The new year is bringing a chilling present along with it to the midwest and east coast of the U.S. 

Beginning next week - the first full week of January - a polar vortex is expected to hit some areas in the U.S. with possible record-breaking low temperatures, reported Mashable. 

A polar vortex occurs when the circulation of air at the upper levels of the atmosphere above the Arctic breaks off and moves south. 

The frigid weather headed for the U.S. will be coming from a piece of the polar vortex that is reflected in the troposphere - the layer of the atmosphere where most weather occurs, reported Mashable. 

Daytime highs may not make it out of the single digits to teens on Wednesday (Jan. 7) and Thursday (Jan. 8) in cities from Chicago to Detroit, on eastward to New York City and Boston. 

In the Great Lake regions the cold temperatures will be accompanied by strong winds, which has the potential to create a lake-snow effect - when the wind blows over any water that has yet to freeze over. 

There is some good news in this for winter weather haters. The polar vortex should be short lived and is not expected to create any big east coast snowstorms.