US weather forecasters said there are indications that cold air outbreaks could begin during the third week of January while polar vortex conditions could develop, bringing Arctic air into the Midwest and Northeast, which could increase power and natural gas prices. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now “Just prior to the end of December and ongoing now through Jan. 6, 2021, there has been a surge in temperatures in the stratosphere above the Arctic Circle,” Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather’s lead long-range meteorologist, said in an AccuWeather report. The temperature surge could lead to a weakening of the polar vortex around 10 to14 days later, Pastelok said. “When this storm near the North Pole that tends to keep Arctic air locked up weakens, it allows frigid […]