January 2026 winter storm

[webny99]

With snow now spreading along the east coast, Florida and... Nebraska... are currently the only states without any snow cover.

Still the case, unless anyone from Nebraska can confirm to the contrary.

[The_Ginger]

Just went outside. Here's what I noticed.

- There is a 2-4 inch bottom layer of snow.
- There is then a 2-6 inch layer of ice over top of that. Walking on it either slightly breaks it, or does nothing.
- There is a dusting of snow above the ice.

The side roads? Completely iced over.

[Road Hog]

The sun was out all day today and did a good job of clearing what had already been shoveled away, but no streets at all have been plowed and they're still covered — even the TxDOT roads. My store closed early again today and we'll likely do so again on Tuesday.

[vdeane]

Officially, we got 12.5 inches, but it looks/feels like more (especially given the 2-3' drifts on all sides of my car).  Then again, my apartment complex is a bit of a microclimate.  Pretty much all pavement is slippery given the temperatures are too low for salt to help much.

I also noticed that there was a glaze of ice on my passenger side windows that lingered into the afternoon.  I wouldn't have expected freezing rain or anything given how cold it's been (today's high was 19), but maybe that had something to do with the lower snowfall totals?

[Henry]

It's no surprise that Chicago had its usual amount of snow and ice, while as stated before in this thread, Seattle got none of that.

[Revive 755]

With snow now spreading along the east coast, Florida and... Nebraska... are currently the only states without any snow cover.

Still the case, unless anyone from Nebraska can confirm to the contrary.

Going off of https://www.weather.gov/source/crh/snowmap.html?sid=oax (going with 48 or 72 hours) and https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?year=2026&month=1&day=26&units=e&region=Western_Plains there may be snow in the southeast portion of Nebraska.

[ozarkman417]

In Southwest Missouri, the storm underperformed a bit. The forecast was some 9-11 inches. The actual totals I measured (South-Central Springfield and Southern Christian County) were about 6-8.

[ZLoth]

[Ted$8roadFan]

According to our local TV station, this storm is now 8th all time in the amount of snow for Boston (23"). Although the roads are mostly clear, there is so much snow that many roads are on a snow diet, as it were, with lanes reduced due to snow. Not only that, but schools have a second snow day today. Our local schools tend to be stingy when it comes to snow days, so this is a remarkable storm.

[1995hoo]

Officially, we got 12.5 inches, but it looks/feels like more (especially given the 2-3' drifts on all sides of my car).  Then again, my apartment complex is a bit of a microclimate.  Pretty much all pavement is slippery given the temperatures are too low for salt to help much.

I also noticed that there was a glaze of ice on my passenger side windows that lingered into the afternoon.  I wouldn't have expected freezing rain or anything given how cold it's been (today's high was 19), but maybe that had something to do with the lower snowfall totals?

It certainly did here. The forecast was for double-digit snow, but at least in my neighborhood we got more like 6–8 inches followed by sleet all day Sunday. The weathermen said that had it all fallen as snow instead, it would have been around 15–20 inches. The sleet froze into something with a concrete-like consistency. To clear it, you have to bash through the top layer and then either shovel or use a snowblower on the boulders you chip off. I spent about three hours out there yesterday in two 75-minutes blocks and my lower back is not happy about it this morning. Icy Hot is good stuff.

Not like I'd try to drive anywhere. The street in front of our house is a sheet of ice and the VDOT street to which it connects wasn't much better when I walked down there yesterday afternoon.

And there is an early possibility of an East Coast blizzard this weekend due to a developing nor'easter. Let's hope it stays offshore.

According to our local TV station, this storm is now 8th all time in the amount of snow for Boston (23"). Although the roads are mostly clear, there is so much snow that many roads are on a snow diet, as it were, with lanes reduced due to snow. Not only that, but schools have a second snow day today. Our local schools tend to be stingy when it comes to snow days, so this is a remarkable storm.

All the schools here have been closed yesterday and today. Fairfax County was already scheduled to be closed this coming Thursday and Friday for end-of-semester teacher workdays. I can't see how it makes any sense for them to open the schools tomorrow for a single day. Just give the kids the whole week off.

[Rothman]

Weather Channel is already yelling about this storm off the coast when their own forecasts show NYC getting 1.5" of snow from Saturday night through all of Sunday (very light snow).

