Sudden Weather Phenomenon Could Hit US This Month

One meteorologist is warning of another Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event that could plunge temperatures below average across parts of the U.S. later this month.

In November, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of a major SSW, a rare event so early in the season. SSW refers to a rapid rise in stratospheric temperatures that weakens or distorts the polar vortex, a cold-air mass typically stabilized over the Arctic. The weakening enables cold, dense Arctic air to slip southward into the United States , setting the stage for harsh cold spells and abrupt shifts in weather patterns.

On Thursday, Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll posted about the effects of the incoming SSW on X.

"As one sudden stratospheric warming wanes, another may soon begin," Noll wrote. "The seas