NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JANUARY 2026

Dec. 28, 2025 – Jan. 3, 2026: Unsettled weather continued into the New Year in the West, mainly west of the Rockies, with the heaviest precipitation falling in California. By week’s end, the average water equivalency of the Sierra Nevada snowpack was roughly average for early January, despite a very slow start to the accumulation season.  As the week began, significant precipitation spread across the Great Lakes States. On December 28, Eau Claire, WI, set daily records for precipitation (1.01 inches) and snowfall (8.5 inches). Marquette, MI, achieved the same feat, with respective December 28 totals of 1.41 and 11.5 inches. Elsewhere in Michigan, daily-record precipitation totals for the 28th included 1.94 inches in Flint, 1.86 inches in Battle Creek, and 1.69 inches in Kalamazoo. Lake-effect squalls lingered after much of the precipitation had departed. Marquette measured 17.1 inches of snow on December 29, boosting its 2-day total to 28.6 inches. On December 30, Syracuse, NY, received 24.2 inches of snow, marking its second-snowiest day on record, behind only 34.0 inches on February 15, 1946. The snowiest December day in Syracuse had been December 30, 1997, when 18.6 inches fell. By December 31, precipitation returned across the West, where Las Vegas, NV (0.32 inch), experienced its wettest New Year’s Eve on record. In southern California, the wettest New Year’s Day on record was observed in many locations, including El Cajon (2.52 inches), San Diego (2.08 inches), Burbank (1.32 inches), Sandberg (1.25 inches), and Long Beach (1.11 inches). Another round of Pacific storminess moved ashore in California on January 3, leading to daily-record amounts in Santa Barbara (1.91 inches), Santa Maria (1.27 inches), and Sandberg (0.78 inches). In contrast, dry weather persisted on the central and southern Plains, where December precipitation totaled 0.02 to 0.05 inches, and was more than an inch below average, in locations such as Wichita Falls, TX, and Chanute, Salina, and Wichita, KS. A very cold pattern persisted in much of Alaska as 2025 ended and the New Year began. Additionally, heavy snow fell in southeastern Alaska, where Juneau measured 49.0 inches from December 27-31. The wintry blitz propelled Juneau to its snowiest December on record, with 82.0 inches. Juneau’s previous snowiest December occurred in 1964, with 54.7 inches. The only other time Juneau’s monthly snowfall exceeded the 80-inch mark was February 1965, when 86.3 inches fell. On the morning of December 31, Juneau reported a peak snow depth of 50 inches, a record for that location (previously, 41 inches on February 24, 1949). Meanwhile, rainfall finally increased across windward sections of Hawaii’s eastern islands, following a mostly dry December. On the Big Island, Hilo received 3.24 inches of rain during the first 4 days of January, in the wake of a December sum of just 3.84 inches (32 percent of normal).

4-10: During the mid- to late-week period, back-to-back storm systems emerged from the West. With cold air nearly absent as the lead system tracked from the central Plains into the Great Lakes States, mostly rain fell—even in the Midwest. However, the trailing system produced a band of heavy snow on the central and southern High Plains and brought a transition to wind-driven snow showers in parts of the Midwest. Late-week rain in parts of the South and East provided targeted relief in drought-affected areas. Both storms had mostly limited Western impacts—aside from higher precipitation totals in northern California and the Pacific Northwest—signaling the transition into a drier pattern, amid broad Western concerns of sub-par mountain snowpack.

