PREMIUM How the polar vortex and warm ocean intensified a major U.S. winter storm

"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."

"The sudden blast may have come as a shock to many Americans after a mostly mild start to winter, but that warmth may have partly contributed to the ferocity of the storm. As atmospheric and climate scientists, we conduct research that aims to improve understanding of extreme weather, including what makes it more or less likely to occur and how climate change might or might not play a role."

"Multiple weather factors have to come together to produce such a large and severe storm. 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."

A severe late-January 2026 winter storm delivered crippling freezing rain, sleet, and snow across a broad swath of the U.S., from New Mexico to New England. Hundreds of thousands lost power in the South as ice brought down tree branches and power lines. Parts of the Midwest and Northeast received more than a foot of snow and experienced prolonged bitter cold. The storm's strength resulted from multiple factors: a strong Arctic air mass meeting warmer southern air, a southward dip in the jet stream with multiple disturbances, and abundant moisture pulled from the unusually warm Gulf of Mexico. The stratospheric polar vortex influenced upper-level winds and helped set conditions for the extreme event.

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