Severe weather in January 2026 has led to deaths and major power outages across the United States. Millions of people have been advised to stay home, and schools, workplaces, shops, and restaurants have closed. The winter storm has spread to parts of Canada, with downtown Toronto recording the highest amount of snow to fall in one day (56 centimeters or around 22 inches). According to The Guardian, about 213 million people in North America were under some level of winter warning during this time period, leaving over one million people without power. CNN reported this is “one of the longest cold-air outbreaks in decades.”
Marigold Helvey is a former Westside High School student and currently a sophomore at the University of Georgia. Many Southeastern Conference (SEC) colleges closed due to extreme ice and snow that are uncharacteristic for that region.
“Classes were canceled for two days due to several inches of ice. Being from Nebraska, that amount of ice is not uncommon at home, but there isn’t the infrastructure here in the south to protect the roads,” said Marigold. “Some of my friends from this area rarely had a snow day until last year, so everyone was really excited.”
Neighboring colleges were closed even longer. For example, the University of Mississippi in Oxford was shut down for over two weeks.
While eastern parts of North America are facing severe winter weather advisories, Australia is undergoing a major heat wave. Parts of southern Australia reached temperatures close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). With such heat, medical dangers such as heatstroke are afflicting residents. Fire damage has left an estimated 100,000 homes without electricity, forcing homeowners to endure the heat without air conditioning. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the current heat wave is the most severe in 16 years.
According to CNN, “Scientists at the World Weather Attribution found the intense heat wave that hit southeastern Australia in early January was five times more likely to occur because of the human-caused climate crisis.”
Ruby Amack is a junior studying Environmental Science and Sustainability at the University of New Hampshire and is currently studying abroad in New Zealand.
Even though New Zealand is a separate country, it is part of the same continent and just southeast of Australia. Similar to Australia, New Zealand is also experiencing significant impacts of severe weather.
In New Zealand, “certain plants and animals function best in certain temperature environments, and the rising temperatures from climate change are forcing those species to live at higher altitudes in less suitable habitats,” Amack explained. In addition, “high temperatures and heat waves can make the area more susceptible to wildfires. It can also cause strain on energy use from increased air conditioning needs.”
As an Environmental Science and Sustainability major, Amack is most concerned about how rapidly everything is changing. “Trend lines of temperature and carbon emissions are increasing both in amount and in speed. Policies to limit carbon emissions will need to be agreed upon internationally in order to make a real difference,” Ruby said.
In addition to bigger policy changes needed on the national and international level, individual community members and students can also take action. Simple habit changes can make a big difference, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s doing much.
“Carpooling, walking, or using public transportation whenever possible is a great way to limit your carbon footprint,” Amack advised. “Buying produce from local farmers markets is a great way to get quality food and support smaller farmers that likely use less damaging agricultural techniques than big companies.”
Across the world, the effects of climate change are undeniable. Studies have found that there is a direct correlation between the release of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide to extremes in temperatures. This issue will not improve unless people take action.
