Up to 115 fatalities have been reported across more than 20 states in the U.S. after a historic winter storm swept through the eastern two-thirds of the country between January 24 and 26, 2026. The storm is now the deadliest since the 2021 Texas power crisis, when multiple storms claimed nearly 250 lives across the country, and has surpassed the death toll of the 2022 Buffalo Blizzard of the Century.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 struck the South Sandwich Islands region at 07:30 UTC on January 29, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 74.7 km (46 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 26 km (16 miles). There is no tsunami threat from this event.
Multiple tornadoes hit Antalya Province, Turkey, late on January 26, 2026, causing major damage to coastal and inland districts. Hundreds of acres of fruit and vegetable crops across greenhouses in the province were damaged by the tornadoes, while much of the region reeled from the recent flooding.
Boston remains under a cold weather advisory through Saturday, January 31, 2026, as bitter cold and hazardous wind chills persist following a major winter storm that dropped about 58 cm (23 inches) of snow, placing it among the city’s top 10 snowfall totals on record.
Storm Chandra the United Kingdom and Ireland with major flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions on January 27 and 28, 2026. Hundreds of flood alerts were issued across the affected regions while local councils and emergency services carried out rescues in the southwest, where rainfall totals reached 45 mm (1.8 inches) in 24 hours with coastal gusts peaking near 110 km/h (70 mph).
An explosive pulse at Sheveluch volcano, Kamchatka, Russia, around 04:54 UTC on January 28, 2026, sent ash to about 9 km (30 000 feet) above sea level, with a plume drifting west over the Kamchatka Peninsula. Tokyo VAAC advisories through 12:00 UTC indicate continuing ash, with tops between 6 km (19 700 feet) and 7 km (23 000 feet) after the initial 9 km (30 000 feet) eruption.
A surge of Arctic air will spread across the central and eastern United States from Friday, January 30, 2026, bringing the longest duration of cold in several decades to parts of the region. Forecast confidence has increased for a winter storm to develop along the East Coast over the weekend, with the highest likelihood of heavy snowfall across the Carolinas and southern Virginia, and gusty coastal winds extending into the Mid-Atlantic.
At least two people were killed in Portugal on January 28, 2026, as Storm Kristin brought destructive winds to the Iberian Peninsula after undergoing explosive cyclogenesis on January 27. A rare sting jet developed with the storm, intensifying hurricane-force winds.
A powerful coastal storm is forecast to affect parts of the eastern United States over the coming weekend. The system is forecast to develop off the Southeast Coast on Saturday, January 31, 2026, and track northeastward through Sunday, February 1, bringing the potential for heavy snow, gusty winds, and hazardous travel conditions across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Life-threatening cold and wind chills are forecast to continue across the eastern half of the Lower 48 during the final week of January into early February. Another surge of Arctic air is forecast to spread from the Plains into the East and Southeast between Friday and Saturday, January 30–31, bringing a renewed threat of additional record low temperatures, including across parts of Florida.
