By Thomas Kent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Woolwich Observer
February 6, 2026
January 2026 will go down as one of the most punishing winter months ever recorded in Waterloo Region, and the numbers now confirm it.
According to data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo, this winter has officially become the snowiest on record locally. By the end of January, total seasonal snowfall had reached 206.5 centimetres, more than double the long-term average of 95.3 cm for this point in the winter.
That total narrowly surpasses the previous record set during the winter of 2008–09 by about five centimetres, making the 2025–26 season the snowiest at the end of January since local weather records began.
January alone accounted for a staggering 89.0 centimetres of snowfall, more than twice the long-term January average of 43.7 cm and the fourth snowiest January ever recorded at the station. The heavy accumulation came despite overall precipitation levels being close to normal. Total precipitation for the month measured 74.6 millimetres, only slightly above the long-term January average of 69.8 mm, highlighting just how snow-dominant the month was.
Temperatures told a similarly extreme story. While the first half of January included a brief stretch of milder weather, the end of the month was marked by an intense cold snap. During the final week of January, temperatures rose above minus-10 C for only a few hours, while four separate days dipped below minus-20 C. The cold stretch dragged the month’s overall average temperature to more than 1.5 degrees below normal.
The average daily high for January was minus-4.3 C, compared to a long-term average of minus-2.2 C, while the average daily low came in at minus-11.8 C, below the long-term norm of minus-10.3 C. Temperatures ranged widely throughout the month, with a maximum of 11.4 C during early January warmth and a minimum of minus-25.0 C during the late-month freeze.
While January’s snowfall was exceptional on its own, it followed an already unusual start to the winter season. November 2025 delivered one of the heaviest early snowfalls on record in Waterloo Region, setting the stage for what would become a relentless winter. By the time January arrived, snowbanks were already well-established across communities, and repeated storms only added to existing accumulation rather than melting it away.
Long-term records show just how unusual this season has been. Typical winters in the region build snowfall gradually through December, January and February. In contrast, the 2025-26 winter surpassed average seasonal totals before February even began. While historical data shows that some winters in the early and mid-20th century recorded higher full-season totals, very few winters have ever accumulated this much snow so early in the season.
The winter of 2008-09, which previously held the end-of-January snowfall record, was long remembered for its persistence and frequent storms. This winter has now exceeded that benchmark, with February and March still ahead.
Weather records also show that heavy snowfall years in Waterloo Region are often defined not by a single storm, but by sustained cold that prevents melting between systems. January 2026 fit that pattern closely, with prolonged sub-zero temperatures allowing snow to accumulate steadily week after week.
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As winter continues, weather watchers will be tracking whether the season pushes even closer to the highest full-season snowfall totals on record. Regardless of what February and March bring, January has already secured its place as one of the most extreme winter months the region has experienced in decades.
