{"id":251516,"date":"2026-01-06T11:11:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T08:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/?p=251516"},"modified":"2026-01-06T11:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T08:11:44","slug":"arctic-blast-2026-eu-forecast-for-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/news\/arctic-blast-2026-eu-forecast-for-january","title":{"rendered":"Arctic blast 2026 EU Forecast for January"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Where Europe Will Be Coldest: Arctic Outbreak to Drive Temperatures Down to \u221220\u2026\u221225\u00b0C Between January 8\u201313<\/h1>\n
\n

Based on temperature maps for January 7\u201313, 2026, the coldest air across Europe will concentrate over Eastern and North-Eastern regions. Poland, the Baltics, Ukraine and parts of Central-Eastern Europe will see widespread severe \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0437 conditions, with night-time lows dropping to \u221215\u2026\u221220\u00b0C and locally lower. Snowfall and drifting snow will significantly increase the risk of transport disruption between January 9 and 12.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"winter<\/p>\n

Timing of the Arctic outbreak<\/h2>\n

The most intense phase of the Arctic air intrusion is expected between January 9 and January 12, 2026. During this window, a deep reservoir of cold continental air spreads westward and southward behind an active cyclonic system, locking sub-freezing conditions in place across large parts of Europe.<\/p>\n

Daytime temperatures will remain below freezing in many regions, while clear \u043d\u043e\u0447\u0438 and existing snow cover will allow rapid radiational cooling, producing the lowest minimum temperatures of the event.<\/p>\n

\"arctic<\/p>\n

Coldest cities and expected temperatures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
City<\/th>\nCountry<\/th>\nColdest period<\/th>\nNight minimum<\/th>\nDaytime maximum<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Warsaw<\/td>\nPoland<\/td>\n9\u201311 January<\/td>\n\u221212\u2026\u221214\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22126\u2026\u22128\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vilnius<\/td>\nLithuania<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221213\u2026\u221216\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22128\u2026\u221210\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Riga<\/td>\nLatvia<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221212\u2026\u221215\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22127\u2026\u22129\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minsk<\/td>\nBelarus<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221214\u2026\u221218\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22128\u2026\u221211\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kyiv<\/td>\nUkraine<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221210\u2026\u221214\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22126\u2026\u22129\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Berlin<\/td>\nGermany<\/td>\n9\u201311 January<\/td>\n\u22126\u2026\u221210\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22123\u2026\u22125\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prague<\/td>\nCzech Republic<\/td>\n9\u201311 January<\/td>\n\u22125\u2026\u22128\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22122\u2026\u22124\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vienna<\/td>\nAustria<\/td>\n9\u201311 January<\/td>\n\u22124\u2026\u22127\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22121\u2026\u22123\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stockholm<\/td>\nSweden<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221210\u2026\u221213\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22126\u2026\u22128\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Helsinki<\/td>\nFinland<\/td>\n9\u201312 January<\/td>\n\u221212\u2026\u221216\u00b0C<\/td>\n\u22128\u2026\u221210\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"January<\/h2>\n

Where snow and blizzards are most likely<\/h2>\n

Snowfall is expected to be widespread across Poland, the Baltic states, Belarus and northern and central Ukraine from January 8 onward. As Arctic air deepens, snow showers and frontal snowbands will expand southward into Central Europe.<\/p>\n

Scandinavia will experience frequent snow showers and drifting snow due to persistent wind. In the Alpine region, snow is expected throughout the period, especially on northern slopes, with accumulating snow at both high and mid elevations.<\/p>\n

Major transport corridors at risk of disruption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Region<\/th>\nMain routes at risk<\/th>\nPrimary hazards<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Poland<\/td>\nA2, A4, S7, S8<\/td>\nHeavy snow, drifting, black ice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germany (east)<\/td>\nA4, A13<\/td>\nIce formation, reduced visibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Czech Republic<\/td>\nD1<\/td>\nSnow-covered carriageways<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Slovakia<\/td>\nD1, mountain sections<\/td>\nSnowdrifts, freezing fog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alpine region<\/td>\nA10, A22, A2 corridors<\/td>\nHeavy snowfall, transport restrictions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Baltic states<\/td>\nMain north\u2013south highways<\/td>\nPersistent frost, compacted snow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Why this cold spell is so intense<\/h2>\n

The temperature pattern reflects a classic Arctic outbreak scenario driven by a strong meridional flow. Cold polar air is advected southward behind an active cyclonic system moving across Europe around January 8\u20139. Once in place, the air mass becomes entrenched due to snow cover and weak solar heating, preventing rapid moderation.<\/p>\n

\"Arctic<\/p>\n

This setup allows minimum temperatures to fall well below seasonal norms and keeps daytime values suppressed, increasing stress on infrastructure and transport networks.<\/p>\n

Between January 9 and 12, 2026, the coldest conditions in Europe will be found across Eastern and North-Eastern regions, where night-time temperatures will commonly fall to \u221210\u2026\u221218\u00b0C and locally lower. Snowfall and persistent \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0437 conditions will elevate the risk of transport disruption on major European corridors, making this one of the most impactful cold spells of the winter so far.<\/p>\n

Weather Forecast Europe January 2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Between January 9 and 12, 2026, the coldest conditions in Europe will be found across Eastern and North-Eastern regions, where night-time temperatures will commonly fall to \u221210\u2026\u221218\u00b0C and locally lower.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":228902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,6211],"class_list":["post-251516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-ukweather","tag-arctic-blast","tag-blizzard","tag-long-term-weather-forecast","tag-severe-weather-en","tag-snow-storm","tag-snowfall-weather-forecast"],"acf":[],"wpml_data":{"original_post_id":251516,"trid":"4893086","lang":"en","source_lang":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pogodnik.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}