NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
JANUARY 2026
Dec. 28, 2025 – Jan.
3, 2026: Unsettled weather continued into the New Year in the West, mainly
west of the Rockies, with the heaviest precipitation falling in California. By
week’s end, the average water equivalency of the Sierra Nevada snowpack was
roughly average for early January, despite a very slow start to the accumulation
season. However, snowpack generally languished in other areas of the West,
except the northern Rockies. Notably, snow-water equivalencies were less than 50
percent of the early-January average in much of Oregon, northern Nevada, western
Utah, and from the Four Corners region to the southern Rockies. Farther east,
mostly dry weather persisted across the nation’s mid-section. Meanwhile,
variable precipitation fell from the Mississippi Valley eastward, with the
highest totals (locally 1 to 2 inches)—including some snow—occurring from the
Great Lakes region to New England. Despite patchy Southeastern showers,
short-term drought continued to adversely affect some pastures and locally limit
surface water supplies. Variable drought impacts were also noted in other areas,
mainly along and east of a line from Texas to Minnesota. Weekly temperatures
broadly averaged at least 5 to 10°F above normal from central Montana to western
and central Texas, extending westward into the Rockies and portions of the Great
Basin and Intermountain West. In contrast, readings averaged more than 5°F below
normal in parts of southern Florida and from parts of the upper Great Lakes
region into the Northeast. On January 1, frost and scattered freezes were
reported in Florida as far south as Lake Okeechobee, although the state’s citrus
belt appeared to escape the cold snap with minimal long-term concerns. In
advance of a strong cold front, a final flurry of daily-record highs occurred on
December 28 across the South, East, and lower Midwest. St. Louis, MO, achieved a
monthly record high of 78°F on the 28th—but later saw the temperature plunge to
22°F by midnight and 15°F by the morning of December 29. Daily-record highs for
the 28th topped the 80-degree mark in locations such as Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
(85°F); Hattiesburg, MS (82°F); and Ft. Smith, AR (82°F). Farther north,
sub-zero readings were noted in the northern Rockies and environs, with Buffalo,
WY, registering -5°F on December 28. By New Year’s Eve, record-setting warmth
quickly returned across northern and central sections of the Rockies and Plains.
Buffalo’s temperature rose to 55°F on December 31. Elsewhere, record-setting
highs for the 31st soared to 66°F in Hill City, KS; 65°F in McCook, NE; and 55°F
in Cut Bank, MT. January 1 was the warmest New Year’s Day on record in locations
such as Lubbock, TX (78°F), and Colorado Springs, CO (65°F). January 2 featured
monthly record-tying highs of 89°F in Texas locations such as Austin (Bergstrom)
and San Antonio. Austin had previously attained 89°F on January 25, 1971, and
January 23, 1972, while San Antonio had observed 89°F on January 30, 1971.
Meanwhile, daily-record highs for January 2 climbed to 91°F in Laredo, TX, and
81°F in Shreveport, LA. The week ended on January 3 with dozens of daily-record
highs in the Northwest and South; among them were readings of 94°F in McAllen,
TX; 81°F in New Orleans, LA; 59°F in Boise, ID, and 58°F in Great Falls, MT. On
January 2-3, Medford, OR, closed the week with consecutive daily-record highs of
62 and 60°F, respectively.
4-10: The
northern Rockies and Sierra Nevada entered the dry spell with fewer water-supply
concerns; California was free of drought and abnormal dryness for the first time
since December 2000, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor dated January 6,
2026. Meanwhile, warmth stretched across many areas east of the Rockies, with
record-shattering temperatures affecting portions of the Plains and South.
Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 to 15°F above normal in most areas from
the Plains to the middle and southern Atlantic Coast. Somewhat cooler weather
prevailed in southern Florida and New England, although temperatures still
averaged roughly 5°F above normal in those areas. The West experienced a flip
from mild, stormy weather to cooler, drier conditions, with warmth lingering
early in the week. The temporarily cooler Western regime lowered temperatures to
near- or below-normal levels in portions of the Pacific Coast States, Great
Basin, and Desert Southwest. Another week of rampant warmth resulted in hundreds
of daily-record high temperatures, mainly across the Plains, West, and South.
The week began on January 4 with readings topping the 70-degree mark as far
north as Nebraska, where daily records included 73°F in McCook and 71°F in North
Platte and Broken Bow. On the central High Plains, record-setting highs for the
4th soared to 76°F in Goodland, KS, and 73°F in Burlington, CO. Soon, warmth
spanned the South, with January 6 featuring daily-record highs of 84°F in Waco,
TX, and 82°F in New Orleans, LA. From January 6-9, Houston, TX, logged four
consecutive daily-record highs (82, 81, 80, and 81°F). In advance of an
approaching storm system, a mid-week surge of Midwestern warmth led to
record-setting highs for January 7 in St. Joseph, MO (68°F), and Lamoni, IA
(65°F). A day later, records for the 8th included 65°F in Springfield, IL, and
63°F in Indianapolis, IN. On January 9, Indianapolis observed 65°F, not a record
for the date. In Mississippi, Greenwood tallied a pair of daily-record highs
(78°F both days) on January 8-9. Lower Midwestern warmth lingered into early
January 9, before colder air arrived. Record-setting highs for January 9 surged
to 68°F in Carbondale, IL, and 65°F in Columbus, OH. In Michigan, Detroit and
Lansing touched 60°F on the 9th, breaking daily records. By January 10, however,
any remaining records were mostly limited to the southern Atlantic States, where
highs rose to 85°F in Brooksville, FL; 82°F in Savannah, GA; and 80°F in
Florence, SC. Anchorage also
received significant snow, with 19.0 inches falling on January 5-6. At the
height of the cold snap, on the 4th, minima plunged to -63°F in Tok and -59°F in
Northway. Elsewhere, daily-record lows dipped to -41°F (on the 7th) in King
Salmon and -33°F (on the 8th) in Bethel.