Early-week snow in the upper Great Lakes region led to daily-record totals in International Falls, MN (4.6 inches on January 4), and Alpena, MI (5.5 inches on January 5). Later, an eastbound disturbance crossing the North brought a mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow. Daily-record precipitation totals for January 6 reached 0.73 inch in Flint, MI, and 0.69 inch in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. During the second half of the week, back-to-back storm systems crossed the West before emerging across the Plains and racing northeastward. With cooler air arriving in the Northwest, Spokane, WA, received 7.0 inches of snow, a record for January 7. For Spokane, it was the snowiest day since November 30, 2022, when 7.5 inches fell. However, the lead system was unusually warm for mid-winter, delivering mostly rain east of the Rockies. The 8th was the third-wettest January day on record in Chicago, IL, where 1.92 inches fell. Chicago’s wettest days were January 12, 1960, with 2.76 inches, and January 10, 1975, with 2.29 inches. Record-setting amounts for January 8 topped an inch in Waterloo, IA (1.28 inches), and Kansas locations such as Salina (1.28 inches) and Topeka (1.12 inches). The trailing storm entrained enough cold air to produce widespread snow, starting in the West. Alta, UT, reported a two-storm total of more than 45 inches of snow, aided by a daily-record sum of 12.6 inches on January 8. A narrow band of heavy snow fell across the High Plains on January 8-9, when Colorado Springs, CO, netted 13.3 inches. Record-breaking snowfall totals for January 9 included 6.6 inches in Clayton, NM, and 3.8 inches in Pueblo, CO. As the week ended, rain changed to snow showers in the Great Lakes States, while locally heavy rain soaked the South and East. McComb, MS, measured 6.79 inches on January 9-10, aided by a 4.13-inch sum on the former date. Record-setting amounts for January 10 reached 2.68 inches in Asheville, NC, and 1.40 inches at the Atlantic City Marina in New Jersey. Alaska’s wild weather ride continued, with bitterly cold conditions interspersed with significant precipitation. In southeastern Alaska, heavy rain atop record-setting snow led to avalanche warnings and several snow slides. On January 9, daily-record precipitation totals included 4.49 inches in Ketchikan, 1.58 inches in Juneau, and 1.43 inches in Sitka. Juneau’s official snow depth decreased from 50 inches on New Year’s Eve to 17 inches by the morning of January 11. Meanwhile, Fairbanks reported a low of -50°F on January 4, followed by 3.0 inches of snow from January 5-7 and 6.1 inches of snow on January 10-11. Hawaiian rainfall occurred early in the week, followed by a more tranquil regime, aside from lingering showers in some windward locations. On the Big Island, Hilo netted a daily-record sum (3.24 inches) on January 5. Hilo’s January 1-10 rainfall climbed to 8.28 inches (345 percent of normal).

11-17: Ketchikan received 2.86 inches of rain on January 13, accompanied by a peak southeasterly wind gust to 65 mph. Across the Alaskan mainland, a significant storm arrived on January 16, when daily-record precipitation totals included 0.60 inch (all snow) in McGrath and 0.45 inch (snow, freezing rain, and rain) in Anchorage.

A cold front crossing Hawaii delivered widespread, locally heavy showers, mainly on January 14-15. Ending around daybreak on January 15, twenty-four hour rainfall totaled 3.54 inches on famously wet Mt. Waialeale, with several other locations on Kauai also receiving at least 3 inches. However, frontal showers largely weakened or dissipated before reaching the Big Island. Still, earlier downpours across the Big Island left Hilo’s January 1-17 rainfall at 8.93 inches (224 percent of normal). Month-to-date rainfall through the 17th was effectively normal at Lihue, Kauai (1.50 inches), and Honolulu, Oahu (1.15 inches).

18-24: A major winter storm and an Arctic outbreak dominated the U.S. bringing widespread snow, ice, and dangerous cold to much of the country. The most significant impacts peaked January 22–24 as a powerful storm swept from the Plains to the East Coast, accompanied by subfreezing temperatures nationwide. A large, multi‑day winter storm developed over the Pacific on Jan 21 and swept across the central and eastern U.S. from Jan 24–26. During Jan 23–24, the storm produced heavy snow, significant ice, and dangerous cold across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Northeast. Widespread power outages, with over 1 million customers losing power at the storm’s peak.

25-31: A large, high‑impact winter storm that began around Jan 23 continued to affect much of the country through Jan 27. Snow & Ice: Heavy snow and significant icing stretched from the Southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast. Power Outages: Over 1 million customers lost power at the storm’s peak on Jan 25, with more than 500,000 still without power on Jan 27. Subfreezing temperatures spread across a large portion of the U.S., creating dangerous conditions for those without heat.  Northeast Nor’easter Transition: By Jan 25, the storm had moved into the Northeast and began transitioning into a nor’easter, bringing heavy snow and wind to New England and the Mid‑Atlantic.

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com