Satellite images captured a massive ice crack of over 128 km (80 miles) in length forming over Lake Erie on February 8, 2026, after it nearly froze over for the first time in two decades.
A strong stratospheric warming event is underway over the Arctic in early February 2026, rapidly weakening the Northern Hemisphere polar vortex. Forecasts indicate stratospheric westerly wind reversal and vortex split around mid-February, with cores separating further later.
Four atmospheric rivers affected the Pacific Northwest between January 27 and February 1, 2026, producing 150–300 mm (6–12 inches) of rain in the Olympic Mountains and 100–200 mm (4–8 inches) in the North Cascades. Snowfall reached up to 900 mm (36 inches) in high elevations near Mount Rainier, while snowpack remains below 50% of normal.
A powerful Arctic blast is forecast to bring extreme cold and dangerous wind chills across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic from the weekend into the second week of February. Below-normal temperatures and record lows are expected in some areas, with the cold forecast to persist until February 11, 2026.
Snow and ice conditions in Cabarrus County halted traffic on I-85 for approximately six hours on January 31, 2026, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded. Authorities confirmed there were no serious injuries, and the highway was reopened after extensive rescue and clearing operations.
A powerful winter storm underwent rapid intensification along the East Coast from January 30 to February 1, 2026, bringing historic snow to the Carolinas and deep winter cold across much of the eastern United States. The nor’easter disrupted travel, caused power outages, and extended freezing conditions into Georgia and Alabama.
Record-breaking cold affected nearly all of Florida at dawn on February 1, 2026, when minimum temperatures fell to between −5 and −3°C (26–23°F) across central and eastern regions. The National Weather Service Melbourne Office reported that daily records were broken or tied at all of their official climate observation sites, including Orlando, Daytona Beach, Sanford, Melbourne, Vero Beach, and Fort Pierce.
Dense fog covering California’s Central Valley early on January 31, 2026, led to a 59-vehicle crash on Highway 99 in Tulare County, closing the main north–south route for about six hours. Emergency crews treated 10 injured drivers and passengers while removing wreckage from the fog-covered roadway.
A powerful nor’easter is forecast to impact the U.S. Southeast coast late on January 30, 2026, bringing heavy snow to the Carolinas and Virginia, with accumulations reaching up to 30 cm (12 inches), along with strong winds and coastal flooding persisting through February 2.
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.
