Some extreme weather of 2025

January of 2025 started out to be a tough month across much of Canada the U.S. east of the Rockies. It was the coldest January across most of North America in about 10 years. On Jan. 2, a temperature of -33 degrees Fahrenheit was reported in Saskatchewan, Canada. Measurable snowfall was seen in Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta, Ga., from a winter storm Jan. 9-11. Another big winter storm hit the Gulf Coast on Jan. 20-22 was labelled as a “historic blizzard” for this region, as a state of emergency was issued in Florida and Mississippi. Over 13 inches of snow was reported near Grand Coteau, La., which was the highest amount of snow in the Gulf Coastal region.

In addition to the cold in January, Florida experienced its worst drought in about 24 years. The Everglades were becoming so dry that airboats had to shut down due to the lack of water.

There were some notable heatwaves in Europe. The heat was extreme in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe from April to September 2025. It was the hottest summer in recorded history, with an average temperature (including the high and low temperatures) of 60.98 degrees. That beat the previous record set back in 2018. Spain and Portugal reported highs last June that were higher than 115 degrees. It was 115.9 degrees at Mora in Portugal on June 29, with 114.8 degrees on June 28 at El Granado, Spain. There were four distinct heatwaves during that blistering summer of 2025.

Tornado activity is common in the U.S., especially during the spring and summer months. However, March was the most active in recent history. There was a major outbreak from March 13-16 that affected much of the Midwestern and Eastern United States. There was a total of 118 confirmed tornadoes, including an EF4 twister that hit Arkansas. There was also an EF2 tornado that crossed a St. Louis Lambert International Airport runway. There was another outbreak in the central U.S. from May 18-21 and one from June 19-22 that caused major damage across parts of the northern U.S.

The 2025 tropical storm and hurricane season had 13 named storms, which was one storm below average. However, Hurricane Melissa rewrote the record books when it made landfall Oct. 28, 2025, near New Hope in southwestern Jamaica. The storm arrived as a Category 5 hurricane, which is the highest classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale. With winds of up to 185 miles per hour and a central pressure of 26.34 inches, Melissa was the most powerful storm ever to directly strike Jamaica, and one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters.

Last year was also another tough one for Southern California. In January, there was a series of wildfires near Los Angeles that damaged or destroyed at least 17,000 structures. Several fires, including the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire, were the second and third most destructive wildfires in California’s history.

December 2025 was a very wet and windy month across the Pacific Northwest. Intense rainfall led to “catastrophic flooding,” especially in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, that began Dec. 8. Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate as up to 7 inches of rain fell in several days across parts of Washington.

Here in North Idaho, about 40 inches of snow fell from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. It was a drier than normal year, as 19.34 inches of rain and melted snow were reported at Cliff Harris’s station. Brad in Hayden reported 28.07 inches for 2025. The coldest morning was -6 degrees Feb. 11, 2025. The Spokane International Airport dipped to -4 degrees Feb. 12. After a late spring and summer drought in the region, the skies finally opened up later in October and continued through the end of the year. The wettest day in Coeur d’Alene was Oct. 19, as 1.28 inches was measured at Cliff Harris’s station.

Dec. 17, 2025, showcased the highest winds since Nov. 16, 2015. A wind gust of 75 miles per hour was reported at the Spokane International Airport at 5:27 a.m. that day. Cliff Harris reported a gust of 69 miles per hour in Coeur d’Alene with a 66-mile-per-hour gust at the Coeur d’Alene Airport. Pullman had a gust of 81 miles per hour while Lewiston reported one at 84 miles per hour. There were widespread power outages and downed trees.

For the rest of January 2026, the upper-level jet stream winds are expected to continue to direct more Pacific storms into the western U.S. This will mean more rain for California, with periods of rain and snow across the area. We’re getting the moisture, but many of these storms are too warm to produce a lot of snow in the lower elevations. However, that could change with a La Niña pattern. Stay tuned.

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Contact Randy Mann at [email protected].