A crippling winter storm that could paralyze parts of the Southern and Central U.S. this weekend, and some of the effects could reach southern New England.

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,

What is polar vortex and how much snow is expected in US? A winter storm linked to polar vortex disruption has impacted millions. Snow, ice, and cold are affecting travel, power supply, and daily life across several US states,

Tens of millions of people are in the path of a major winter storm. Federal cuts threaten efforts to understand the causes of such weather.

More than 160 million people across the United States are expected to face winter weather hazards that could cripple their daily lives in coming days, as roads are covered in snow and ice and power lines break from the weight of accumulating ice, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

The North Pole is surrounded by a massive circular upper-air weather phenomenon in the Arctic called the polar vortex. It is a typical pattern that tends to contain the coldest weather close to the North Pole and is more pronounced in the winter.

A storm riding the edge of incoming polar air could bring the D.C. region a meaningful snowfall Sunday, but the exact track will determine whether the region sees a decent storm or misses out entirely.

Meteorologists warn that a stretched polar vortex could bring severe winter weather to much of the United States.