With the onset of dangerously cold weather, many people are asking where on Earth it came from. According to FoxNews, a record low of 6 degrees had stood in New York City’s Central Park for 118 years was broken January 7^th, when temps dropped to four degrees. Four degrees doesn’t sound so bad though, as Adrian temps dropped to 30 below with wind chill. But in some parts of the U.S and Canada, it is much, much colder.

It dropped as low as -60 degrees in Montana. To put that into perspective, USA Today reports the average low in Antarctica during January is -21 degrees. If being colder than the coldest continent on Earth isn’t enough, the Mars Rover has been sending daily temps ranging from -13 and -24 degrees. We are currently experiencing worse weather than some parts of a planet that is 78 million miles further away from the sun then we are! How is this possible? Most officials say the “Polar Vortex” is responsible.

For those who are not watching the news as intently as I have been (due to being stranded indoors), a polar vortex is a cyclone of frigid air that lingers around the North and South Pole’s stratosphere. Recently, this cold wave has wandered past the North Pole, through Canada, and into the States. The cold air was not alone, though.

Before the polar vortex struck, winter storm Hercules pounded Michigan with approximately 8-10 inches of snow, followed by

little brother, Ion, which added another 4-8 inches in some parts of Michigan. This icy 1-2 punch recorded a total snowfall of 17.1 inches in Flint and 18.8 inches in Benton Harbor, according to the Weather Channel. In this frosty weather, the snow had nowhere to go. Coupled with intense winds, many roads became impassable. The snow was drifting faster than the road commission could plow it. The majority of side roads didn’t get touched because the main roads were the priority, stranding many students, who I imagine were heartbroken about their extended vacation.

Many people are not as happy as students, as this weather is proving to be more of a nuisance than expected. Energy use has skyrocketed, and factories had to shut down certain shifts due to lack of employees able to attend. Worse yet, six deaths have been reported in Michigan since Sunday, January 5^th, according to the Detroit Free Press. Three of these deaths were from shoveling snow. Experts advise to stay indoors in the event of future frigid weather, as exposed skin risks becoming frostbit in less than ten minutes.  Bundle up and stay safe out there.