Tips for staying warm and safe in winter weather
When it’s freezing outside, using a DIY warm compress or changing the direction of your ceiling fan can make all the difference.
More than 160 million people received weather warnings on Jan. 21, and as the warnings continue into February, the National Weather Service is churning out guides to explain where the snow and ice are deepest and the coldest below freezing.
The Weather Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said it’s time to stock your kitchen with water and food that doesn’t require electricity to cook so you, your pets, your family and your neighbors are prepared for the latest arctic blast to hit the nation.
As of 4 p.m. on January 21, approximately 230 million people are expected to be affected by extreme cold temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius, according to Zach Taylor, director of the Bureau of Meteorology’s Weather Forecast Center. At least 85 million people are under extreme cold warnings, watches, or advisories, and an additional 70 million people are under winter storm warnings.
Be sure to keep an eye on your local weather forecast as conditions will change throughout the weekend. Meteorologists are confident the storm will form, but are less certain about its exact path and timing because of several patterns pushing through the atmosphere.
A path north could create more dangerous conditions north, while a path farther south could push severe cold and ice to the south.
The Japan Meteorological Agency also warns that frigid temperatures could continue into early February.
These maps help illustrate the potential impacts of the storm.
snow and ice
Decreasing temperatures and cold winds
What do the terms watch, warning, and advisory mean?
In an update on the afternoon of January 21, the Bureau of Meteorology issued some type of advisory, watch or warning for more than 100 million people throughout the weekend. Forecast messages start roughly in Montana and New Mexico and move eastward along the weather map.
Definitions of some of the map terms in the weather service include:
- extreme cold warning – Issued when extremely hazardous cold conditions or wind chill values are likely to occur, but their occurrence, location, and/or timing are still uncertain.
- winter storm warning – A significant confluence of hazardous winter weather is occurring or is imminent.
- winter storm monitoring – Severe and dangerous winter weather is possible within the next 48 hours.
- Winter weather advisory – Issued when any amount of freezing rain or 2 to 4 inches of snow, alone or in combination with other precipitation, is expected to cause significant inconvenience.
As the week progresses, advisories may be issued for additional areas in the east. Click here for more information on the Japan Meteorological Agency’s winter advisories.
Various watches and warnings may overlap, and a person may be under more than one watch or warning at any time. Find your local weather station here.
Important message from the National Weather Service
These important messages from the Bureau of Meteorology warn that life-threatening cold, dangerous cold, snow and ice are possible until January 26. The Bureau of Meteorology is advising affected people to prepare for dangerous travel conditions with cold weather, potential power outages and delays.
A squall of snow falls in the Tohoku region
Snow squalls are expected to be dangerous in the Northeast starting Thursday morning.
I can’t get rid of my cold
Dangerous cold air is now likely to hit the eastern half of the United States from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, even after the currently predicted storms pass, the National Weather Service warned on Jan. 21.
Dinah Boyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, has been reporting on climate change, weather and other news for decades. Contact dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or dinahvp.77 on X or Signal.
