After a few days of unusually warm weather mid-January, the polar vortex that paralyzed the nation over the end of the holiday season is making a brutal comeback.

As all news stations call it, “a low pressure air system pulling cold air down from the Arctic, the polar vortex froze the nation from states in the Midwest to the East.

Temperatures in the Midwest reached the low negatives, but with the wind chill, it brought it down to negative 20, 30 and even down to negative 70 during the night. Schools across the Midwest were closed for days due to the severe frostbite warning.

In the South, Alabama had temperatures as low as four degrees.

“What I worry about from an environmental standpoint is the unusual weather…winters with like 5 feet of snow…the Halloween snowstorm…the climate change causes all types of weird weather,” AP Environmental teacher Christina Connolly said.

It’s been said by weather experts that temperatures haven’t reached this low in over 25 years.

While meteorologists have explained the cause of the polar vortex numerous times on many different news stations, the takeaway is the same: we’re having a taste of what it was like in the winters of pre-global warming.

Bitterly cold winters back before the twenty-first century were record breaking and shocking to anyone living in the United States today.

According to Fox News’ Weather Almanac, in 1882, southern California got 15 inches of snow in the San Diego area. In 1987, New Mexico was bombarded with 4 feet of snow.

Sophomore Sarah Milnamow suggests the weather patterns are running in cycles.

“I think the ‘greenhouse effect’ and what we do to help or harm the environment has a significant impact, but at the same time I think a lot of it has to do with natural changes our planet is undergoing,” said Milnamow.

Similar to historical snowstorms, the blizzard of 2006 brought a heavy impact to solidify the belief of the return of the brutal winters of the past.

“I remember when I was six and we opened [the door to] the garage and the snow was up to my shoulders and I thought it was the best thing ever,” freshman Kelly Slovin said.

The break of warm days after the bitter cold brought relief across the country, but not for long. The polar vortex returned by Martin Luther King weekend.

One thing is sure: the patterns of Mother Nature continue to befuddle the nation.

“I hate to think that [global warming] is ruining the cute polar bears and messing up everything…but I am glad it’s warming up our winters. I’d rather endure a long winter of 50 degree weather than negative 15,” said junior Ariana Cyr.