Sometimes referred to as Arctic hurricanes, pressure system forms over high-latitude ocean basins
Polar lows are vigorous, short lived, mesoscale atmospheric low pressure systems. Normally between 300-800km in horizontal extent, they typically last no more than 48 hours. A winter phenomenon, these lows can bring strong winds and heavy snow, leading to blizzard-like conditions. They form in polar or Arctic maritime airstreams over high-latitude ocean basins: most common formation areas are the Norwegian Sea, the waters around Iceland and the northeast Atlantic.
There are different types of polar lows, each forming in slightly different ways, but the main the main mechanism behind their existence is horizontal differences or gradients in temperature.
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