If you stepped outside this morning and felt like the air was trying to bite your face off, you’re not alone. It’s cold. Really cold. But honestly, the news weather for today, January 13, 2026, isn't just about a single dip in the thermometer. It’s the start of a massive atmospheric shift that’s basically turning the eastern half of the U.S. into a walk-in freezer while the West gets a weirdly warm break.
We’ve had a bit of a "January thaw" lately, but that’s officially over.
The Arctic Squeeze: What’s Happening Right Now
Right now, a powerful surge of Arctic air is spilling out of Canada and diving deep into the Midwest and the Northeast. Meteorologists are watching two distinct "rounds" of this polar air. Round one is hitting us today, Tuesday. It’s dropping overnight lows into the single digits and teens across places like Chicago, Detroit, and even down into the Ohio Valley.
But wait, it gets worse.
There’s a second, even nastier punch of cold scheduled for later this weekend. We’re talking wind chills that could easily drop below zero. When you have gusts hitting 40 mph—which are in the forecast—that "feels-like" temperature becomes dangerous fast. Frostbite can happen in under 30 minutes if you aren’t bundled up like a marshmallow.
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Rain, Snow, and the "Lake Effect" Machines
While the cold is the big story, the moisture is what’s making the commute a nightmare. An upper-level trough is hanging out over the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Because the lakes haven't fully frozen over yet, they’re acting like giant humidifiers. This "lake-effect" snow is dumping heavy totals downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
If you’re in upstate New York or the Central Appalachians, you’re likely seeing the brunt of this today.
Further south, things are just soggy. A front is lingering over Florida, keeping the peninsula draped in rain and gray skies. Meanwhile, out in the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a gale warning for the Gulf of Tehuantepec. High pressure over Mexico is creating some seriously rough seas—up to 18 feet. It’s not exactly a great day for a boat ride.
Why the West Coast is Playing a Different Game
If you’re reading this from California or Arizona, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about. You’ve got a massive ridge of high pressure anchored over the West. This ridge acts like a shield, pushing the jet stream—and all that cold air—way north into Canada before it drops down into the East.
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In Tucson, FEMA is actually out today updating preliminary flood maps for Pima County. It's a reminder that even when it’s sunny, the local geography and past monsoon seasons mean the risk of "weather" is always there, just in a different form.
The La Niña Connection
We can’t talk about the news weather for today without mentioning the elephant in the room: La Niña.
We are currently in a "weak" La Niña phase. Usually, that means the Pacific Northwest stays wet while the South stays dry and warm. But 2026 is proving that weather doesn't always follow the textbook. Climate models like the CFS version 2 have been flip-flopping, but the consensus is that this La Niña is "leaking" cold air into the Northeast more often than we expected.
Snow Totals: Who’s Getting Buried?
The Northeast is bracing for a messy mix. As the frigid air interacts with moisture moving along the coast, we could see snow totals exceed a foot in higher elevations.
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- Northern New England: Heavy snow is the primary threat.
- The I-95 Corridor (NYC to Boston): This is the tricky zone. It starts as a wintry mix—that gross, slushy rain—before potentially flipping to all snow as the cold air wins the tug-of-war.
- The Tennessee River Valley: Surprisingly, some heavy snowfall pockets might extend this far south as the Arctic air mass deepens.
What People Get Wrong About This Cold Snap
Most people think a cold snap is just a "one and done" event. You survive Tuesday, and you’re good, right?
Not this time.
The current setup is what forecasters call "highly amplified." The pattern is stuck. The ridge in the West and the trough in the East are essentially "blocked," meaning we’re going to see round after round of these "clippers"—fast-moving systems that bring a burst of snow followed by a fresh injection of Arctic air.
Living With the Forecast: Your Action Plan
Look, you don't need a weather degree to know it’s cold, but you do need a plan for when the "feels-like" hits -10°F.
- Check your pipes today. When we get these sustained freezes where the temp doesn't rise above 32°F for a few days, that’s when the plumbing in your exterior walls decides to quit. Open your cabinet doors to let the house heat reach those pipes.
- Watch the wind, not just the temp. A 20-degree day is fine. A 20-degree day with 40 mph gusts is a different beast. If you're traveling through the Midwest or the Great Lakes, blowing and drifting snow will kill your visibility even if it’s not actively snowing.
- Update your emergency kit. If you’re in the path of the lake-effect snow or the potential weekend storm, make sure you have enough salt/sand and that your shovel hasn't snapped since last year.
- Monitor the "Kona Low" if you're in Hawaii. It sounds exotic, but it brings heavy rain and high winds to the islands, and there’s a slight risk of one developing later this week.
This pattern isn't going anywhere for at least the next ten days. We are in the thick of a classic, old-school winter stretch. Stay warm, keep the pets inside, and maybe double-check those car battery levels—the cold is the number one killer of older batteries.
Actionable Insight: Download the FEMA or NWS app now to get real-time alerts for your specific zip code. With the "second round" of Arctic air arriving this weekend, you'll want those alerts active before the wind picks up on Friday night.