11-17: An
evolution toward a Western ridge of high pressure and an Eastern trough led to
mostly dry weather from the Rockies westward. Scattered precipitation, rarely
heavy, fell farther east, with higher amounts (locally an inch or more)
generally limited to the Great Lakes and Northeastern States.
The week’s primary storm track involved a series of
disturbances diving southeastward from northwestern North America before racing
across the Great Lakes region and the Northeast. As mild, dry weather enveloped
the West and the region’s winter wet season neared the halfway point, concerns
began to mount regarding a lack of mountain snowpack.
colder-than normal conditions were largely limited to the
Southeast, where weekly temperatures locally averaged more than 5°F below
normal. On January 16, light freezes were observed as far south as central and
interior southern Florida, with mostly minor impacts on citrus, strawberries,
and winter vegetables. Conversely, general warmth was observed across the
northern and western U.S., extending across large sections of the Plains and
Midwest. Weekly readings averaged 10 to 20°F above normal on the northern Plains
and as much as 10°F above normal in northern sections of New York and New
England. As colder weather became established late in the week across the
central U.S., temperatures dipped below 0°F as far south as northern sections of
Nebraska and Iowa. As the week began, warmth lingered across Florida’s
peninsula, where record-setting highs for January 11 included 86°F in Fort
Pierce and Vero Beach. Meanwhile, a common theme for much of the week was
record-breaking warmth across the northern half of the High Plains and adjacent
Rockies. On January 12, high temperatures rose to 66°F in McCook, NE, and
Sheridan, WY. From January 12-14, Lander, WY, tallied a trio of daily-record
highs (60, 61, and 60°F). Great Falls, MT, posted a pair of daily-record highs
(62 and 64°F, respectively) on January 13 and 14. Elsewhere in Montana,
record-setting highs for the 14th soared to 66°F in Billings, Choteau, and Grass
Range. Mid-week warmth also extended into much of the West. In Arizona, for
example, daily record highs for January 14 included 81°F in Phoenix and Yuma. In
Oregon, Redmond notched a pair of daily-record highs (62°F both days) on January
13-14. During the second half of the week, as Western high pressure became more
firmly established, California’s Central Valley and many lower-elevation sites
in the Northwest had to contend with air stagnation and foggy conditions. In
contrast, a brief expansion of warmth across the northern Plains led to
record-setting highs for January 15 in Sisseton, SD (45°F), and the National
Weather Service office in Grand Forks, ND (39°F). Farther east, however, cold
air punching into the Southeast produced daily-record lows for January 16 in
Alma, GA (17°F); Jacksonville, FL (22°F); and Fort Pierce, FL (32°F). For Alma,
it was the lowest reading since January 24, 2003. Jacksonville’s last reading of
22°F or lower had occurred on December 26, 2022. The last freeze in Fort Pierce
had been observed on January 31, 2022.
Milder air arrived across Alaska, largely due to the
arrival of storm systems that also produced widespread precipitation and gusty
winds. Remarkably, Juneau’s record-setting 50-inch snow depth, achieved on
December 31, was completely eliminated by January 14. A day earlier, on the
13th, both Sitka (56°F) and Juneau (46°F) had posted daily-record highs, while
Sitka had received 1.13 inches of rain and had clocked a southerly wind gust to
76 mph. Fairbanks’ temperature rose 80 degrees, from -48 to 32°F, between
January 13 to 16.
18-24: A major
winter storm and an Arctic outbreak dominated the U.S., bringing widespread
snow, ice, and dangerous cold to much of the country. The most significant
impacts peaked January 22–24 as a powerful storm swept from the Plains to the
East Coast, accompanied by subfreezing temperatures nationwide.
Arctic air surged deep into the continental U.S. beginning
January 22–23. Large portions of the Midwest, Plains, and Northeast experienced
frigid temperatures and severe wind chills. Wind chills dropped well below zero
across the northern and central states.
25-31: A large,
high‑impact
winter storm that began around the 23rd continued to affect much of
the country through Jan 27. Heavy snow and significant icing stretched from the
Southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast. Subfreezing
temperatures spread across a large portion of the U.S., creating dangerous
conditions for those without heat.
Unusually cold air pushed deep into the region, including
the Deep South and Florida, as part of the broader January Arctic outbreaks.
The West remained warmer than normal, continuing a month‑long pattern of above‑average temperatures in
several states.
Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com
