A persistent polar airmass created a prolonged period of frigid conditions across northwest Connecticut for the final days of January into the very beginning of February. Bitter cold air temperatures combined with periods of gusty winds and fresh, deep snowpack made for several days worth of dangerously cold conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ALY wrote it up.
A persistent polar airmass created a prolonged period of frigid conditions across northwest Connecticut for the final days of January into the very beginning of February. Bitter cold air temperatures combined with periods of gusty winds and fresh, deep snowpack made for several days worth of dangerously cold conditions.
The cold outbreak began early on January 29th where minimum wind chill values, or feels-like temperatures, were cold, but not quite to dangerous levels. Feels-like temperatures this first night ranged from about -8 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit. However, by the following night, widespread dangerously cold temperatures overtook the region with minimum air temperatures ranging from -9 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit and minimum feels-like temperatures spanning -20 to -8 degrees Fahrenheit. A brief respite came on January 30th when extensive cloud cover maintained sufficient insulation to limit temperature falls, but by the next night, February 1, minimum feels-like temperatures once again fell to -18 to -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 29, 6:33 PM EST, 27 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Albany NY
633 PM EST Thu Jan 29 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
The southern Adirondacks, western Mohawk Valley and the
Berkshires were upgraded to Extreme Cold Warnings tonight until
late tomorrow morning for wind chills or "feels-like" temps as
low as -25 to -30F.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1) There is an increased risk for frostbite and hypothermia for
those who don't take precautions for tonight into Fri morning
due to a combination of frigid temps and brisk west/northwest
winds for eastern NY and western New England.
2) There is high confidence that snowfall should stay east of
eastern NY and western New England with a coastal
Nor'easter moving well off the East Coast, although brisk and
very cold conditions are still expected.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...
A gyre of frigid air remains over NY and New England this pm
into tonight with another weak short-wave passing in the west to
northwest flow aloft. Some west/northwest upslope snow showers
and flurries continue along and near the western New England
higher terrain with perhaps some light coatings to a few tenths
of an inch of snow for the southern Greens and Berkshires.
Elsewhere, some light lake effect/upslope snow showers/flurries will
linger into tonight over the western Dacks, western Mohawk
Valley and the northern Catskills. The bigger issue will be the
cold with the reinforcing shot of arctic air. Strong low and mid
level cold advection will occur over the region tonight into
Friday. H850 temps drop to -1 to -2 STDEVs below normal
according to the latest NAEFS with the actual H850 temps down to
-20C to -25C over the forecast area. Lows will fall to 10 to 20
degrees below across the southern Dacks, portions of the Lake
George/Glens Falls area, the southern Greens and the northern
Berkshires. West to northwest winds 10-15 mph with some gusts
20-25 mph over the higher terrain will yield wind chills or
"feels like" temps 10 to 35 degrees below zero.
We have wind chills in the -25F to-35F range over the southern
Dacks, western Mohawk Valley and the Berkshires, so we upgraded
the Cold Weather Advisories to Extreme Cold Warnings. Cold
Weather Advisories for the rest of eastern NY and western New
England for wind chills or "feels-like" temps -10F to -25F. With
values this low, frostbite and hypothermia will be a concern
for anyone outdoors for an extended period of time that doesn't
take precautions. Frostbite can occur in as little as 30 minutes
(as low as 10 minutes over the Adirondacks) on exposed skin.
The headlines run until 11 am Fri, and not much recovery will
occur during the day with high temps only in the single digits
to lower and spotty mid teens in the valleys. Portions of the
Adirondack Park and the southern Greens will remain below zero
with brisk winds. Another night of frigid temps will occur for
Fri night into Sat morning with lows 5 to 20 degrees below zero.
The winds will go light to calm with weak ridging, so it will be
more of a frigid radiative cold. Additional headlines will
likely be needed with continued cold weather impacts. Sunday
will be more of the same and we will monitor for future
headlines, as winds kick up for the coastal low passing
northeast from the outer Banks of the Mid Atlantic towards
southeast New England and Cape Cod.
KEY MESSAGE 2...
The coastal or oceanic deep and intense low passing tracks well
south and east of Long Island and Cape Cod Sun-Sun night
according to the majority of the ensembles and medium range
guidance. The NBM PoPs are still in the 15-30% range Sun-Sun
night for western New England/mid Hudson Valley/southern
Taconics. We placed some light snow in here, but a shift
eastward will likely occur with light dustings or less than a
half inch with the systems outer mid/upper deformation zone. It
will be cloudier to the east of the Hudson River Valley and it
will become brisk with northwest to north winds 10-20 mph with
some gusts 25-30 mph. Highs on Sunday will be in the teens to
lower 20s...and lows fall back to 5 above to 5 below zero over
most of the region. Wind chills or apparent temps will be zero
to 15 below, with some colder readings over the highest terrain
Sun night into Monday morning. Some cold weather impacts
impacts or isolated large tree limbs could fall over the western
New England higher terrain due to the oceanic Nor'easter.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Through 00Z Saturday, mainly VFR conditions are expected despite
occasional clouds with Cigs of 3500-5000 FT AGL. At KPSF,
upslope clouds may produce occasional MVFR Cigs overnight, with
a lower chance of MVFR Cigs occurring during Friday. In
addition, at KPSF, there is a low chance for snow
showers/flurries overnight which could produce brief MVFR/IFR
Vsbys. Overall probability for Vsby restrictions is low, and
have not included mention in current TAFs.
West to northwest winds will average 5-10 KT overnight, although
may remain slightly stronger along with a few gusts up to 20-25
KT at KALB and KPSF. On Friday, west to northwest winds will
increase slightly to 8-15 KT by afternoon, with some gusts up
to 25-30 KT possible, strongest and most persistent at KALB and
KPSF.
Outlook...
Friday Night to Tuesday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX.
&&
.ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Cold Weather Advisory until 11 AM EST Friday for CTZ001-013.
NY...Cold Weather Advisory until 11 AM EST Friday for NYZ039>041-
043-047>054-058>061-063>066-083-084.
Extreme Cold Warning until 11 AM EST Friday for NYZ032-033-038-
042-082.
MA...Extreme Cold Warning until 11 AM EST Friday for MAZ001-025.
VT...Cold Weather Advisory until 11 AM EST Friday for VTZ013>015.
&&
DISCUSSION...15
AVIATION...24The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Minimum low temperature of -3 degrees Fahrenheit recorded with a minimum wind chill of -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Minimum low temperature of -2 degrees Fahrenheit recorded with a minimum wind chill of -17 degrees Fahrenheit.
Minimum wind chill of -18 degrees Fahrenheit recorded.
Minimum wind chill of -16 degrees Fahrenheit recorded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Connecticut in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, January 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1313540, 1313541, 1313542, 1313543.