January 21 in Weather History

189 events on record, 1065 to 2026

Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for January 21, in any year, each linked to its full record.

← January 20TodayJanuary 22 →

January 21 on the map

Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.

  • Tornadoes
  • Floods
  • Severe storms
  • Winter storms and snow
  • Cold
  • Wildfires
  • Earthquakes
  • Volcanoes
  • Tsunamis
  • Other weather

The most significant

By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.

Winter storms and snow

2016January 2016 United States winter storm

From January 22 to 24, 2016, a deadly, historic and crippling blizzard, unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Jonas by the Weather Channel and other media, or more commonly the Blizzard of 2016 and Snowzilla, produced up to 3 ft (91 cm) of snow in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. A weather system, evolving from a shortwave trough that formed in the Pacific Northwest on January 19, consolidated into a defined low-pressure area on January 21 over Texas.

Ended
January 29, 2016
Where
Mid-Atlantic
Country
United States
Deaths
55

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Tornadoes

199986 tornadoes across 6 states

86 tornadoes were recorded on January 21, 1999, in Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 8 people.

Tornadoes
86
States
6
Deaths
8
Violent
1

The full record

Billion-dollar disasters

2000Southeast Winter Storm (January 2000)

A winter storm disaster that cost $1.3 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 4, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from January 21, 2000 to January 24, 2000.

Losses (2024 dollars)
$1.3 billion
Kind
Winter Storm
Deaths
4

The full record

By kind

Tornadoes

79 on January 21, oldest first.

199986 tornadoes across 6 states

86 tornadoes were recorded on January 21, 1999, in Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 8 people.

Tornadoes
86
States
6
Deaths
8
Violent
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado moved from eastern Saline County into southwest Pulaski County. Trees were downed as the tornado entered Pulaski County, with some roof damage to a business along Interstate 30 about 5 miles southwest of Little Rock.

Deaths
3
Injuries
72
Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in southern White County just southwest of Beebe. The tornado moved through Beebe causing extensive damage to homes and businesses. Of all the tornadoes in this particular outbreak, the tornado at Beebe was the strongest.

Deaths
2
Injuries
29
Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A tornado was spawned in western White County. The tornado tracked mostly along Highway 305 from near Floyd through Center Hill. Several mobile homes were destroyed near the highway, with trees blown down and telephone poles snapped.

Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in northern White County about 3 miles north of Sunnydale along Highway 157. As the tornado tracked northeast, it caused extensive tree and utility pole damage.

Deaths
1
Injuries
2
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A weak tornado was spawned in western Jefferson County. The tornado tracked close to the White Hall area and caused some property damage. A barn was destroyed and the roof of a storage building was damaged. Roof damage was also found at several homes.

Injuries
4
Damage
$2.0 million
Strongest
F1
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Louisiana, January 21, 1999

A small, yet powerful tornado moved across southern sections of Alexandria. Touching down southwest of Highway 71, the storm moved through the Mayeau subdivision and the MacArthur-Lee business district.The one injury occurred when a man driving down the road had a tree land on…

Injuries
1
Damage
$1.0 million
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in eastern Faulkner County. The tornado destroyed a couple of manufactured homes southeast of Naylor on or near Bull Mountain Road. Five people were injured in one of the homes.

Injuries
7
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in southern Independence County. The tornado formed as another tornado was dissipating about a mile northwest. This new tornado formed about 5 miles southwest of Oil Trough.

Injuries
3
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado moved from northern White County into southern Independence County...and affected the town of Pleasant Plains. Just south of town, a trailer was flipped over behind a hardware store and a barn was heavily damaged.

Injuries
1
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornadoes in Illinois, January 21, 1999

Top winds were estimated near 130 MPH. Damage was relatively light due to the track of the tornado over rural portions of those counties. A few sheds and barns were destroyed, and a house sustained moderate damage.

Damage
$170,000
Strongest
F2
Events
2

The full record

1999Tornado in Missouri, January 21, 1999

A brief tornado on State Highway 91 overturned a mobile home, demolished a barn and shed, and blew down a grain bin. Farm equipment was damaged. Siding was blown off a house.

Damage
$150,000
Strongest
F1
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

Large trees uprooted and pushed over. Several large trees fell on homes and residences in Washington. Some structural and roof damage occurred to several homes and businesses. Otherwise this tornado traversed mostly unpopulated wooded regions.

