[Newsbits] 27.1.2026 – Daily Current Affairs Notes & Mindmap

Polar Vortex

• Context: A polar vortex–driven winter storm swept across the United States in January 2026, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, and sub-zero temperatures to nearly 17 states, causing deaths and severe travel disruptions.
• The Polar Vortex is a large area of low pressure and extremely cold air that always surrounds the Earth's poles.
• It exists in two parts: the Tropospheric polar vortex in the lower atmosphere where weather happens, and the Stratospheric polar vortex higher up.
• In winter, the lack of sunlight at the poles makes the air very cold, which creates a strong low