Jean Luc and Peter Mingils talk about weather and geoengineering on Building Fortunes Radio
January 2026: A Brutal Winter Grip on the USAJanuary 2026 will be remembered as one of the harshest winters in recent years, with widespread below-average temperatures, multiple severe storms, and record-breaking cold snaps that affected nearly every corner of the country. Overall, the month averaged about 0.9°F below normal nationwide, though some regions like the Midwest and Southeast saw departures of 3-4°F colder than typical.
Precipitation was variable, with drier conditions in the Midwest but ample wintry mix in the South and East, leading to significant disruptions.The month started on a relatively mild note in many areas. For instance, the first half of January brought above-normal temperatures to parts of the Ohio Valley and Southeast, with highs reaching the upper 60s to 70s in places like Paducah, Kentucky, setting record highs on January 8th and 9th.
New Year’s Day was chilly in spots like West Virginia, with highs in the low 30s, but overall, the early days lacked the bite that would soon follow.
However, an abrupt pattern shift around mid-month ushered in Arctic air, transforming the landscape into a frozen tableau.By January 17th, colder air began dominating, setting the stage for the month’s defining events: intense winter storms toward the end. The most impactful was Winter Storm Fern, a massive system from January 23-27 that stretched from Northern Mexico through the Southern U.S., Northeast, and into Canada.
This Category 3 storm unleashed heavy snow, sleet, and ice across a vast swath, affecting over 200 million people. More than a dozen states saw over a foot of snow, with some areas accumulating up to 2.5 feet.
Ice accumulations reached 1-2 inches in the South, causing over a million power outages and catastrophic damage from fallen trees and lines.
The storm’s reach was staggering: from blizzards in the Rockies to sleet in Texas and heavy snow in the Ohio Valley, where 6-12 inches fell in Kentucky alone.
Following closely, another storm on January 31 dumped snow across the Carolinas, with over 12 inches in parts of the Piedmont, exacerbating the chaos.
Tragically, over 100 deaths were linked to these January storms, from hypothermia to accidents.
Compounding the misery was the record cold that persisted. An Arctic blast from January 22-25 plunged temperatures to extremes: -43°F in Seagull, Minnesota, -24°F in Flint, Michigan (near its all-time low), and wind chills of -30°F to -50°F across the Midwest and Great Lakes.
Even the South shivered, with Florida seeing 20s in the Panhandle and 30s southward—its coldest since 1989—accompanied by rare snow flurries and falling iguanas.
Cities like Cleveland shattered 150-year-old records with -10°F, and over 200 daily cold records fell from Friday through Monday in late January.
This prolonged outbreak, one of the longest in decades, extended subzero conditions from the Plains to the Northeast and below-freezing air to the Gulf Coast.
States of emergency were declared in 17 states plus D.C., with 35 states impacted overall.
While the West Coast remained milder, the East’s bomb cyclone amplified the freeze, warning of health risks like frostbite.In summary, January 2026 flipped from temperate to treacherous, reminding us of winter’s raw power. As we thaw into February, the month’s legacy of storms and shivers lingers.
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Peter Mingils talks about the new company and services being offered by Jean Luc and Diane on previous Building Fortunes radio shows.
Company name is:
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The New Youmongus Radio shows are on https://youmongusradio.com .
There’s an AM Radio and an FM Radio website now to add to the Youmongus Radio Network.