Damage
$30,000
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in eastern Independence County. The tornado tracked mostly through rural areas and caused extensive tree damage. The tree damage was mostly along the Black River east of Newark as seen from an aerial survey.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in eastern Hot Spring County. The tornado moved mostly through rural areas and caused extensive tree damage. In one forested area, there were not many trees left standing as observed during an aerial survey.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado moved from eastern Independence County into northwest Jackson County. The tornado headed mostly through rural areas and caused extensive tree damage as it tracked along the Black River.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado moved from eastern Hot Spring County into western Grant County. The tornado crossed Highway 270 about 2 miles west of Poyen. Mostly tree damage was noted, with the tornado weakening as it moved northeast.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in eastern Saline County. Where the tornado first touched down, a trailer was damaged and a tree fell on a car about 4 miles south of Vimy Ridge along Styles Road. About 2 miles southeast of Vimy Ridge on Sardis Road, extensive tree damage was found.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado moved out of northern White County into southern Independence County. The tornado tracked across Highway 167 about 2 miles south of Pleasant Plains...damaging or destroying several homes and farm buildings and knocking down trees.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in southern Monroe County. The tornado flipped over a tractor 8 miles south of Brinkley. About 3 miles southeast of Brinkley, the tornado destroyed a home with nothing left but the foundation.

Strongest
F3
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A tornado in eastern Faulkner County moved into western White County, tracking mostly through rural areas. The tornado knocked down several trees, and destroyed a hay barn 4 miles north of El Paso along Highway 5.

Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in northwest White County. The tornado caused extensive tree damage, and also some property damage...mainly in the town of Joy. In Joy, a shed was destroyed behind an antique store. The volunteer fire department was also heavily damaged.

Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in western Prairie County. The tornado caused mostly tree and utility pole damage...but also destroyed a home about 2 to 3 miles west of Hazen. Some roof damage was noted about 2 miles northwest of Hazen as well.

Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado in southeast Pulaski County moved into western Lonoke County. The tornado moved through the South Bend community and caused extensive damage. A shed was destroyed and a house was heavily damaged along or near Meadowlark Lane.

Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

1999Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999

A strong tornado was spawned in eastern Independence County. The tornado developed near the White River about 5 miles southwest of Newark and moved toward town. In Newark, extensive tree damage was found...with numerous trees either downed or snapped.

Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

2010Tornado in Alabama, January 21, 2010

Isolated classic supercells developed in northern Alabama during the late afternoon hours ahead of a cold front and low pressure system moving through the Tennessee Valley. One of the storms produced an EF-2 tornado in the northeast side of Huntsville.

Injuries
3
Strongest
EF2
Events
1

The full record

201760 tornadoes across 7 states

60 tornadoes were recorded on January 21, 2017, in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas. They killed 4 people.

Tornadoes
60
States
7
Deaths
4

The full record

2017Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 21, 2017

Two rounds of severe weather impacted the ArkLaMiss region - one beginning shortly after midnight on the morning of January 21st and ending shortly before daybreak. The round of storms began during the evening hours on the 21st and ended just before midnight.

Deaths
4
Injuries
57
Damage
$11 million
Strongest
EF3
Events
40

The full record

2017January 21–22, 2017, tornado outbreak

A prolific and deadly winter tornado outbreak struck areas across the Southeast United States between January 21–23, 2017. Lasting just under two days, the outbreak produced a total of 81 tornadoes, cementing its status as the second-largest January tornado outbreak and the third-largest winter tornado outbreak since 1950.

Where
Southeastern United States
Country
United States

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

2017Tornado and Hail in Louisiana, January 21, 2017

A couple of rounds of severe weather affected the ArkLaMiss region early in the morning of the 21st, and again during the evening hours of the 21st. Large hail and damaging winds occurred in Louisiana during the evening.

Damage
$190,000
Strongest
EF1
Events
3

The full record

Hurricanes and tropical storms

1 on January 21, oldest first.

Floods

14 on January 21, oldest first.

19101910 Great Flood of Paris

The 1910 Great Flood of Paris was a catastrophe in which the Seine River, carrying winter rains from its tributaries, flooded the conurbation of Paris, France. The Seine water level rose eight meters above the ordinary level.

Where
Paris
Country
France
Deaths
0
Damage or cost
400,000,000 (as Wikidata records it, currency not normalized)

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

1910January 1910 Doubs river flood

The flood of Doubs river was the biggest flooding in the history of the Doubs river (France); the water rose up to nearly 10 metres above the usual level, January 21, 1910. The principal departements affected were the département of Doubs, the département of Jura and also the département of Saône et Loire.

