After a weirdly mild start to the season, winter 2025‑26 is finally showing up in force, with a sprawling Arctic air mass and overlapping storm systems delivering snow, ice, and dangerous cold across most of the country in a late‑January breakdown from Skeptical Science. Forecasters say the pattern is driving days of snow and sleet from the Southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast, with some cities bracing for half a foot to a foot of accumulation plus treacherous ice. Wind chills well below zero are expected in parts of the northern and central U.S., raising concerns about power outages, school closures, and risks for people without stable housing.
The timing of the cold snap, after weeks of above‑average temperatures for much of the country, is fueling another round of questions about how climate change intersects with extreme winter weather. Scientists stress that a warming planet does not eliminate cold outbreaks, but it can destabilize the jet stream and shift where and how often Arctic air plunges south. That can mean longer spells of weird warmth punctuated by sharper, more disruptive bursts of severe cold rather than the more consistent winters many regions were used to a generation ago.
For cities and states, the late arrival of true winter is creating its own kind of stress test. Budgets and staffing plans built around a “lighter” snow season are suddenly colliding with the reality of overtime for plow drivers, emergency shelter needs, and the vulnerability of aging grids to rapid temperature swings. As climate volatility becomes the norm, officials are being forced to plan for winters that may be both milder on average and more punishing when the atmosphere finally turns.