Winter 2025/2026 is fast approaching and the latest weather models show that December can bring cold weather and snow to both North America and Europeinforms the website. Long-term forecasts indicate that the cooler nature of the weather may persist in January thanks to the expected sudden stratospheric warming and subsequent weakening or collapse of the polar vortex.
A weak to moderate La Niña phase will be the key factors for this winter in the Pacific Ocean and at the same time an extremely early disruption of the polar vortex. According to meteorologists, the combination of both phenomena significantly increases the probability of longer incursions of arctic air and more frequent snow episodes.
December will be the most important month of the entire winter for Europe. In this month it can Western and Central Europe expect temperatures close to normal to below normal, but the northern part of the continent will be colder. Snowfall will gradually begin to spread towards the south, mainly thanks to a steady supply of cold. In the Alps, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and parts of the Balkans, there is a good chance for earlier and lasting snow cover.
January indicates a weaker and less stable cold character than December. Models show that higher pressure over Europe, which means less cloud cover and precipitation, and temperatures may be slightly above normal in many areasbut without extreme deviations. Central Europe, however, remains in the neutral zone, where short, intermittent intrusions of cold air may occur, especially if high pressure persists over Scandinavia.
According to the models, the biggest change will come in February. The polar vortex can be regenerated and the cold will no longer reach the old continent so easily. It is expected that temperatures will be above normal in most of Europe. Precipitation may be above average in the north, but mostly normal elsewhere. Precipitation in the form of rain is already expected in the lowlands in the west of Europe. Thus, February can act as a “return to mild winters”, even if a short cooling at the beginning is not excluded.
