Weird, wild weather: floods, freak storms, giant hail, record lows, all over the world

[Richter]

Chaos in South Africa Today! Massive Floods Sweep Through Kruger & Limpopo (15:04)
(Jan. 16, 2026) Catastrophic flooding is unfolding across South Africa as weeks of relentless rain overwhelm rivers, communities, and critical infrastructure. In this report, we follow the rapidly escalating crisis from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces into the heart of Kruger National Park, where helicopter evacuations were launched after floodwaters cut off camps and access roads. With dozens of lives lost, thousands displaced, and major highways and bridges washed away, emergency crews are racing against time as more heavy rain is forecast. This video provides a detailed, real-time breakdown of the flooding, the humanitarian impact, and why scientists say events like this are becoming more intense across southern Africa.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=s-ksYdWaAvY

Dangerous Snow Squalls Trigger Whiteouts & Thunder snow in Ohio (10:49)
(Jan. 18, 2026) A rapidly intensifying line of snow squalls tore across Northeast Ohio, triggering sudden whiteout conditions, slick roads, and rare thunder-snow. Communities from Cleveland to Akron and beyond were hit with bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds that reduced visibility to near zero in minutes. Snow Squall Warnings were issued as emergency crews responded to crashes and slide-offs while temperatures plunged behind the storm. This report follows the storm’s path in real time, explaining why snow squalls are so dangerous and what drivers need to know as Arctic air settles over the region.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_K68cZH9Jw8

[Inversion]

This is being called the worst winter storm ever with temperatures reaching -50 degrees Fahrenheit or -45 Celsius. It's strange how things happen just after the Davos meetings.

Google AI

The World Economic Forum's Davos Annual Meeting 2026 concludes on Friday, January 23, 2026, running from Monday, January 19, to January 23, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue".

01/22/26 (2:21)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vGm3xw-WU1M

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Inversion (here)
This is being called the worst winter storm ever with temperatures reaching -50 degrees Fahrenheit or -45 Celsius.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vGm3xw-WU1M

Redacted did a feature on this yesterday, predicting catastrophic power outages in the area.

MASSIVE WINTER STORM WILL CAUSE NEARLY TOTAL GRID COLLAPSE

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cnq8KATaPEk

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Inversion (here)
This is being called the worst winter storm ever with temperatures reaching -50 degrees Fahrenheit or -45 Celsius.

An update on this from The Weather Channel: (the dramatic headline is theirs)

Winter Storm with 'Catastrophic' South Ice, Heavy Snow from Texas to Northeast to affect over 230 Million

[Bill Ryan]

The latest US winter storm forecast image. Dark red shows the areas vulnerable to an ice storm, not only making highways dangerous but which also brings down power lines.

(taken from this page, which contains much more info)

[Sue (Ayt)]

So far, where I am, we have a light powdery snow going, and bitter cold. I prepared yesterday.
My biggest concern would be a power outage with the temperatures as low as they are outside.

[onawah]

This Massive Winter Storm Is COMPLETELY ENGINEERED! – Dane Wiggington
The Jimmy Dore Show
1.77M subscribers
Jan 24, 2026

"In this segment Jimmy is joined by journalist and geoengineering expert Dane Wigington to discuss how elites at the World Economic Forum and military-linked programs are secretly conducting large-scale climate engineering, including aerosol spraying and chemical ice nucleation, while publicly framing extreme weather as “climate change.” Using undercover footage attributed to James O’Keefe and commentary from geoengineering researcher, the segment argues that cloud seeding is being conflated with far more extensive military-grade operations capable of shaping storms and temperature patterns.

Wigington also alleges that current U.S. winter storms and temperature anomalies are engineered through atmospheric manipulation and then politically leveraged to control public perception. The two contend that these programs are hidden under national security, coordinated internationally, and pose serious health and environmental risks.

Dane Wigington on Twitter: / realgeoengwatch
Visit Dane Wigington’s website: http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=auLw2s8lXKA

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
The latest US winter storm forecast image. Dark red shows the areas vulnerable to an ice storm, not only making highways dangerous but which also brings down power lines.

(taken from this page, which contains much more info)

[onawah]

How Winter Storm Fern Could Be Historic
Here are the many aspects to this massive winter storm that could write it firmly into the weather history books.
By Jonathan Erdman
1/24/26

(Videos, photos and hyperlinks in the article not embedded here)

"Winter Storm Fern could etch itself into weather history in four different ways across the South, Midwest and Northeast. Let's unpack all four:
(MORE: Latest Full Forecast | Maps Tracker)
1. Its Massive Scale
Some winter storms affect only a relatively limited area. Not Winter Storm Fern
Fern is expected to dump significant snow and/or ice over 34 states affecting over 220 million people in the U.S. That's almost two out of every three Americans, according to population estimates.
Fern will also dump significant snow in parts of southeastern and Atlantic Canada.

