Weak Polar Vortex January/February 2010

When the polar vortex is weak: the center of the vortex is knocked off the North Pole, the fast flow of westerlies is slowed down, the trajectory is now also north-south and cold air spills out from the polar regions to lower latitudes. A perturbation emerges from Siberia and knocks the vortex off the Pole is also seen.
 

 Example of Strong Vortex