Where
France
Country
France

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

1997Debris Flow in Puerto Rico, January 21, 1997

One person died Tuesday night and another lost his leg when a rock slid off a mountain and crashed into the pickup these persons were riving along highway 156 heading from Naranjito to Comerio in Puerto Rico.

Deaths
1
Injuries
1
Damage
$5,000
Events
1

The full record

Severe storms

7 on January 21, oldest first.

2005High Wind in Minnesota, January 21 to 22, 2005

High winds reached sustained speeds of 40 mph for several hours, with gusts up to 55 mph. The winds caused widespread damage to trees and power lines, which had been coated with ice and snow less than a day before. The winds also damaged an appliance store in Worthington.

Damage
$850,000
Events
6

The full record

2012High Wind in California, January 21 to 23, 2012

A powerful, elongated jet brought back to back storm systems (one on the 21st and one on the 23rd) through southern California with very strong west-northwest winds in all of the mountain and desert areas.

Injuries
4
Damage
$600,000
Strongest
86 kt wind
Events
8

The full record

2022Storm Elpis

Elpis, or Elpida in Greece, was a windstorm and blizzard that affected most of the Eastern Mediterranean in late January 2022. The storm caused blizzard conditions in northern Turkey and mountainous areas of Greece, as well as accumulating snowfall in milder locations further south, such as Athens, Antalya and Israel.

Ended
January 27, 2022
Where
Eastern Mediterranean

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Winter storms and snow

37 on January 21, oldest first.

1966On this date in 1966, much of southwest and south-central Oklahoma was hit with heavy snow for the second time in two…

On this date in 1966, much of southwest and south-central Oklahoma was hit with heavy snow for the second time in two days. Snowfall totals on this day were in the 4-to-6-inch range along the Red River, from near Hollis, to Altus, to Waurika. Similar totals occurred in these areas two days earlier, on the 19th. Snow totals for both storms included 11 inches at Waurika and 10.4 inches at Altus.

From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.

The full record

1997Blizzard in North Dakota, January 21 to 22, 1997

The last in a string of 4 blizzards to hit North Dakota struck in the morning of the 22nd. Snow amounts with this storm ranged from 2-4 inches, but northwest winds gusted to near 45 mph. Again, east-central and eastern North Dakota were hardest hit.

Injuries
10
Damage
$6.3 million
Events
8

The full record

1998Avalanche in Colorado, January 21, 1998

A snowboarder was carried off in an avalanche and buried while skiing down San Bernardo Mountain, 8 miles southwest of Telluride. The unstable snowpack resulted from heavy snowfall and wind loading which occurred on the previous day.

Deaths
1
Events
1

The full record

2002Winter Storm in Idaho, January 21, 2002

A major winter storm brought heavy snow to the mountains of southeastern Idaho. 6 to 14 inches of snow were reported above 6000 feet. Strong winds accompanied the storm and created many road closures. Interstate 15 was closed from Idaho Falls to Roberts.

Deaths
1
Events
7

The full record

2012Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 21, 2012

A low pressure system that just grazed extreme southeast New Jersey during the morning of the 21st brought snow to Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos and a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to southeastern Pennsylvania.

Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Events
10

The full record

2012Winter Weather in Delaware, January 21, 2012

A low pressure system that passed south of Delaware during the morning of the 21st brought a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to the state. Snowfall in New Castle County averaged 1 to 3 inches and less than an inch in Kent and Sussex Counties.

Deaths
1
Injuries
11
Events
4

The full record

2013Winter Weather in Ohio, January 21, 2013

A highly unstable airmass produced deep convective snow showers that produced snow squalls during the late morning into the afternoon. These isolated squalls caused whiteout conditions on area roadways.

Deaths
1
Injuries
41
Damage
$4.2 million
Events
3

The full record

2016January 2016 United States winter storm

From January 22 to 24, 2016, a deadly, historic and crippling blizzard, unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Jonas by the Weather Channel and other media, or more commonly the Blizzard of 2016 and Snowzilla, produced up to 3 ft (91 cm) of snow in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. A weather system, evolving from a shortwave trough that formed in the Pacific Northwest on January 19, consolidated into a defined low-pressure area on January 21 over Texas.

Ended
January 29, 2016
Where
Mid-Atlantic
Country
United States
Deaths
55

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Cold

7 on January 21, oldest first.

