January–February 2026 North American cold wave

The January–February 2026 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that brought bitterly cold temperatures to the majority of the North American continent, particularly the countries of Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central America during the second half of January through early February 2026. The reach of the cold temperatures extended far across the continent, reaching as far south as Belize. It was caused by a southward migration of the polar vortex, following a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event at the start of 2026. A winter storm at the end of the month reinforced the pattern, which continued into the first week of February. Several winter weather events associated with the cold wave proliferated across the United States, allowing snow to reach as far south as Texas and Florida. The cold wave caused damaging and sometimes crippling effects across numerous parts of North America.

At least 22 deaths have been directly attributed to the cold wave, with many more caused by the inclement winter weather that was associated with the temperatures. The cold wave and associated weather are estimated to have caused at least US$4 billion (2026 USD) in damages. Record low temperatures were set across the continent, even as far south as Central America. Bitterly cold wind chills were also prevalent in the northernmost portions of the U.S. Millions of people lost power, mostly as a result of the January winter storm in the south due to snow and ice, but also as a result of extreme cold.