Winter precipitation during the January 2026 North American storm likely amplified by human-driven climate change

Winter storms similar to those of January 2026 in North America are associated with locally up to 5 °C warmer temperatures and up to 6 mm/day (~20%) higher precipitation than in past decades, which, under near-freezing conditions, translates into substantially heavier snowfall and freezing rain. The January 2026 North American winter storm was exceptionally rare, standing out in the historical record. We mostly ascribe the increase of precipitation in the January 2026 North American winter storm to human-driven climate change, and natural climate variability likely played a minor role.