(*knocks on wood it stays this way*)

[1995hoo]

Weather Channel is already yelling about this storm off the coast when their own forecasts show NYC getting 1.5" of snow from Saturday night through all of Sunday (very light snow).

(*knocks on wood it stays this way*)

Our weatherman has a policy of not predicting snow totals until 48 hours out, but he said last night that this storm will cause a blizzard somewhere and that we should just hope the blizzard happens out over the ocean. I can certainly agree with that.

[kalvado]

An interesting question is being asked -  are commercial snow plows essential or not? Somehow I would say they should be allowed, but who knows?

OK, only doctors on the way to the hospital was an exaggeration. But it was that kind of emergency only drivers that were allowed.

By the way, I got my answer regarding enforcement. It's pretty slick.
If you get into any accident or require assistance on the road, you have to either prove essential nature of the trip or pay a hefty fine.

[kphoger]

Meanwhile, here in Wichita, it was just a normal snowstorm.  Our church didn't even cancel Sunday morning worship, just the Sunday School hour before it.

[vdeane]

Weather Channel is already yelling about this storm off the coast when their own forecasts show NYC getting 1.5" of snow from Saturday night through all of Sunday (very light snow).

(*knocks on wood it stays this way*)

Our weatherman has a policy of not predicting snow totals until 48 hours out, but he said last night that this storm will cause a blizzard somewhere and that we should just hope the blizzard happens out over the ocean. I can certainly agree with that.

Considering that pretty much every storm this season has ended up tracking further and further north over time, I'm not hopeful on that front.

[webny99]

Travel remains nearly impossible in parts of in northern MS in the wake of the significant ice storm:

https://www.wapt.com/article/drivers-stranded-on-i-55-north-gov-tate-reeves-responds/70170664

[Mapmikey]

Weather Channel is already yelling about this storm off the coast when their own forecasts show NYC getting 1.5" of snow from Saturday night through all of Sunday (very light snow).

(*knocks on wood it stays this way*)

Our weatherman has a policy of not predicting snow totals until 48 hours out, but he said last night that this storm will cause a blizzard somewhere and that we should just hope the blizzard happens out over the ocean. I can certainly agree with that.

The cruise I am on out of Baltimore was delayed a day by last weekend's storm (losing one port day).

They just announced we will lose a second port day so that we can go around this coming storm and disembark safely in Baltimore on Sunday.

[epzik8]

All of the snow I got in my part of Maryland is frozen solid on top thanks to the bitterly cold temps. Also we're in the midst of a stretch of mornings/evenings with negative wind chills.

[elsmere241]

I'm supposed to go back to the office tomorrow, so today I liberated the minivan and drove it around the block.  Parking it again was harder than getting it out.

[Rothman]

Finally dug the car out today to go grocery shopping for the first time since last Tuesday.

Looks like the storm's missing NY altogether, really...but not DC.  Weird.

[kphoger]

Meanwhile, here in Wichita, I hurried home early from work yesterday, because I've been teaching our son how to drive, and I was worried I wouldn't have the opportunity to get him out on snowy streets before it had all melted away.

Fortunately, our neighborhood streets were perfect for learning on.  They were mostly all hard-packed still, but some places were slushy and others powdery.  He got to practice starting from a standstill on an uphill, even.

But, in the highway medians and fields, it's already half grass and half snow, and all the main roads are pretty much completely clear.

[wxfree]

Today I got to walk on ice (crunchy sleet) in 60 degrees.  It's the warmest ice walk I can remember.  The roads are clear, other than some shady spots on back roads, which are slushy.  Some grassy areas are still covered with white sleet, which doesn't heat up as much in the sun.  For a while, the nights were really bright with the moonlight reflecting off the ground.  That's rare for this area.

[ZLoth]

The temperature in North Dallas was in the 50s yesterday and today which melted most of the snow except in the shady areas. One of those shady areas happens to be the north-facing garage where a ice hump developed. Thank goodness I have a steel-tipped snow shovel.

Unfortunately, my 75 pound of ice melt is all gone.

[elsmere241]

Last night, my wife mixed up some brining fluid (1 part water, 1 part vinegar, box of salt, some drops of dish detergent) and we tried to liberate our parking space a bit.  It's progress, but we'll just have to wait for more to melt.  (Temperatures aren't supposed to get above freezing until at least Monday.)

[PColumbus73]

It's been hard to find an estimate on snowfall in South Carolina, I've seen 3-5", but also 5-8" inches in my area.