noah Rishaug finds out what that means for the Edmonton region. <\/p>\n

Whispers of an unusually early polar vortex disruption at the Arctic are keeping local meteorologists curious, but not concerned. <\/p>\n

According to The Weather Network<\/a>, the winds that make up the vortex at the top of the North Pole may weaken months ahead of schedule and spill cold air onto the Earth\u2019s surface, leading to cooler temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere. <\/p>\n

But weather experts aren\u2019t sure when it\u2019ll happen, where it\u2019ll happen or if it would even happen at all. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat could be Canada. That could be somewhere in Europe. It may not happen at all,\u201d Kelsey McEwen, CTV\u2019s Your Morning chief meteorologist. <\/p>\n

Meteorologists are monitoring the flow and direction of winds, but can\u2019t guarantee if or when the vortex will weaken, and, if it does, what that impact could look like for Canada. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tricky to know for sure,\u201d McEwen said, adding that it may not be until the first week of November when meteorologists will know more. \u201cIt\u2019s a possibility that can play into the winter forecast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether or not the vortex could mean chillier temperatures, it wouldn\u2019t change how Canadians prepare for winter, according to Dr. Christoph Gatzen. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something that keeps me up at night,\u201d Gatzen, a research meteorologist at Western University, told CTVNews.ca. \u201cIt\u2019s not a really dramatic change in the weather imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A pedestrian crosses the road with a snow brush as high winds and heavy snow blanket Halifax, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Darren Calabrese A pedestrian crosses the road with a snow brush as high winds and heavy snow blanket Halifax, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Darren Calabrese How a polar vortex works<\/p>\n

McEwen described the vortex as a \u201cspinning top\u201d above the North Pole. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this band of winds circling cold air high above the Arctic (in the stratosphere),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The stratosphere is the second-lowest layer of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere and sits roughly 10 to 50 kilometres above the planet\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

The vortex typically strengthens during the winter time when the Arctic is losing sunshine. <\/p>\n

Upward wave activity from the atmosphere could cause the \u201cspinning top to start to wobble,\u201d McEwen said, and subsequently the air around it can warm rapidly. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something we call sudden stratospheric warming,\u201d McEwen said. <\/p>\n

That \u201cdisturbance\u201d can influence the jet stream of cold air and where it \u201ctopples towards the atmosphere below,\u201d she added, dramatically cooling down temperatures on the surface. <\/p>\n

\"\"SWITZERLAND-WEATHER-CLIMATE-WMO-ELNINO This photograph shows presentation slide displayed during a press conference on El Nino update by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in Geneva on Sept. 3, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI \/ AFP via Getty Images) Earlier stratospheric warming and El Ni\u00f1o<\/p>\n

Stratospheric warming typically happens between January and March, but last year, meteorologists noticed an event occurring in November. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not very likely it happens this early in the season,\u201d Gatzen said. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that the emerging El Ni\u00f1o phenomenon, described to be the strongest on record<\/a>, could have played a part in weakening the polar vortex, but Gatzen cautioned against making an explicit link. <\/p>\n

Weather in the troposphere, located below the stratosphere, could also play a part. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to find out which influence here is significant,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Temperature differences<\/p>\n

If the vortex does weaken and if the weakening does impact temperatures in Canada, meteorologists say the temperature difference may depend on how cold it already is in the region. <\/p>\n

Regions with colder temperatures could see temperatures steep well below 0 C, McEwen said, in comparison to warmer regions where the cold air could be \u201cless intense.\u201d . <\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s tough to know,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\"\"El Nino, illustration El Nino is the warm phase of the El Nino\/La Nina Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years. The ENSO affects weather systems across the world, bringing extreme weather such as floods and droughts. El Nino generally causes drier conditions in Australia and South-East Asia, and wetter and warmer conditions in the Americas. El Ni\u00f1o a better indicator of winter season<\/p>\n

Most meteorologists have concluded that this year\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o will be the strongest ever-recorded, with some calling it the \u201cGodzilla\u201d of El Ni\u00f1os<\/a>. <\/p>\n

McEwen suggested that it will be a bigger factor in determining this year\u2019s winter season. <\/p>\n

Last year, the early polar vortex weakening had coincided with the La Ni\u00f1a phenomenon, which is typically associated with colder-than-average winters. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we had that global atmospheric setup,\u201d she said, \u201cwe were set to see that … more wintry winter that we had last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

El Ni\u00f1o generally brings milder winters to Canada, which might mix differently with the cold air of the vortex. <\/p>\n

\u201cYour guess is as good as mine at this point of how long it\u2019ll last,\u201d McEwen said of any cold spells that may result from the combination. <\/p>\n

Prepare like its any other winter<\/p>\n

An early weakening may be \u201cnotable\u201d but it\u2019s not concerning, both meteorologists said. <\/p>\n

At this time of year, most Canadians are already preparing for the winter season, Gatzen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou change your tires, prepare for snow,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

Currently, the polar vortex hasn\u2019t even amounted to a water-cooler conversation because it\u2019s too early to tell what could happen, he said.<\/p>\n

McEwen advised following the fundamental rules of seasonal changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you for sure, winter will be colder than summer, and I can tell you probably this winter will be milder than last winter,\u201d she said. \u201cBut either way, you\u2019re going to need a winter coat. You\u2019re going to need your boots, and you\u2019re probably going to shovel.\u201d<\/p>\n

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