It has been well known that the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) affects the winter Arctic polar vortex. This relation has been explained through stratospheric processes. We show that a tropospheric process also plays a role, especially in early winter, based on data analysis and numerical simulations. The QBO modifies tropical convection, which affects planetary waves in the midlatitude troposphere, then modulating vertical propagation and the polar vortex.