Extreme Weather

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Polar express hits 230 million

Data: NOAA Global Forecast System. Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Frigid air partially tied to the polar vortex over the Arctic is set to bring some of the coldest air in several years to locations east of the Rocky Mountains during the next two to three weeks, Axios' Andrew Freedman writes. This cold will be noteworthy for its duration more than its intensity, however. Threat level: But first, a high-impact winter storm will bring more than a foot of snow beginning Saturday to places unaccustomed to such amounts, including the Kansas City metro area and areas near St. Louis. A strip of damaging ice accumulations will strike areas just south of the snow shield, potentially knocking out power to millions of people from Nebraska to West Virginia. Meanwhile, the heaviest snow since at least 2022, and possibly longer, is forecast for Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, with "major" impacts anticipated Sunday night through early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Zoom out: The storm will help pull more bitterly cold Arctic air southward on its heels, as blustery winds kick in from the northwest. Most of the U.S. will see temperatures dip down to the freezing mark during this cold snap.   Bracing for heaviest snow in a decade   Credit: Pivotal Weather Meteorologists warn some parts of the U.S. could be about to get the heaviest snowfall in a decade. That orange blizzard warning is super-rare for parts of the Kansas City metro — once a decade or so, Axios weather expert Andrew Freedman tells me. More from Andrew.   The heaviest snowfall in a decade is possible as a wintry blast roils parts of the US A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the heaviest snowfall in a decade to some areas. https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-snow-ice-blizzard-da173992b438907b477bcd03afa17897?

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Severe weather

More than 55 million Americans are under winter storm alerts across the US as a powerful weather system sweeps through the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. Tens of thousands of people in Kansas and Missouri are without power and several stores are running out of essential goods. The severe weather is hammering parts of Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana, where snow-covered roads caused numerous accidents over the weekend. Millions from Nebraska to Texas and east to Louisiana are also under cold weather alerts, where low temperatures below freezing are forecast for some areas. By Tuesday, temperature drops of as much as 30 degrees below normal are possible for the eastern two-thirds of the US. 

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Polar vortex keeps much of the US in its icy grip

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A huge swath of the U.S. was blasted with ice, snow and wind on Monday as the polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations.

https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-blizzard-snow-8b96d7f30cd068a56f7d0401ab51cebe?

More cold on the way

Forecast low temperatures on Thursday. Image: Pivotal Weather There's more snow, ice and freezing temperatures on the way for much of the U.S., even after today's deluge. Lows will be in the single digits across the mid-Atlantic and parts of the South and Midwest. ⛔️ Where it stands: The winter storm left hundreds of thousands of people without power and disrupted air travel. Virginia State Police have responded to more than 430 car crashes since yesterday afternoon. At least 600 drivers were stranded over the weekend in Missouri.

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Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming

Frigid air that normally stays trapped in the Arctic has escaped, plunging deep into the United States for an extended visit that is expected to provoke teeth-chattering but not be record-shattering.

https://apnews.com/article/polar-vortex-chilly-cold-climate-change-frigid-5dd0dcb49a7ead488e221e8c5d9edc8f?

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Winter storm

While wildfires spread through parts of the West Coast, a winter storm is set to take an unusual path across the frigid South with heavy snow and ice. The storm will hit just days after the most impactful storm of the season so far killed at least four people, caused hundreds of crashes and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands. Spotty wintry weather will begin today in western Texas with snow and freezing drizzle as the storm organizes. Thursday will be a crucial day for much of the southern Plains as the storm hits its stride. A wide area of 3 to 6 inches of snow is possible from northern Texas to southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas.

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Winter storm warning for 9 states as millions are told: Don't leave home unless 'absolutely necessary'

As Winter Storm Cora barrels toward the southern US, nine states are closing schools, stocking up on supplies and preparing for dangerous roads .

https://local.newsbreak.com/colorado-state/3749337083164-winter-storm-warning-for-9-states-as-millions-are-told-dont-leave-home-unless-absolutely-necessary?

