Arctic plunge: Polar vortex locks in snow, ice and life-threatening cold behind historic storm

Arctic plunge: Polar vortex locks in snow, ice and life-threatening cold behind historic storm

Behind the historic winter storm that blasted 40 states this weekend, a dome of Arctic air associated with the polar vortex will bring days of life-threatening temperatures to much of the country, refreezing ice and snow, and potentially exacerbating widespread power outages caused by the sprawling system. Extreme Cold Warnings are currently in effect across much of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi through midday Monday — the states with the greatest concentration of outages.