"A severe winter storm that brought crippling freezing rain, sleet and snow to a large part of the U.S. in late January 2026 left a mess in states from New Mexico to New England. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power across the South as ice pulled down tree branches and power lines, more than a foot of snow fell in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, and many states faced bitter cold that was expected to linger for days."
"Winter storms typically develop where there are sharp temperature contrasts near the surface and a southward dip in the jet stream, the narrow band of fast-moving air that steers weather systems. If there is a substantial source of moisture, the storms can produce heavy rain or snow. In late January, a strong Arctic air mass from the north was creating the temperature contrast with warmer air from the south."
A severe winter storm struck much of the United States in late January 2026, producing freezing rain, sleet and heavy snow from New Mexico to New England. Hundreds of thousands lost power across the South as ice brought down tree branches and power lines. Parts of the Midwest and Northeast saw more than a foot of snow and widespread bitter cold that was expected to linger. Severe winter storms form where sharp surface temperature contrasts align with a southward dip in the jet stream and ample moisture. A strong Arctic air mass, multiple jet-stream disturbances, moisture from the warm Gulf of Mexico and influences from the stratospheric polar vortex combined to fuel the event. A mostly mild early winter may have helped intensify the storm.
Read at Fortune
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