1952 → 2026
Every famous vortex break
The Northern Hemisphere sees a major sudden stratospheric warming every two or three years on average, mostly in January and February. Here are the ones behind this game, the cold spells that followed (or didn't), and the 2026 event that's rewriting the calendar.
How early in the season?
Northern Hemisphere warmings from this timeline, sorted from earliest to latest in their winter. The dashed line marks 28 November, the old record. 2026 is shown at 7 November, when the winds had slowed to ~1 m/s and a reversal was forecast within days. This is a selection, not a complete list.