It's like "bomb cyclone" or "firenado." It seems like the sort of phenomenon that would be responsible for the record-breaking blast of cold, snow and wintry conditions that reached all the way to the Gulf Coast this week.

A polar vortex dipping down from Siberia is bringing a cold front with frigid temperatures to millions Americans. See maps of the arctic blast.

How the Polar Vortex Can Bring Arctic Blasts to the U.S. Vast weather patterns can carry blasts of frigid air far from the polar regions—here’s how it works