Month: January 2026

The snow isn’t over yet. A major lake effect storm warning on New Year’s Day is predicting up to 36 inches of snow and hazardous conditions for some areas of the U.S. According to the Weather Channel, the lake effect “snow machine” is still causing perilous conditions throughout the Great Lakes.

New York State is facing especially dangerous predictions. In Oneida County, NY, “heavy lake effect snow” could dump as much as 20 inches in the county,” the National Weather Service wrote. “Lake effect snow bands will move back and forth across the area, with uncertainty in snowfall totals. There will likely be a wide range in amounts with a sharp cutoff in snow totals.”

The National Weather Service Says Some Areas of the U.S. May See ‘Localized Amounts of 3 Feet’ of Snow

The National Weather Service office in Buffalo warned of the lake effect snow on January 1. “Heavy lake effect snow. Additional snow accumulations 1 to 2 feet, with localized amounts of 3 feet possible,” NWS announced adding that the snow could persist through the morning of January 3, 2026.

“Wayne and Northern Cayuga Counties. The greatest accumulations will focus in a small area of extreme northeast Wayne and far northern Cayuga counties. The remainder of those counties will see far less snowfall,” NWS wrote. “Travel will be very difficult to impossible in the heaviest bands of snow with near zero visibility and deep snow cover on roads.”

Added the NWS: “During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.”

Snowfalls Near Lake Erie & Lake Ontario Could Reach 5 Inches Per Hour, Reports Say

❄️ Current conditions on the Thruway south of Buffalo as a lake effect snow band is moving north causing a slow ride and near whiteout conditions at times. If you are traveling this afternoon, check the forecast and adjust speed to the conditions. Be safe. pic.twitter.com/enFGFGvrKU

— New York State Thruway Authority (@NYSThruway) December 31, 2025

New Year’s Day celebrations “may be in need of snow shovels in the Great Lakes for the first day of 2026 thanks to ongoing lake-effect snow bands throughout parts of the region,” the Weather Channel warned.

“Feet of snowfall could be picked up in the snowbelts over the next few days, especially in upstate New York near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario,” the Weather Channel added. “Snowfall rates could even reach 3-5 inches per hour. Strong wind can create whiteout conditions even if there isn’t any snow actively falling, so anyone hitting the roads should be extra cautious and allow for extra travel time.”

According to Fox Weather,the Great Lakes region has already been whalloped by heavy snowfall. Upstate New York in particular has been hit with a series of heavy snowfalls. Even before the recent prediction, Syracuse, NY “has already nearly doubled its average snowfall record for the year,” reported Fox.

On December 31, the New York State Thruway Authority warned, “Current conditions on the Thruway south of Buffalo as a lake effect snow band is moving north causing a slow ride and near whiteout conditions at times. If you are traveling this afternoon, check the forecast and adjust speed to the conditions. Be safe.”

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Dollywood is music legend Dolly Parton’s popular theme park in Pigeon Forge, TN. The theme park’s president wants it to eventually be open year-round but cold weather is intervening.

“Spanning 160 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood theme park offers more than 50 world-class rides, high-energy entertainment, award-winning dining and the friendliest theme park atmosphere in the world!” the park trumpets on its website.

According to Knox News, Dollywood is in its “landmark” 40th season. The newspaper noted that Dollywood President Eugene Naughton has a “long-term goal” of having Dollywood open year-round, but the park is headed instead into its offseason. The theme park will close on January 4, 2026, for the winter, according to Knox News.

Dollywood Closes 22 Rides Due to the Cold Weather, Its Website Says

The beloved theme park closes completely in the winter because the cold weather can negatively affect some of the rides, Knox News reported. In addition to the seasonal closure, 22 Dollywood rides shut down depending on an individual day’s temperature.

Dollywood lists the temperature at which each ride closes. “We value your safety at Dollywood. In the event of occasional inclement weather we adhere to the following guidelines listed below. During these times we invite you to visit indoor attractions, shops or restaurants until weather passes,” the theme park wrote.

In addition, some rides close during lightning, precipitation, and high winds.

The park listed these temperatures for ride closures:

“One of Dolly Parton’s greatest dreams—the little theme park named Dollywood that opened in her home county in 1986—has now become one of the world’s leading family destinations and is set to celebrate its 40th season in 2025,” a Dollywood press release says. “Dollywood Parks & Resorts looks a lot different than it did when it opened on May 3, 1986, but the mission at its heart remains the same—to create a welcoming environment where families can enjoy making memories together.”

“I can’t believe that we’ve been making memories for folks here at my Dollywood for 40 years,” Parton said in the release. “That’s a lot of laughter, hugs and smiles, and I’m glad that we’ve been able to be part of it for so many years. When we opened Dollywood, the main thing I wanted to do was to give families a fun place where they could enjoy time spent together. I’m so proud of all the people who have worked to make Dollywood what it is today, and I want to thank all the guests who have supported us and trusted us to help them create those days they’ll never forget.”

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Are NFL legend Tom Brady and podcaster Alix Earle Dating? That’s what fans are wondering after a video emerged showing them getting close on St. Barth’s.

“Tom Brady may have rung in the new year with a new catch … the G.O.A.T. was seen getting real cozy with influencer Alix Earle!” TMZ wrote, sharing a video of Brady and Earle together. It shows them at a nightclub. At one point in the video, Earle rubbed Brady’s back as she leaned in close to whisper in his ear as music blared.

Fans Responded With Jokes & Questions

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tom Brady may have rung in the new year with a new catch … the G.O.A.T. was seen getting real cozy with influencer Alix Earle! pic.twitter.com/aJ9xPHePeP

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 1, 2026

TMZ also published a second video showing the pair on the dance floor. According to Page Six, Brady and Earle also spent time together at a yacht party.

Fans responded in different ways on X, with some making jokes, others praising Brady, and some raising questions about the age gap between the NFL broadcaster and Earle.

Brady is 48 years old and divorced with kids; Earle is 25 years old.

“Still throwing touchdowns even in retirement,” wrote one. “He was a senior in college when she was born,” another person wrote. “She is still older than Jordon Hudson,” joked another observer, referring to Coach Bill Belichick’s girlfriend. “She going for the big fish now,” wrote another person.

Alix Earle Recently Split With Another NFL Player Because They Weren’t Seeing Each Other Much

Earle’s last boyfriend was also an NFL player: Braxton Berrios. In December, the social media influencer and former Dancing With the Stars contestant explained the breakup in an Instagram video.

“It’s just been really hard to process in general, and I think why I’ve been scared to say something is because I feel like it just makes it more real,” Earle said. “Braxton and I are no longer together. We have been doing long distance since basically June and we haven’t gotten to see each other that often.”

She revealed that she came to like Los Angeles while there for DWTS, noting that she “really liked it and I thought maybe I wanted to stay there.”

She added: “I think that was a scary thing for me to realize because it meant us not being in the same place. A part of me just also really wants to be focusing on myself right now and I just feel like I can’t be what Braxton needs. I want him to have someone with him 24/7 who can support him and be there for him — and he wasn’t really expecting that of me, I think it was more a me thing — but I constantly felt guilty.”

Earle said they were on “two different paths.”

She said that she was questioning her feelings a lot and wasn’t sure if they made sense, calling that “scary.”

According to TMZ, Brady was most recently linked to model Irina Shayk in “an on-again, off-again relationship,” and his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen recently married Joaquim Valente, the father of her new baby. Brady was also linked to Brooks Nader, according to People.

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