1930While January 1930 was the coldest on record in Oklahoma City, the warmest January on record occurred in 1923

While January 1930 was the coldest on record in Oklahoma City, the warmest January on record occurred in 1923. Every day in the month had above average temperatures. Overall, 16 of the 31 days had afternoon high temperatures at or above 60 degrees, with three days topping 70. The warmest temperature of the month came on the 13th, when the mercury soared to a balmy 72, after a morning low of 47. The coldest temperature all month was only 24 degrees.

From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.

The full record

2009Frost and Freeze in Florida, January 21 to 22, 2009

An arctic cold front moved through South Florida on January 20th. High pressure of arctic origin settled over the region behind the cold front, bringing freezing temperatures to much of South Florida on the mornings of January 21 and 22.

Damage
$62 million
Events
8

The full record

2011Cold in Illinois, January 21 to 24, 2011

Very cold temperatures persisted from the evening of January 20th through morning of January 24th. The coldest morning was January 21st when many locations measured low temperatures in the single digits below zero.

Deaths
2
Events
2

The full record

2014Cold in Wisconsin, January 21, 2014

Arctic air and 5 to 10 mph winds resulted in minimum wind chill temperatures around 20 below zero Fahrenheit for several hours during the morning. One death at least partially due to hypothermia occurred in Beaver Dam.

Deaths
1
Events
1

The full record

Records set

3 on January 21, oldest first.

Wildfires

5 on January 21, oldest first.

1999Wildfire in California, January 21, 1999

Strong gusty winds caused palm fronds to brush against electrical power lines and ignite near the intersection of Palm Island Drive and Highway 111. Wind gusts to 80 mph then fanned the flames into a 30 acre wild fire that affected the community of North Shore.

Damage
$400,000
Events
1

The full record

2011Cr 251 Fire

The Cr 251 Fire was discovered on January 21, 2011, in Duval County, Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.

When
January 21, 2011
Acres
1,000

The full record

2012Chicken Fire

The Chicken Fire was discovered on January 21, 2012, in Texas, and burned 1,329 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.

When
January 21, 2012
Acres
1,328.5

The full record

2018Jaded Thunder Fire

The Jaded Thunder Fire was reported on January 21, 2018, in Perry County, Mississippi, and burned 1,500 acres.

When
January 21, 2018
Acres
1,500

The full record

2020K-25 and Rd 17 Fire

The K-25 and Rd 17 Fire was reported on January 21, 2020, in Wichita County, Kansas, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.

When
January 21, 2020
Acres
1,800

The full record

Earthquakes

13 on January 21, oldest first.

19971997 Jiashi earthquakes

The Jiashi earthquakes were a series of earthquakes from 1997 to 2003, with several earthquakes larger than Ms 6 occurring between January and April 1997. 3 occurred on January 21, 1997, at 09:47 and 09:48 local time, respectively, in Jiashi County of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, NW China.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

20252025 Tainan–Chiayi earthquake

0) earthquake struck Dongshan District, Tainan City, Taiwan, near the border with Chiayi County. It was caused by reverse faulting and had a depth of 16 kilometres.

Where
Taiwan
Country
Taiwan
Magnitude
6.4

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Volcanoes

4 on January 21, oldest first.

Tsunamis

7 on January 21, oldest first.

Space weather and aurora

3 on January 21, oldest first.

Billion-dollar disasters

1 on January 21, oldest first.

2000Southeast Winter Storm (January 2000)

A winter storm disaster that cost $1.3 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 4, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from January 21, 2000 to January 24, 2000.

Losses (2024 dollars)
$1.3 billion
Kind
Winter Storm
Deaths
4

The full record

Other weather

8 on January 21, oldest first.

2002Rip Current in Guam, January 21, 2002

A U.S. Marine on Guam in support of homeland defense. During a barbecue party Cpl. Marcello D. Wilks, 23, went swimming with two other Marines (Petty Officer 3rd class Daniel Jacobsen and Sgt. Chris Geilarowski) at Sirena Beach around noon time.

Deaths
1
Injuries
3
Events
1

The full record

2017High Surf in Hawaii, January 21 to 24, 2017

A large swell from the north in combination with strong trade winds produced surf of 8 to 15 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. A man drowned in windward Big Island waters in the rough surf on the 22nd.

Deaths
1
Events
7

The full record

2022Dense Fog in California, January 21, 2022

With high pressure remaining dominant over the area, dense fog formed over much of the San Joaquin Valley north of Kern County during the early morning of January 21 where skies remained mainly clear and winds remained light.

Deaths
1
Injuries
3
Events
5

The full record

Every day of the year

Sources

Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.