La Niña winter is taking a break for at least the first half of January, as snow and cold temps ease up for most of the country and a warmer and wetter pattern takes over.
The first month of the new year is likely to be warmer and wetter than we’ve seen in the lower 48 so far this winter season, as the January weather outlook shows the La Niña winter that brought cold temperatures and snow taking a break.
Instead of snow and bitterly cold temperatures like the country has seen so far, rain and warmer, above-average temperatures take over.
NATIONAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: FREEZING TEMPERATURES FROM ARCTIC BLAST RING IN THE NEW YEAR AS FAR SOUTH AS FLORIDA
(FOX Weather)
The nation already got a preview of this setup in late December, with widespread record warmth and historic rainfall in California, and this pattern is likely to persist and expand in the weeks ahead, the FOX Forecast Center said.
A more persistent dip in the jet stream across the Pacific and the West is driving the shift in weather, funneling a steady parade of storms into the West Coast.
THESE ARE THE SKYWATCHING EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IN JANUARY
(FOX Weather)
Warmer air is expected to surge ahead of these storms, warming things up across parts of the lower 48.
The first two weeks of the month show warmer temperatures and above-average precipitation for most of the country.
See ya later snow
The La Niña winter so far has created above-average snowfall for the season, breaking records.
Lake-effect snow creates whiteout conditions in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
(Katie Byrne / FOX Weather)
Syracuse, New York saw their second-snowiest December day ever on Dec. 30, with more than 78 inches of snow so far in the 2025-26 winter season.
In addition to the heavy snowfall, arctic air plunged temperatures across the country in November and December.
Cold air stretched as far south as Florida in early November, leading to cold-stunned iguanas falling from trees as temperatures hit the 40s.
WHEN DO IGUANAS FALL FROM TREES IN FLORIDA?
A frozen iguana was spotted in Boca Raton, Florida Tuesday, as the coldest air of the season spread across the eastern U.S., setting several low temperatures across the Sunshine State. The phenomenon—known as “cold-stunning”—occurs when temperatures drop into the 40s, and cold-blooded animals like iguanas lose the ability to move their muscles.
Arctic blasts of air combined with wind chills brought below-zero temperatures to much of the country in early December.
Will it last?
The FOX Forecast Center said it’s unclear how long the warmer and wetter temperatures will last beyond the first two weeks of January.
Sidewalk Scene in Winter, New York City, New York, USA. February 2014.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
There’s a chance the country trends back into near-average conditions with a possibility of a La Niña winter pattern returning.
If this does happen, the FOX Forecast Center said, temperatures are likely to return to below average in the Midwest and Northeast.
HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER
(FOX Weather)
Unfortunately for parts of the West, this would likely keep the region stuck in above-average temperatures, which is far from ideal after a record-warm December. As a result, the Rockies are expected to continue falling further behind in terms of snowpack, deepening the existing snow deficit.
Only time will tell if we see a La Niña setup for the rest of the winter or if this is the name of the game leading into spring.