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?️ Your snowiest days

Data: NOAA. Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios Winter storms brought snow and ice to wide swaths of the U.S. this week. Take a look back to see when your area set its all-time snowfall record. Boulder County, Colo., holds the U.S. record for most recorded snowfall in a single day, with 76 inches — over six feet! — on April 15, 1921, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. Share this map.

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Extra-frigid inauguration

Data: NOAA GFS. Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Parts of the U.S. will see temperatures around 35 degrees colder than mid-January averages next week, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports. Cold air is spiraling down from Canada in a powerful Arctic outbreak tied to the polar vortex. ❄️ Forecast snapshot: Inauguration Day will be frigid in D.C. (high of 28°F) and around the country. Temps will get down to 20°F in Dallas. Parts of the South can expect snow next week. Keep reading.

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Arctic blast

An Arctic blast is forecast to give President-elect Donald Trump the coldest inauguration in 40 years. The temperature in Washington, DC, at noon on Monday is expected to be in the low-20s as Trump stands up in front of the Capitol to take his oath of office. It will likely be the coldest Inauguration Day since President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985, when the noon temperature was 7 degrees. Meanwhile, temperatures in swaths of the US are expected to drop this weekend and could be almost 30 degrees below normal by Monday for millions. The same weather pattern that will bring the Arctic chill across the Lower 48 is also partly responsible for making more Santa Ana wind events in Southern California, which sparked the past week's firestorm.

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Severe weather

More than 170 million people across the US are under cold weather alerts ahead of a crippling winter storm expected to sweep through the south from Texas to Georgia. The storm this week is taking place amid a wider extreme winter spell across the country, originating from an Arctic blast moving south from Canada and dropping temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below average across most of the Rockies, Central and Eastern US. On the West Coast, crews continue to make progress battling the deadly wildfires burning in Los Angeles County. Residents and firefighters are bracing for another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana winds expected today and Tuesday.

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❄️ South braces for snow

Map showing NWS forecast for low temperatures across the U.S. on Tuesday morning, Jan. 21. Image: Pivotal Weather A historic winter storm is poised to dump several inches of snow across the South today, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports. ☃️ Cities from Houston to New Orleans to Jacksonville may come to a standstill for extended periods due to the wintry precipitation. The National Weather Service forecasts 3 to 6 inches of snow for the Houston metro area. The city's two busiest airports are closed today. Parts of Louisiana stand to receive up to 10 inches of snow, with 5 to 7 inches or more forecast in New Orleans. Go deeper. Winter storm A once-in-a-generation winter storm is sweeping through the South with bone-chilling temperatures and potentially historic snowfall. The governors of Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi have declared states of emergency, while Texas authorities have directed state agencies to mobilize resources due to the threat of heavy snow. More than 220 million people across 40 states are being affected by bitterly cold air, with the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains likely to experience wind chill temperatures as low as 55 degrees below zero this week. These temperatures, if exposed to the skin, can cause hypothermia in as little as 5 minutes.

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Historic winter storm hits Gulf Coast as Calif. fire risk continues

A once-in-a-generation snowstorm, tied to the polar vortex event across the Lower 48 states, is plastering the Gulf Coast with record-setting snow and ice on Tuesday.

https://www.axios.com/2025/01/21/historic-winter-storm-blizzard-texas-louisiana-florida?

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Winter whiteout

A historic amount of snow is burying parts of the US Gulf Coast after the region was struck on Tuesday by a once-in-a-generation winter storm. At least nine people are believed to have died due to the dangerous conditions gripping the South, officials said. States of emergency are active in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. Many schools and airports across Southern states are closed as travel has become difficult to impossible in some areas. More than 25 million people are under winter weather alerts from Florida to Virginia today — all while much of the central and eastern US face temperatures running 20-30 degrees below average.

