Question: Does the stratospheric polar vortex have anything to do with ongoing cold weather outbreaks this month, including what's forecast to happen next week? 

I ask because the NWS discussion for my local area indicates that there is a high pressure system over the North Pole and that the polar vortex is centered around Hudson Bay, along with how that's going to force bitterly cold air south in a few days (including what may well be the coldest temperatures of the season so far).

Thank you for reading this, and I look forward to hearing from you.