2. 'Catastrophic' Ice Storm
This storm will lead to widespread dangerous travel for days, and "catastrophic" ice accumulations in the South could lead to widespread power outages and tree damage, according to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center.

The parts of the South with the greatest risk of these major ice accumulations are shown in the map below.

This could be the region's most widespread, damaging ice storm in at least several years, with damage that could take days to recover from.

(MORE: Things To Know About Ice Storms | 10 Of Worst US Ice Storms)

3. Heaviest Snowstorm In Years, For Some
Areas shown by the darkest purple and pink contours in the map below have a good chance of measuring a foot or more of snowfall.

For some, either 12-inch-plus snowstorms are rare, or haven't happened in a while.

Oklahoma City has only had three foot-plus snowstorms on record, last occurring in the pre-Groundhog Day 2011 snowstorm. Their all-time record snowstorm happened on Christmas Eve 2009 (13.5 inches at Will Rogers World Airport). Their other such storm was in early January 1988.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, has only had two 12-inch-plus snowstorms, including their record from the pre-Groundhog Day 2011 storm (14 inches) and a March 9, 1994, storm.

Louisville, Kentucky, hasn't had a foot-plus storm since its record 22.4-inch dumping from Feb. 4-5, 1998. The Derby City has only seven such heavy snowstorms in recorded history.

There's more uncertainty regarding the Washington to New York City Interstate 95 corridor's snowfall, with the potential of sleet, ice or even rain to mix in and cut down snow accumulations.

Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., haven't seen at least 12 inches of snow from any snowstorm in 10 years, since Winter Storm Jonas in January 2016.

And while New York City's Central Park has a long history of major snowstorms, their last 12-inch-plus snowfall was almost five years ago, according to the National Weather Service.

4. Record Cold
As we discussed in our forecast, bitterly cold temperatures will likely smash dozens of daily cold records.
Some cities, especially in the South, could set new daily cold records for multiple days before the bitter air relaxes a tad.
Subzero lows are possible as far south as Oklahoma and parts of northwest Texas, while lows in the 20s and 30s will surge to the Gulf Coast and even into northern and central Florida.

(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs/Lows) "

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.




(Freezing temps where I am and at least a foot of snow likely on the ground before Monday, but so far not much in the way of ice, so I am keeping my fingers crossed the power doesn't go out. )

[Richter]

Massive Winter Storm Engulfs the U.S. as Snow and Ice Spread Coast to Coast (12:19)
A massive winter storm is gripping the United States, spreading snow, ice, and extreme cold across more than two thousand miles from Texas to New England. Dangerous ice accumulation is knocking out power, shutting down roads, and creating treacherous travel conditions as the storm slowly pushes east. More than thirteen thousand flights have already been canceled, with major airports experiencing widespread disruptions.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4KpprORoe2w

[shaberon]

The snow skipped us.

I hear the sleet starting now.

I was told the next two days of truck runs are already canceled, which has never happened in ten years.

The snow is the part you would want, this is going to be a lot of ice.

The cold is a secondary system which is supposed to be slurped out of Canada after the ice storm.

Looks really big and dangerous.

[kerrielea]

https://rumble.com/v74t91c-under-the-weather.html

[shaberon]

The snow here was later. Looks pretty, and although it is not deep, it is hard packed frozen mush. I walked on some of it without making tracks, and it is probably already impossible to drive out of the driveway.

Round two kicked in a little while ago, which is expected to be about fifteen hours' worth of accumulation. It is so much moisture, it may raise the temperature above freezing around two in the morning, for a while, and if that is not enough to get a good runoff, whatever is left will be glaciated for days, as it pulls in a shear wind from Canada like towing a boat.

If I were to go about fifty miles, it would be noticeably heavier, and it is not hard to imagine that what is here is moderately dangerous, might be catastrophic at the core of this thing.

[onawah]

The power is still on where I am, thankfully and we got mostly dry snow here , but the temps in the next 10 days will go a little bit above above freezing, then freeze again overnight, so things may still get slippery.
The storm was some relief from the long drought here, at least...
https://weather.com/forecast/regiona...blast-forecast

[Richter]

Mississippi & Tennessee Crippled by Historic Ice Storm (15:21)
A historic winter storm has brought large portions of the southern United States to a standstill, with Tennessee and Mississippi among the hardest hit. Winter Storm Fern delivered devastating ice accumulation, heavy snow, and plunging temperatures that overwhelmed infrastructure, crippled transportation networks, and left hundreds of thousands of residents without power.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5dAksoKWOa8

Massive Snow Storm Hits New York City (4:38)
One of the biggest winter storms to hit New York City in several years brought with it heavy snow, strong winds and up to 10 inches of accumulation before sleet mixed with the snow during the mid afternoon. 18 states were under a state of emergency, including New York, and a total of over 35 states were affected by this massive storm as it crossed the country.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=AI7Etqms0HI

[Bluegreen]

I know much of the live entertainment industry has ground to a halt all over the South. Many can't get to their regular jobs, if their regular jobs are even doing business. This is likely to have consequences, expected and otherwise, for years.

