Brittany Lockley

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After the last system brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding, this next system will bring more snow to the region as colder air filters in behind it. Snow chances will increase across parts of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas through Saturday, with roads likely turning slick into the early morning hours.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-11 07-02-54-1768133002682.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Temperature Drop</h1>The second storm system will follow closely behind Friday's system on Saturday to reinforce the cold air and help generate additional snowfall this weekend. Farther east and north toward the Great Lakes, snowfall totals may be higher as lake-enhanced snow develops, boosting accumulations in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web5-1768133079141.png">Wind chill values will also become quite cold, dropping some of these temperatures below zero. Strong winds could worsen conditions, particularly near the Great Lakes, where blowing snow may significantly reduce visibility at times. Sunday morning brought some hefty wind chills below zero in the Twin Cities, but they have since backed off. Gusty winds may also lead to drifting snow and isolated whiteout conditions, especially in lake-effect-prone areas.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web2-1768133147332.png">Most of the heaviest snow has backed off by Sunday morning. What's left are a few lake effect bands that could produce heavy snow at times. All in all though, only roughly 1" and at most 3" of snow are expected across the Great Lakes by Monday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web2-1768133218530.png">For the latest in the Central Region, tune in live at :30 past the hour or get it on demand anytime with the WeatherNation app.

Adrian Hernandez

Rounds of Snow Returning to the Midwest

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Meteorologist Jesse Kelley is excited to join the talented staff at Weather Nation. Jesse spent most of his childhood in Birmingham, Alabama. The state of Alabama is prone to seeing various types of weather from severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and winter weather. For college, Jesse attended the University of South Alabama where he received his degree in Broadcast Meteorology along with minors in Math and Geography. From Alabama, Jesse started his broadcast television working three years at KAVU-TV in Victoria. Recently, he finished a stint in Shreveport, LA. Jesse and his wife are looking forward to making the Rocky Mountains and Colorado home. If you would like to follow me, you can follow me on Twitter @JesseKelleywx and on Facebook at Meteorologist Jesse Kelley.

Jesse Kelley

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After an active week of severe weather in the South and heavy snow in the Plains, the forecast is planning to chill out some in the upcoming week. The big weather story will be record warmth in the West and much cooler air dropping south into the Gulf Coast. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/1-1768102131400.png">Lets start with the pattern in the West. Record highs could be possible for parts of the Northern Rockies especially in Montana. Check out the temperatures in Great Falls, Montana. Highs will be flirting with the 60s!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web1-1768132888516.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web3-1768132861712.png">As we move eastward, below average temperatures are looking likely for the Southeast. Numerous records fell in the last few days. A strong cold front slides southward during the second half of next week. Some of the early signs show possibly some winter weather for parts of the Mid South? We will keep a close eye on both.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web2-1768132794004.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web1-1768132760588.png">

Looking Ahead to the Next Week's Pattern

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Tracey Anthony

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The first days of January have brought many record highs across the country, with more falling across the Southeast on Saturday. However, as the front passes through, residents in these areas will feel a noticeable cooldown by the 2nd half of the weekend!<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-10 160855-1768086546197.png">As this latest system and its associated cold fronts push east, many will see temperature drops substantially. The state of Florida, sans the Panhandle, will squeeze out another warm day on Sunday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web3-1768134124541.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/web2-1768134209066.png">Temperatures may stay on the cooler side as we head into the 2nd half of January. In fact, the Climate Prediction Center has high confidence in below-average temperatures for next weekend.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot 2026-01-10 161223-1768086823183.png">

Temperature Whiplash for the Weekend

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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;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/2025-12_2025-01-09_g18_abi_meso_geocolor-fires-1767898580832.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>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;

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

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<h1>Outlooks &amp; Timing</h1>Friday night and Saturday morning was active tracking severe weather and flash flooding. We do have some good news as the severe weather threat has ended! The National Weather Service crews will be out surveying a few areas where tornadoes did touchdown across the South. Check out some of the damage Saturday morning as strong winds moved through Central Alabama.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/VO_011026_RSE_DALLAS COUNTY, AL_2 OF 3 DOWNED TREES AFTER TORNADO SWEPT THOGH SAT AM_FB_MS_E011026-1768076721260.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening hours, the showers and few embedded storms will continue to work their way east towards the Atlantic coast. The forecast will be drier and windier for Sunday across the South. It is possible the remaining storms could produced an additional half an inch to an inch of rain. The Flood Watch across Alabama and Georgia will expire later this afternoon.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/New Baron Video 3-1768076980959.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/01/1-1768076918937.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.

Temperature Whiplash for the Weekend

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

Severe Threat Has Ended in the South

Rounds of Snow Returning to the Midwest

Looking Ahead to the Next Week's Pattern

Temperature Whiplash for the Weekend

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

Severe Threat Has Ended in the South

Rounds of Snow Returning to the Midwest

Looking Ahead to the Next Week's Pattern

Temperature Whiplash for the Weekend

One Year Later: Palisades and Eaton Fires

Severe Threat Has Ended in the South