Has this winter felt a little harsher than usual here in Montana? You’re not imagining things. There have been some major irregularities in polar vortex patterns this year, making for an extra brutal season.

I’ve lived in the West off and on for a few years now, specifically near Alpine, Wyoming, so I thought I was fairly prepared for whatever Montana had to throw at me. But I won’t lie—this winter has felt a little extra. So, I did some digging.

Get our free mobile app

A polar vortex occurs when frigid air that usually stays locked in the North Pole gets disrupted by unusual weather patterns and shifts south.

Normally, this happens two or three times a winter. This year? The U.S. has been hit with ten polar vortex events—and winter isn’t over yet.

Meteorologists are studying why it’s happening more frequently this season, but for now, it seems to be an unusual but natural phenomenon.

Just last week, Montanans saw temperatures consistently dropping below -20°F, even setting a new daily record. Of course, that’s still a long way from Montana’s coldest-ever recorded temperature—a bone-chilling -70°F in Rogers Pass.

READ MORE: Records Fall As Artic Weather Takes Over Montana

While we’re bundling up here in the southwest region, northeastern Montana is bracing for even more extreme conditions, with temperatures expected to plunge between -20°F and -60°F through Wednesday. And Glacier is under a winter storm watch, with winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour.

So, in comparison, maybe we should consider ourselves lucky... and break out the shorts.

Credit: APnews