 

Winter storm that dropped record-breaking snow in New Orleans spreads into Florida and the Carolinas A major winter storm that slammed Texas and blanketed the northern Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow moved east overnight, spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and eastern Carolinas. Read more.

What to know: Ahead of the storm, governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and even Florida declared states of emergency. In the Texas capital, two people died in the cold weather, according to a statement from the city of Austin. Officials said one person has died from hypothermia in Georgia.   It had been over a decade since snow last fell on New Orleans. Tuesday’s rare snowfall set a record in the city, where 10 inches fell in some places, far surpassing its record of 2.7 inches set Dec. 31, 1963, the National Weather Service said. Mobile, Alabama, hit 5.4 inches Tuesday, topping the city’s one-day snowfall record of 5 inches, set Jan. 24, 1881.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ How to stay warm in layered clothing and avoid frostbite this winter   In their own words: AP photographers explain how selected images capture warming world

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Winter storm aftermath

Icy roads are creating treacherous conditions across the Gulf Coast after a massive winter storm on Tuesday dumped historic snow on several states. The storm and its brutal cold impacted 1,500 miles of the Deep South, killing at least 11 people and causing widespread travel disruptions, including stranded motorists and thousands of canceled flights. The heavy snowfall is over, but the cold is sticking around and keeping slippery conditions in place. Many cities are asking residents to avoid driving as the sun melts snow that then refreezes, increasing the danger on roadways.

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?️ Understanding January's wild weather

Data: Copernicus Climate Change Service. Chart: Axios Visuals January's icy weather demonstrates the differences between regional weather and climate conditions, Axios climate expert Andrew Freedman writes. Unusually cold air has been parked over the Lower 48 this week, leading to a record snowstorm along the Gulf Coast. ? During Arctic outbreaks, the Gulf Coast usually stays dry or receives a wintry mix. But this time a storm formed along a frontal zone and tapped into warm Gulf of Mexico waters. ❄️ Comparatively warm and humid air was vaulted northward, where it overran the cold, dry and dense air, producing snow. In other words, unusually hot seas helped produce record snows from Texas to the Carolinas. ?️ Yes, but: Daily global average surface temperatures have been at or near record levels throughout January. Just because it's freezing — and maybe even snowy — where you live doesn't mean it's atypically cold worldwide. Go deeper.

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Severe weather

A progression of winter storms is expected across the eastern half of the US over the next two weeks. The first storm took shape Wednesday over the central Mississippi Valley, bringing slick conditions to parts of the region. It will ultimately spread wintry precipitation over more than 1,000 miles of the eastern US from Missouri to Maine. The next storm will likely develop in the Plains on Friday and strengthen early Saturday with a potentially dangerous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. In the western US, heavy rain and landslides are forcing road closures across California. Another atmospheric river-fueled storm with up to an inch of rain is set to arrive today — but may be beneficial in some areas to reduce the wildfire threat.

[Asia Joe]

The USA is certainly getting a large amount of bad weather.  Interesting to watch from the tropics.

Thank you for posting these. It gives me a better perspective on what is happening.

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Winter storms

Around 29 million people from the Central Plains to the mid-Atlantic are under winter alerts today, according to the National Weather Service. This comes as new systems are building and are expected to dump more snow from the middle of the country to the East Coast in the coming days. Another storm is forecast to hit the West Coast on Wednesday, bringing the threat of heavy rain that could trigger life-threatening debris flows in burn scar areas from January's wildfires. Below-normal temperatures are also likely to be recorded across much of the continental US over the next few weeks, the weather service said.

Winter weather

Winter weather has kicked into high gear across the US and it's not slowing down anytime soon. Rain, snow and sleet fell across a 1,500-mile stretch of the eastern US on Tuesday, with more than a foot of snow recorded across parts of the Appalachians in Virginia and West Virginia. The second of back-to-back-to-back winter storms will hit some of the same areas today and dump the most substantial snow of the season on Chicago. A third storm in the coming days will present the most serious flood threat that Southern California has faced since January's devastating wildfires.

