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Weather researchers say that a polar vortex could hit the United States and Canada with extremely frigid temperatures either by the end of this month or in January.

Judah Cohen, who is a climate expert at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, said that the latest studies indicate there is a chance Arctic air could push southward and blanket much of the Northern Hemisphere in the coming weeks.

It all depends on the polar vortex, the patch of air 60,000 feet above the Earth’s Arctic surface, according to The Washington Post.

If the vortex stays stable, the winter will be quite ordinary, with its usual cold spells, snow storms, and thaws.

Judah Cohen, who is a climate expert at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, said that the latest studies indicate there is a chance Arctic air could push southward and blanket much of the Northern Hemisphere in the coming weeks

The frigid Arctic air could send temperatures plummeting to well below freezing. The image above shows Lower Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry as New York Harbor is filled with large chunks of ice in February 2015

But if the vortex is disrupted, it would mean especially frigid temperatures similar to those which covered the United States in February and March.

Cohen tweeted: ‘Confidence is growing in a significant polar vortex disruption in the coming weeks. 

‘This could be the single most important determinant of the weather this winter across the Northern Hemisphere.’ 

There is disagreement over the projections of a possible disruption in the vortex.

While American climate experts say it could happen later this month, European experts are predicting that January will be when it is felt.

The findings about a possible polar vortex contradict predictions by U.S. meteorologists who said in October that this coming winter will be warmer and milder than usual.

The National Weather Service predicted a warmer than normal winter for the northern and western three-quarters of the nation – thanks to a weak El Niño brewing. 

The greatest chance for warmer than normal winter weather is in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Montana, northern Wyoming and western North Dakota.

No place in the United States is expected to be colder than normal, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the government’s Climate Prediction Center.

The Southeast, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic can go any which way on temperature, Halpert said.

Overall the winter looks a lot like the last few, Halpert said.

‘The country as a whole has been quite mild since 2014-2105,’ Halpert said.     

THE NOAA WINTER FORECAST 

 Temperature: 

• Warmer-than-normal conditions are anticipated across much of the northern and western U.S., with the greatest likelihood in Alaska and from the Pacific Northwest to the Northern Plains.
• The Southeast, Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic all have equal chances for below-, near- or above-average temperatures.
• No part of the U.S. is favored to have below-average temperatures.

Northern Florida and southern Georgia have the greatest odds for above-average precipitation this winter

 Precipitation

• Wetter-than-average conditions are favored across the southern tier of the U.S., and up into the Mid-Atlantic. Northern Florida and southern Georgia have the greatest odds for above-average precipitation this winter.
• Drier-than-average conditions are most likely in parts of the northern Rockies and Northern Plains, as well as in the Great Lakes and northern Ohio Valley. 

 Drought

• Drought conditions are likely to persist across portions of the Southwest, Southern California, the central Great Basin, central Rockies, Northern Plains and portions of the interior Pacific Northwest.
• Drought conditions are anticipated to improve in areas throughout Arizona and New Mexico, southern sections of Utah and Colorado, the coastal Pacific Northwest and the Central Plains.