What is the polar vortex – and how is it linked to climate change?

The polar vortex has broken into 'two swirling blobs of cold air', bringing the most frigid conditions in decades to the midwest

As its name suggests, the polar vortex is found around the north pole. It's a band of strong winds, high up in the atmosphere that keeps bitterly cold air locked around the Arctic region. This circulation isn't considered a single storm, or even a weather pattern as such.