January Thaw: The midwinter weather flip that makes it feel like spring

A burst of warmer air can bring a short break from winter cold, melting snow and ice for a few days. Here’s what a January Thaw is and when it’s most common.

A surge of warmer air can sometimes flip the script in the heart of winter — melting snow and ice and offering a brief break from the cold. When that happens, meteorologists often refer to it as a January Thaw.

A January Thaw is a string of days with temperatures above freezing, allowing snow and ice to melt away.

"Although the thaw does not have a fixed time of occurrence, climatologists note the most frequent thaws occur in the second half of January," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok explained. "Thaws are more noticeable in the central and eastern United States."

For many people, the warmer spell can feel like a break from the wintry chill and a little relief on energy bills. Some refer to it as “false spring,” since it can feel more like March or April than midwinter.

"Since La Niña winters are known to start colder than average, a thaw is typical during a one- to two-week stretch in January," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said.

In 2026, a thaw arrived in the Northeast from Jan. 7-11, when afternoon temperatures in New York City, Philadelphia and Boston climbed into the middle to upper 50s, levels more typical of early April.

"Winters that start warmer than average have a thaw period later in January or early in February," Merrill said. "It just depends on the weather cycle for that particular winter."

A January Thaw doesn’t mean winter is over. Colder air often returns soon after, and when it does, melted snow can refreeze at night and create slick spots on roads and sidewalks.

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