[Richter]

Historic Blizzard Buries Toronto Houses & Cars (15:21)
Southern Ontario is facing the aftermath of one of the most intense winter storms in modern history. Toronto, Mississauga, and the Greater Toronto Area were buried under record breaking snowfall after a polar vortex collided with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, producing snowfall rates rarely seen in Canada’s largest metropolitan region.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=epuFW9UcSOE

[kerrielea]

THE DISASTER CYCLE - Full Documentary:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_o14caQGCMA

[shaberon]

That looks overwhelming.

As soon as the sun came out, ours melted and was gone by two in the afternoon.

The glacier that fell from the sky is a beast. One time that happened here, after being without power for two days, one night I was sitting looking out the window, for some reason, at the angle towards where our pole-mounted power transformer was, and it spontaneously exploded.

It can keep pulling down trees and so forth until it is gone. That kind of power outage is probably...a week. But probably longer in outlying areas. That stuff really sucks, and although it happens, it is usually just a narrow front maybe 100-200 miles long...right now I don't even have a word for what is out there.

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by shaberon (here)
That looks overwhelming.

As soon as the sun came out, ours melted and was gone by two in the afternoon.

The glacier that fell from the sky is a beast. One time that happened here, after being without power for two days, one night I was sitting looking out the window, for some reason, at the angle towards where our pole-mounted power transformer was, and it spontaneously exploded.

It can keep pulling down trees and so forth until it is gone. That kind of power outage is probably...a week. But probably longer in outlying areas. That stuff really sucks, and although it happens, it is usually just a narrow front maybe 100-200 miles long...right now I don't even have a word for what is out there.

The word is weather. Am glad, but not happy, to see Richter’s vid in post #1576 above about southern Ontario. Here in Edmonton Alberta we got our big dump seems like a couple weeks ago. Snow has been light since then, and temps have been up and then down, but not to quite as cold (coldest was about -30C, = -22F). It got above freezing for several days, and the lumpy and rutted snow turned to ice when the cold returned. Around my car parking spot here at my rental flat, crush traction stone (free from a nearby city yard) does the trick, also for walkways around the building. But in my shopping trip today, some slow-roads/avenues are treacherous. Estimate 3 inch clearance where the parked car squeezed the lane and the opposite side was a little polished ice mini ramp that sent me said car-ward.

Other thing from the vid, yes the homeless folks are having a tough time. One I had helped end of last month, she was frantic and angry a few days ago. No bueno, kind of broke my heart, am still shook and praying about that.

The other word which I think applies to/with your exploding transformer anecdote is spaceweather. As much as I think that Ben D belongs on the Clownworld thread for his ridiculously nasty attitude on his live chat episodes, he taught me about Earth’s electric circuit. Seems that storms on this planet correlate with massive electric barrages from the Sun. Solar Wind electron flux, or positively charged CMEs.

[Richter]

Spain Hit by Kristin Storm! Winds of 130 km/h, Huge Waves and Flooding in Andalusia (9:28)
(Jan. 28, 2026) Kristin Storm caused significant damage across the Andalusia region in southern Spain. Wind speeds reaching up to 130 kilometers per hour, powerful waves, and heavy rainfall led to a red alert in Almeria, while widespread power outages were reported around Cadiz, Jaén, and Seville. Along coastal areas, especially the Granada shoreline, waves over-topped breakwaters, while inland regions faced wind-related damage and an elevated flood risk.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pZvJhBIP-Fo

Ireland in CHAOS: Storm Chandra Floods Dublin, Homes and Cars Trapped, Streets Turn to Rivers (10:06)
(Jan. 28, 2026) Ireland faces severe flooding as storm Chandra drenches Dublin and surrounding counties, causing widespread disruption. Dublin floodwaters surge through streets while storm Chandra impacts homes, roads, and transport. UK storm warnings extend across northern Ireland and southwest England. Extreme weather continues to challenge emergency services and communities. natural disasters highlight the need for preparedness amid rising river levels and saturated grounds. Ireland flood and Dublin storm leave lasting effects on infrastructure and daily life.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JccTCSfmN7Q