The 2025–26 North American winter featured extreme contrasts across North America, being consistently frigid and wintry across the eastern half, particularly in the Northeastern United States – the most impactful since the 2020–21 winter season — while the western half of the continent experienced record warmth and lack of wintry precipitation. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) tracked a total of 21 significant winter weather events, with 6 winter storms being rated on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), and 3 attaining a ranking of "Major" or higher (Category 3+). The winter season began early with a binary low pressure-centered nor'easter and the remnants of Typhoon Halong affecting the U.S. state of Alaska in mid-October. The prevalent pattern during the winter, beginning in December, featured a dip in the jet stream and polar vortex over the eastern half of the country. This continued into January despite a brief warm-up, evolving into a prolonged and extensive cold wave that lasted into mid-February; with the most significant and damaging event of the season occurring at the end of the month with a widespread and devastating Category 3 winter storm that affected almost the entire continent. Significant events continued into February, with the heaviest winter storm in the Carolinas in decades at the start of the month, and a historic and severe Category 3 blizzard that affected the Northeast in the second half of the month. The season concluded with a crippling and historic blizzard that affected the Upper Midwest in mid-March, and was the first Category 5 storm to be rated on the Regional Snowfall Index since the January 2016 United States blizzard. Collectively, the winter weather events this season have killed 275 people – the deadliest since the 2020–21 winter season, and together causing an estimated $11.3 billion in damages.
The persistent pattern during the winter also contributed to other significant events during the season, including those ranked on the RSI, included a pair of two RSI-rated winter storms that disrupted post-US Thanksgiving travel across the continent, and a disruptive winter storm in mid-December that brought some of the largest snowfall accumulations to the Mid-Atlantic/I-95 corridor in several years. Additionally, a large storm complex produced extremely high wind gusts across the western U.S. following the previous storm. Separately, the lack of winter storms tracking through the Rocky Mountains region throughout the winter led to one of the worst snowpack seasons there to date, due to persistent ridging of high pressure, above-average temperatures and unfavorable storm tracks; the city of Salt Lake City, Utah experienced its least snowy winter on record as a result. Like the previous winter, a weak La Niña was expected to influence weather patterns across the North American continent during the season.
While there is no well-agreed-upon date used to indicate the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, there are two definitions of winter which may be used. Based on the astronomical definition, winter begins at the winter solstice, which in 2025 occurred on December 21, and ends at the March equinox, which in 2026 occurred on March 20. Based on the meteorological definition, the first day of winter is December 1 and the last day February 28. Both definitions involve a period of approximately three months, with some variability. Winter is often defined by meteorologists to be the three calendar months with the lowest average temperatures. Since both definitions span the calendar year, it is possible to have a winter storm spanning two different years.
Seasonal forecasts
On October 16, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center released its U.S. Winter Outlook. The temperature and precipitation outlooks reflected the likelihood of a weak La Niña pattern that would continue during most of the winter. The forecast called for warmer than average temperatures across much of the southern United States in addition to the East Coast, as well as the Gulf Coast, with colder than average temperatures in the Northwestern United States. The forecast also called for drier than average conditions across the southern United States (which saw no hurricane landfalls during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, increasing drought prospects), and wetter than average conditions in the northwest and central United States.
On December 11, 2025, Environment Canada released its winter outlook for December, January and February as part of their monthly climate outlooks. The agency predicted above-average temperatures across regions surrounding the Hudson Bay, including Ontario and Quebec. Nova Scotia was expected to be both near-average and below average in terms of temperature on the eastern and western parts of the region. Areas further out west in the country near the Great Lakes were expected to experience higher precipitation amounts, while eastern Canada was forecasted to have a more "dynamic season".
On September 10, 2025, the National Meteorological Service the National Water Commission of Mexico predicted a slightly below average season of 48 cold fronts impacting the country from September 2025 to May 2026. 19 of those cold fronts were forecasted to impact the Yucatan Peninsula. A 60% chance of a weak, short-lived La Niña was predicted to develop during the fall. Above average temperatures was forecasted for October and November due to the La Niña. The Sierra Madre Occidental region was forecasted to have below-average minimum temperatures.
