2026 opened with waves of cold and frost which involved all of Europe, also leading to the closure of several airports. In Norway, -42 °C was reached, in Sweden -40 °C, while in Finland the thermometer reached -39 °C. Even Western Europe was not spared from these temperatures, with the Germany that touched the −20 °C.
The cause of this Freddo is to be attributed to some currents of freezing air of an arctic naturewhich could also partly reach the Peninsula: at the moment, however, it is difficult to say with certainty whether there‘Italy will be affected by one cold wave.
Predictions are difficult due to the complexity of the situation on a synoptic scale: what is certain, for now, is the arrival of bad weather with a decrease in temperatures on the Peninsula.
Why the cold weather has arrived in Italy: the dynamics
As reported by meteorologists of 3Bweatherat this moment of icy air currents coming from the Arctic are affecting the Euro-Asian sector, also leading to several snowfalls.
Snow, among other things, helps maintain low temperatures: this is because the ground covered with snow cools more quickly during the night, favoring frosts and creating a sort of “reservoir” of cold air that can resist over time.
According to what experts report, the models forecasts suggest that the cold could continue until the final part of January: however, by the end of the month the anticyclone will strengthen between Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
This might have two main consequences: the anticyclone could block – or at least slow down – the passage of Atlantic disturbances arriving from the west, ending up pushing them towards more southern latitudes and, therefore, on Mediterranean. At the same time, the anticyclone could push progressively the cold air from east to west, moving it from eastern Europe towards central and western Europe.
In short, the situation is characterized by instabilitydue to the collision between different air masses.
The forecast for the next few days
But, therefore, what will be the consequences of this cold in the short term? As anticipated, making certain predictions in this situation is difficult, due to the complexity of the situation on a synoptic scale. In short, it is not certain that a new cold wave will arrive in Italy.
According to the forecasts of the Italian Meteo Center, conditions during the weekend weather conditions will however tend towards a general worsening, with rain that will affect much of the Peninsula and snow above 1000 meters in the Alps. Temperatures, however, will tend to drop only in the North, especially on Sunday 18 January.
As anticipated by the forecast models, next week Italy will be involved in two distinct circulations: while the Mediterranean will be involved in a disturbance Atlantic – with the bad weather that it will be concentrated mainly in the central-south, leading to intense rainfall especially in the Islands And snowfall even at low altitude -, cold air due to arctic currents could make an impact on the eastern side of the country.
