14 DAY TRIAL // This new image collected by a satellite high in orbit around Earth shows a massive white out covering most of the American Midwest, as well as significant portions of the East Coast. The unprecedented cold spell, which is accompanied by extremely-low temperatures, is caused by the southbound migration of the Polar Vortex.
This vortex is an atmospheric circulation pattern that keeps very cold temperatures and winds above the Arctic during the northern hemisphere winter. However, over the past few years, scientists have noticed a tendency for the Polar Vortex to shift locations, most likely due to global warming.
The image above was collected by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 13 spacecraft, also known as GOES-N or GOES-East. The spacecraft was launched on May 24, 2006, and entered active service on April 14, 2010.
The photo was snapped at 3:15 pm EST (2015 UTC) on Monday, January 6, as the United States was battling the coldest weather it faces in more than two decades. Temperatures reached levels as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (-45.5 ºC). The West Coast was largely spared this extremely-cold weather, NASA reports.