Seasonal summary
The winter season of 2025–26 began early, with one of the first storms of the season affecting the Sierra Nevada in mid-October, bringing over of snow to the area; at the same a nor'easter developed off the southeast U.S, causing coastal impacts and flooding along with gusty winds. Separately, the remnants of Typhoon Halong were also impacting Alaska by October 14. In early November, an arctic front proceeded to usher in the first snowfall of the season east of the Mississippi River, primarily within the Great Lakes, while also bringing abnormally cold temperatures in its wake. A significant pattern change that would ultimately end up as the dominant weather pattern throughout the winter emerged by the start of US Thanksgiving week, as the Upper Midwest were affected by a significant blizzard, with two more winter storms affecting the same areas days later, the latter of which went on to affect parts of the interior Northeast into early December. December by large featured below average temperatures in the eastern half of the continent, and by mid-month on December 13, a winter storm impacted the eastern United States and Atlantic Canada, bringing the largest snow accumulations to parts of the Interstate 95 corridor not seen in several years. Days later, another system traversed the country brought hurricane-force gusts to the western and central United States, as well as causing power outages across the United States and Canada. The day after Christmas, another winter storm impacted the Great Lakes and Northeastern United States. In New York, of snow fell in parts of the state, and New York City saw of snow, the highest total there since January 28–29, 2022. The highest total was of snow which occurred in Phoenicia, New York. Cities south of Hartford, Connecticut received of snow. Large parts of western Pennsylvania saw of ice. Over of ice was reported in parts of eastern Pennsylvania. Parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania saw of sleet. Another system brought blizzard conditions to the Midwest and the Great Lakes shortly afterwards.
In mid-January, after a brief moderation in temperatures during the first half of the month, colder weather returned during the second half. A winter storm brought snow for the second time in two consecutive winters in parts of the Florida Panhandle on January 17–18, before affecting the Northeast and New England the following day. Snow also fell at Gillette Stadium during an NFL playoffs game. Much less snow fell in New York City, with only recorded at Central Park, although some suburbs recorded nearly . Later that month in late January, the deadliest winter storm since the 2021 Texas power crisis impacted North America and broke numerous snowfall records, spreading an enormous swath of heavy snow and ice from Texas to Maine and Canada; 173 people were killed as a result. At the same time, the persistent pattern bringing colder temperatures intensified, as a prolonged arctic outbreak had developed, bringing well-below average and record low temperatures across the U.S. and Canada. At the end of January and heading into February, a nor'easter brought the heaviest snowstorm to The Carolinas in nearly 25 years. A fast-moving clipper system along an arctic front produced an unexpectedly heavy snowstorm in the New England region on February 6–7; an inverted trough developed near Cape Cod, Massachusetts and produced heavy snowfall accumulations just to the north of Boston, Massachusetts. While the city itself only saw of snow, multiple towns to its north saw up to . The highest accumulation was in the towns of Salisbury and Hamilton, while surrounding states such as Connecticut, Rhode Island and parts of far eastern Long Island saw more moderate snow accumulations of . By the second week of February, the cold wave had broken down, but the wintry weather continued to persist in the eastern half of the U.S., with another system bringing a quick to the Mid-Atlantic states. Several powerful winter storms then impacted the West Coast from February 15–19, particularly California, dropping feet of snow, and also contributing to an avalanche in Lake Tahoe that killed 9 people. Days later, on February 21–23, a powerful and historic blizzard struck much of the Northeast, bringing across much of the region and crippling travel, killing 13; multiple snowfall records in New England were also broken. In the following month, a system produced intense winds in the Western and the Midwestern United States as well as in British Columbia in early March. Soon after, a powerful blizzard in the middle of the month broke snowfall records records in Wisconsin and Michigan. Two consecutive storms impacted the northern United States in the first week of April. Finally in May, a storm brought heavy snowfall to parts of the Rockies.
Events There were several winter weather events during the 2025–26 North American winter. Significant events include cold waves, snowstorms, and other notable events outside the conventional limits of winter.
Mid-October nor'easter
A cold front moving over the Northeast stalled over the Florida Peninsula and a low pressure system began developing over Florida at 1500 UTC on October 10. The storm intensified as it tracked up the mid-Atlantic, dropping below by 2100 UTC on October 11. It attained a pressure of at 0900 UTC on October 12. As the original low approached the Carolinas, on at 1800 UTC, a second low formed northeast of it which peaked at the next day on October 13 at 0000 UTC, while also absorbing moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Jerry which was located to its southeast. Conditions improved in the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England as the two lows weakened, with the northern low dissipating while the southern low moving out into the Western Atlantic by 1500 UTC on October 14.