Brittany Lockley

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It has been one year since the Palisades and Eaton fires burned through local communities in Los Angeles County on January 7, 2025. The lasting impacts are still being felt across the region, both on the ground and in the atmosphere. The fires took 31 lives and burned down 18,000 buildings and homes.&nbsp;The fires ignited during a period of extreme fire weather, fueled by prolonged drought, critically low humidity, and strong offshore winds. The Palisades&nbsp;fire initially started with an open flame in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Firefighters were able to contain&nbsp;the flames above ground, but the fire continued to burn underground. At the time of ignition, relative humidity values dropped into the single digits, while wind gusts frequently exceeded 40 to 60 mph, creating ideal conditions for the rapid spread of the fire. The National Weather Service even issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation for these fires. These factors allowed flames to move miles in just hours, overwhelming containment efforts during the initial stages. The Palisades fire grew to 23,707 acres.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 041825-1767784832298.png">The Eaton Fire ignited in Altadena shortly after the Palisades Fire. In this fire, close to 10,000 homes were destroyed and 19 lives were lost, as the fire ravaged 14,021 acres by the time of its containment on January 31, 2024.&nbsp;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 04-18-40-1767784809714.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall deficits leading up to the fires played a major role in their intensity. Many areas had received less than 50 percent of their average precipitation over the previous 6 to 12 months, resulting in exceptionally dry vegetation. Live fuel moisture levels were near record lows for late season, and energy release components, an index used to measure potential fire intensity, were well above climatological averages. &nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 040748-1767784265056.png">Once the fires were established, towering smoke plumes injected particulates high into the atmosphere, degrading air quality across hundreds of miles and prompting repeated air quality alerts as fine particulate concentrations surged well above health-based thresholds.&nbsp;In the aftermath, the weather continued to complicate recovery. The first significant rain events following the fires produced short bursts of heavy rainfall, falling on soils unable to absorb water efficiently. Rainfall rates of just a half inch per hour were enough to trigger runoff, mudslides, and debris flows within burn scars. Damaging roads and infrastructure months after the flames were extinguished. Emergency managers were forced to pivot from wildfire response to managing the floods, highlighting the compound risks associated with extreme weather.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 091018-1767802242571.png">A year later, both fires are on California's most destructive fires list. Weather and climate data show early signs of ecological recovery, but also ongoing vulnerability. Native grasses and shrubs have begun to return, aided by winter&nbsp;rainfall.&nbsp;The Palisades and Eaton fires now serve as a stark example of how weather extremes, heat, wind, drought, and heavy rainfall are reshaping wildfire behavior. &nbsp;

Kevin Schneider

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

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Rob grew up in South Florida, where daily afternoon storms and hurricanes piqued his interest in meteorology early on. That interest was fostered by his teachers and his father, who one time brought him onto the roof of their home to watch a funnel cloud move through the Everglades several miles away. Years of filmmaking and tv production in high school gradually pushed him toward broadcast meteorology at Florida State University, where he joined and eventually led the student run daily weather show. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology, he began his career at KESQ in Palm Springs, California before heading to KFSN in Fresno and WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina. He has covered a diverse array of extreme weather events, including haboobs and flash flooding in the desert, extreme snow in the Sierra, hurricanes, and Appalachian ice storms. He also enjoys telling stories and reporting about weather issues.

Connect with Rob on <a href="https://twitter.com/WxRobBradley">Twitter</a>

Rob Bradley

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An energetic series of troughs moving east across the country is expected to increase severe weather potential through the end of the week. A weaker shortwave will kick off the first round of storms late Wednesday night through the first half of the day on Thursday. A more potent trough is expected to create more widespread, stronger storms Friday afternoon into the overnight hours.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-26-30-1767792414178.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Outlooks &amp; Timing</h1>Wednesday's outlook is small but covers areas from near San Angelo through Tulsa (top of page) as severe storms will be limited in coverage before sunrise Thursday. Wind and hail are expected to be the threats. Thursday's outlook is much larger, stretching from Texas through Illinois and is still primarily wind &amp; hail focused, but does include a low end tornado threat as well (below).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 074452-1767797107368.png">Storms aren't expected to reach severe weather limits until very late Wednesday, but are more likely into Thursday morning. Storms are expected to track from near the Red River Valley up into Missouri and Kansas early Thursday. Some strong storms may persist into the mid-to-late afternoon but thunderstorm coverage is expected to diminish as the evening progresses.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-33-09-1767792848116.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Friday's outlook covers areas from east Texas through Kentucky, with a level 2 (slight) risk from Baton Rouge to Nashville, which means storms are expected to be slightly more widespread, stronger, and could last longer. All modes of severe weather (wind, hail, and tornadoes) will be possible.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 062722-1767792753554.png">Warm and moist air is expected to remain in place as the next trough begins to mature, with storms targeting the Mississippi Valley. By the early afternoon, daytime heating will help increase instability enough to lead to scattered severe storms developing. Those storms are expected to intensify through the late afternoon hours, with some persisting into the evening and overnight. This will likely include a tornado threat, so be sure to review your tornado safety plan and have multiple ways to get severe weather alerts that can wake you up!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-33-35-1767792857714.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Rain &amp; Flooding</h1>Rainfall rates will increase significantly on Friday across the south, with 1-2" per hour possible, possibly more. This means some areas could receive 4-6 inches in a short period of time, which could lead to flash flooding. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 063102-1767792763663.png">The WPC has issued a level 2 outlook for excessive rainfall (flash flooding) for Friday, with areas from Middle/East Tennessee into northern Alabama and Mississippi mostly likely to see flooding develop. If you live in a flood prone location, review your flooding plan to seek higher ground if flood waters threaten.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-07 062727-1767792778072.png">Catch updates during our top weather headlines (:00, :20, :40 past the hour) or get the latest regional update for the East and Central U.S. at :10 and :30 past the hour.

