After a winter storm spread snow and ice across many U.S. states, very cold air continued to affect much of the country east of the Rocky Mountains in late January 2026.
The cold was unusual because it was intense, long-lasting, and covered a wide area.
This animation shows near-surface air temperatures across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, from January 21 to 29. It blends satellite data with temperature estimates from a NASA global weather model that simulates how the atmosphere behaves.
The darkest blue colors mark the coldest air. Short daily ups and downs show daytime warming and nighttime cooling, while the larger pattern shows cold Arctic air moving south and east and staying in place for several days.
The National Weather Service reported that a blast of Arctic air swept deep into the United States on January 22, bringing very low temperatures and dangerous wind chills. At the same time, moisture in the atmosphere led to heavy snow and ice from the U.S. Southwest all the way to New England.
NASA Earth Observatory images and animation by Lauren Dauphin, using GEOS data from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA GSFC. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
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