• Major polar vortex disruption brings Arctic surges across North America and Europe through January and early February

    ByRishav Kothari

    A major polar vortex disruption has begun and is forecast to send Arctic air into much of North America and Europe through mid and late January 2026. The event will bring freezing temperatures and winter weather as the vortex weakens following a stratospheric warming episode. A second, stronger outbreak is forecast to occur during the last part of January as the core of the vortex splits into two halves, each driving cold Arctic air into Europe and North America in February.

  • Pavlof volcano alert raised after rise in long-period earthquakes, Alaska

    ByTeo Blašković

    A notable increase in seismic activity was detected at Pavlof volcano on the Alaska Peninsula on January 14, 2026, prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to raise the alert level to Advisory and the Aviation Color Code to Yellow. No surface activity or eruptive changes were observed, and seismicity has since declined to background levels.

  • Weak La Niña supports wet north-dry south pattern across the western U.S. through March 2026

    ByTeo Blašković

    Experimental seasonal forecasts from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) suggest that a weak La Niña is reinforcing a wet–north, dry–south precipitation pattern across the western United States during January–March 2026. The outlook shows high-confidence signals for below-normal precipitation in Southern California, while model uncertainty remains higher across central and northern California.

  • Strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake hits off the coast of Oregon

    ByTeo Blašković

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 struck off the coast of Oregon, United States, at 03:25 UTC on January 16, 2026 (19:25 LT, January 15). The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.

  • HVO reports increased earthquake activity beneath Halemaʻumaʻu, first notable summit unrest since December 2024

    ByTeo Blašković

    A series of three small earthquake swarms occurred beneath Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii, between January 13 and 14, 2026, marking the most notable shallow seismic unrest since the eruption’s onset in December 2024. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reports all events were below magnitude 2 and located 1.5–4 km (0.9–2.5 miles) beneath the surface. The activity follows the high fountain eruption of episode 40 on January 12, which produced 5.5 million m³ (7.2 million yd³) of lava within less than 10 hours.

  • Persistent drought and La Niña conditions sustain widespread wildfires in Chile

    ByTeo Blašković

    Widespread wildfires have been burning across central and southern Chile since early December 2025, affecting seven regions and destroying at least 3 839 ha (9 480 acres) of land. As of January 15, 2026, two people have died, 10 were injured, and more than 2 100 are displaced, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

  • Freeze warnings issued across Florida Panhandle and parts of the southeast U.S.

    ByRishav Kothari

    Freeze warnings are in effect across the Florida Panhandle, northern and central counties, and parts of southeast Georgia from 23:00 EST Thursday, January 15, 2026, through 09:00 EST Friday, January 16. Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as −6°C (22°F) in inland areas, producing frost capable of damaging unprotected crops and causing water pipes to freeze and burst.

  • Red Flag Warning and High Wind Watches issued across central U.S. as strong northwesterly winds develop

    ByRishav Kothari

    Strong northwesterly winds and very low humidity will bring critical fire weather conditions across eastern Colorado and western Kansas on Thursday, January 15, 2026, prompting the National Weather Service in Goodland to issue a Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch. At the same time, high wind watches have been issued across the northern and central Great Plains, with gusts up to 120 km/h (75 mph) expected Thursday through Friday, January 16.