Heavy snow and low visibility conditions triggered a multi-vehicle pile-up involving 30 trucks along the eastbound I-80 near Elkhart County, Indiana on January 14, 2026. The crash involved at least 10 semi-trucks, leaving many injured and hospitalized.
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.
A stratospheric warming event over the North Pole is expected to weaken the polar vortex and may lead to a core split around January 25, 2026. The disruption could cause another surge of Arctic air, bringing below-average temperatures and snow to large parts of the U.S. and Europe.
Multiple avalanches have been reported across parts of Alaska, prompting road closures and evacuations near Juneau as precipitation and heightened avalanche risk continue across the region through January 13, 2026.
At least 2 people were killed by an avalanche near Long Pass in Washington’s Cascade Mountains on January 9, 2026, while two others were safely rescued.
Multiple flash flood warnings were issued early on January 10, across southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and central Alabama as thunderstorms produced intense rainfall exceeding 75 mm (3 inches) in several locations.
Strong Santa Ana winds intensified across Southern California on Friday, January 9, 2026, prompting the National Weather Service to issue high wind warnings and advisories for mountain, valley, and coastal regions. Gusts reaching up to 115 km/h (70 mph) were recorded in canyon and foothill areas, raising risks of power outages, tree damage, and hazardous travel conditions through the weekend.
An atmospheric river that impacted Alaska on January 9, 2026, is forecast to propagate down the coast and merge with a second plume, delivering a 48–72-hour period of AR conditions over western Washington from January 10 to 12. Forecast guidance indicates 100–150 mm (4–6 inches) of rain over the Olympic Peninsula, 50–100 mm (2–4 inches) over the northern Washington Cascades, and 25–50 mm (1–2 inches) over the Cascade foothills, with freezing levels rising above 1 830 m (6 000 feet).
Multiple tornadoes touched down in Mississippi on January 9, 2026, as a powerful storm system moved through the Deep South, producing damaging winds and heavy rainfall. The U.S. National Weather Service issued Tornado and Flash Flood Watches for large portions of the state, warning of further severe storms through January 10 as the system continues eastward.
After its snowiest December in more than eight decades, Juneau, Alaska, now faces flooding threats as warm Pacific air brings heavy rain over deep snow. The National Weather Service (NWS) warns that clogged drains and rapid snowmelt could trigger flooding in streets and small streams through the weekend.