Severe Storms Target the South Through Friday

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Adrian Hernandez

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If you were tired of dusting off the old snow shovel up north, you might want to avert your eyes. We have several waves impacting the eastern US, with heavy snow expected in the north!<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-29-19-1767792578447.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Temperature Drop</h1>After that first wave, temperatures are going to drop dramatically! This will set the stage for the second wave, where it'll have far cooler temperatures to work with, meaning ideal conditions for fresh snow!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web4-1767794467604.png">Wind chill values will also be impacted by these two waves, dropping some of these temperatures to well below zero. 11 below to be exact out in the Twin Cities!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web3-1767794539082.png"><h1>Wave One</h1>With relatively warmer temperatures ahead of the first wave, whether or not you get snow, rain, or even freezing rain will depend on how north you're watching us at. The heaviest totals likely will be in Minneapolis and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-52-18-1767793949754.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>While actual coverage will be limited, the strength of this system will likely dump close to a foot of snowfall in some areas in the northern Midwest by Friday night.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web1-1767794074952.png"><h1>Wave Two</h1>The second wave will be a part of the same system. As temperatures cool significantly after the first wave, any extra precipitation afterwards will likely fall as snow. A lot of the heavier totals, wrapping around the center of low pressure headed towards this weekend.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 06-55-00-1767794164231.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The second wave has a wider coverage area, including some spots out in the western Dakotas, and even as far down south as Nebraska by Sunday. We could get anywhere from about 1" to even upwards of 3" in the areas affected. A fresh blanket of snow!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web2-1767794307294.png">

Patrick Crawford

Heavy Snow Returning to the Midwest

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Taban Sharifi grew up in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). She has a B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Go Bruins! While in school, Taban was a meteorology intern with NBC LA. There she helped forecast daily weather for the greater Los Angeles region and created a playbook to deploy weather sensors for NBC owned-and-operated stations across the country. Her first on-air job took her to San Angelo, Texas, where she was a morning meteorologist and co-anchor. Working in West Texas gave her knowledge and experience covering severe storms. From there, she moved to Palm Springs, California. People think forecasting in California is sunshine all the time, but with temperatures in the 120’s, wildfires, damaging winds, floodings, and earthquakes, the forecasting kept her very busy! She also worked there as a general assignment reporter and told community stories. Taban is excited for the challenge and opportunity to forecast nationally with WeatherNation. She also looks forward to exploring all that Colorado has to offer!

Taban Sharifi

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It's been a slow start to the ski season for a lot of our resorts out west, so any snow in the forecast should bring a little hope to the skiers and boarders out there. Winter weather advisories have been slowly rolling out across the Four Corners.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web1-1767782406550.png">More snow is in the forecast later in the week. Snow starts to work into the mountains of Utah and Colorado on Wednesday and continues through Thursday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-07 03-40-22-1767782448238.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Through Friday, some of our ski resorts could max out around a foot. For the Colorado Rockies and resorts of Utah, we'll be fortunate enough if we see around 9" to one foot for resorts like Vail and Steamboat Springs.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web5-1767782509622.png"><h2>Denver Area</h2>Models are starting to get better correlated on what the outcome for Thursday's snowfall is. Temperatures look to be a bit cooler, cool enough to support upwards of 1-5" of snow in the Denver area.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web4-1767782539855.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web1-1767782578671.png"><h2>Salt Lake City</h2>SLC has seen barely any snow this season. So far, we've only had 0.1" of snow downtown. The forecast from the National Weather Service has a forecast of 1-4" in the city.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-06 155507-1767740141930.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web2-1767782630285.png">Whether you're hopeful or skeptical of this forecast, be sure to join us on WeatherNation live for the latest breakdown of these forecasts!

Snow Returns to Ski Country

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While there was be a temporary break in record-breaking warm temperatures, a strengthening upper-level ridge will once more bring the warm weather right back.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web5-1767782163293.png">Even some record warm lows are likely across the country, from the Plains to the Northeast, many spots could have their warmest overnight lows on record for early January.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web4-1767782192450.png">Records fell on Tuesday across the central U.S. from Houston Texas to Norfolk Nebraska.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web1-1767782238707.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-06 161848-1767742787147.png">Plenty more records are expected to fall across the Lone Star State in the coming days, especially on Wednesday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Web7-1767782300157.png">Check out these forecasted temperatures for next week! We're looking at widespread highs of 20° or more above average again! Warm weather looks like it'll be a staple of January, with the Climate Prediction Center highlighting much of the lower 48 that could see above-average temperatures.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-06 174119-1767746486408.png">

Heavy Snow Returning to the Midwest

Snow Returns to Ski Country

First Full Week of January Feeling Warm

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

Severe Storms Target the South Through Friday

Heavy Snow Returning to the Midwest

Snow Returns to Ski Country

First Full Week of January Feeling Warm

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

Severe Storms Target the South Through Friday

Heavy Snow Returning to the Midwest

Snow Returns to Ski Country

First Full Week of January Feeling Warm