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Frozen February

Image: Weatherbell.com Most of the U.S. will get hit with yet another cold snap next week, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports. The weeklong Arctic outbreak will likely be the coldest stretch so far this winter, which has already seen its fair share of frigid temperatures. ? Temperatures are expected to plunge to at least 30 degrees below average across the Midwest and Plains states. The East will also get significantly colder-than-average temperatures starting early in the week. Go deeper.

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Mudslides

As Southern California recovers from last month's devastating wildfires, heavy rains Thursday resulted in pockets of flooding, blocked roadways and mud piling up around recent burn scars. In Altadena, which was impacted by the Eaton fire, some vehicles were mired in thick mud as crews scrambled to dig them out. In Malibu, a Los Angeles Fire Department member sustained minor injuries after his vehicle was swept into the ocean by a large debris flow. The storm system has largely moved out of metro Los Angeles, prompting officials to lift flood warnings, but concerns linger over the potential for more mudslides and rockslides, which can occur long after rainfall has ended.

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Eastern U.S. braces for flooding while fire-damaged California city now faces mudslides

SIERRA MADRE, Calif. (AP) — Much of the Eastern U.S. braced for a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather on Saturday, with thunderstorms and melting snow combining to pound the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. The lower Mississippi valley was facing the threat of strong tornadoes.

https://apnews.com/article/southern-california-debris-flow-rain-wildfire-663334ac70b701eb8e761da5269dd02d?

Very cold weather is coming. US about to get 10th and chilliest polar vortex this winter

The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America’s winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists warn. And it will stay frozen there all next week.

https://apnews.com/article/cold-icy-polar-vortex-winter-freezing-850b99054b73770de43db1b1918ee8c5?

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Severe weather

Millions of people are under flood warnings after powerful storms ripped across the eastern US on Sunday. At least 10 people are dead and thousands in the region are without power. Water levels reached historic highs in Kentucky, where emergency responders performed over 1,000 rescues in under 24 hours, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The storm looks set to wane in the coming hours, but parts of the Great Lakes could be buried by lake-effect snow in its wake. Meteorologists say that around 10 million people are under winter storm warnings from upstate New York to New England ahead of an incoming arctic blast that could break record temperatures this week.

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Floods

At least 14 people are dead on the heels of multi-state floods in parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic. More than a month's worth of rain deluged much of Kentucky in less than 24 hours and set the deadly flooding into motion. "We just got hit by one of the most significant natural disasters we've seen in our lifetime," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a Monday news conference, adding that more than 340 roads were closed in the state. Five flash flood emergencies were also issued in parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee over the weekend. The situation could unfold in more areas in the coming days as river levels continue to rise in impacted areas.

 

‘Life-threatening cold’ hits parts of US following deadly weekend flooding

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Harsh cold descended on the nation’s midsection Monday as a polar vortex gripped the Rockies and Northern Plains on the heels of weekend storms that pummeled the Eastern U.S. with floods, killing at least 14 people.

https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-60715bce197e1668e9a225801acc967e?

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Polar vortex-tied Arctic blast breaks cold weather records

An Arctic blast tied in part to the polar vortex is driving record frigid air south from the Northern Plains toward the Gulf Coast Wednesday in a cold snap that will last the entire week.

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/18/polar-vortex-arctic-outbreak-record-cold-weather?

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Severe weather

More than 55 million people across the central and southern US are at risk of severe weather today as a violent storm sweeps across the country. In New Orleans, officials rushed to reschedule Mardi Gras events and shorten parade routes to avoid ferocious winds, according to the Associated Press. Forecasts show the storm will intensify as it moves east in the hours ahead –– threatening the Lower Mississippi River Valley with strong tornadoes, gusty winds, large hail and heavy rainfall. On Monday, a haboob dust storm also tore through New Mexico with near-zero visibility, shutting down interstates. A haboob is essentially a wall of dust and debris that can grow up to 5,000 feet tall as it's blown forward by strong winds.