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Seismic Activity: Earthquake Reported in Wyoming
Episode 9223rd January 2026 • EM Morning Brief • Brian Colburn
00:00:00 00:03:49

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The primary focus of today's discourse centers upon the perilous and severe cold conditions that are currently afflicting substantial portions of the Midwest and Northern Plains, with warnings issued by the National Weather Service indicating wind chills plummeting to a staggering -25 to -45 degrees Fahrenheit. As we delve into the implications of this arctic front, we will explore the expansion of winter weather alerts extending from eastern North Carolina to Texas, where the potential for hazardous icing and treacherous road conditions manifests imminently. Furthermore, we shall address the recent seismic activity in Wyoming, specifically a magnitude 4.7 earthquake, which has elicited minimal damage reports thus far. Additionally, we will highlight FEMA's initiation of a 90-day appeal window for updated flood maps in Central Lane County, Oregon, emphasizing the importance of community preparedness in the face of these extreme weather phenomena. Join us as we navigate through these critical updates, ensuring that we remain informed and vigilant during this tumultuous winter period.

Takeaways:

  1. The National Weather Service has issued extreme cold warnings affecting areas such as Chicago and North Dakota.
  2. A substantial arctic front is anticipated to bring significant winter weather across multiple states this weekend.
  3. FEMA has initiated a 90-day appeal process for updated flood maps in Central Lane County, Oregon, necessitating property owner awareness.
  4. North Dakota continues to experience life-threatening wind chills due to extreme cold warnings in effect this morning.
  5. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake was reported south of Evanston, Wyoming, with no significant damage reported thus far.
  6. Residents in eastern North Carolina are under a winter storm watch, with significant ice and power outages possible.

Sources

[NWS Austin/San Antonio | https://www.weather.gov/ewx/]

[NWS EWX Warning Text | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=EWX&wwa=extreme+cold+warning]

[NWS Houston/Galveston Briefing | https://www.weather.gov/media/hgx/Winter/webinar3_januarywinterstorm.pdf]

[NWS Buffalo | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=winter+storm+watch]

[NWS Chicago | https://www.weather.gov/lot/]

[NWS Chicago DSS Packet (Jan 23) | https://www.weather.gov/media/lot/DssPacket.pdf]

[NWS Newport/Morehead City | https://www.weather.gov/mhx/]

[NWS MHX Winter Storm Watch Text | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=winter+storm+watch]

[NWS MHX Briefing (Jan 23) | https://www.weather.gov/media/mhx/LatestBriefing.pdf]

[NWS Bismarck — Extreme Cold Warning | https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=Extreme+Cold+Warning]

[NWS Norman | https://www.weather.gov/oun/]

[Oklahoma DOT prep advisory | https://oklahoma.gov/odot/about-us/newsroom/2026/odot-crews-prepare-statewide-ahead-of-forecasted-winter-storm.html]

[OK LPG Emergency HOS Extension (Jan 21) | https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/lpgas/documents/2026-01-21-Declaration-LPG-Delivery-Drivers.pdf]

[FEMA Press Release | https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260122/fema-updates-flood-maps-central-lane-county-oregon]

[How to Challenge a Flood Zone | https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/change-your-flood-zone]

[USGS Event Page — M4.7 S of Evanston | https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/uu80127891]

[CISA — Known Exploited Vulnerabilities | https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog]

Transcripts

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,:

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The National Weather Service holds extreme cold warnings in places like Chicago and North Dakota with wind chills as low as -25 degrees to -45 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Winter weather also trends south and east.

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Watches and warnings expand from eastern North Carolina into Texas where an arctic front brings a risk of icing and slick roads Saturday into Sunday.

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Overnight USGS reports a magnitude 4.7 earthquake south of Evanston, Wyoming.

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No damage reports so far but light shaking is felt in the region.

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FEMA meanwhile opens a 90 day appeal window today for updated flood maps in Central Lane County, Oregon and per DHS cisa, four known exploited vulnerabilities were added yesterday.

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Lets run through the states Texas South Central Texas moves into a winter storm warning from Saturday morning through Sunday with an arctic front late tonight bringing freezing rain and sleet that could glaze roads and bridges.

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Extreme cold warnings advisories are posted in parts of the state.

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Coastal SE Texas is also briefing residents on hard freeze precautions heading into the weekend.

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New York Western and upstate New York remain under winter headlines.

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A winter storm warning continues today for Oswego, Jefferson and Lewis counties with a winter storm watch expanding late Saturday night through Monday for multiple counties including the Buffalo Metro as another system approaches.

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Illinois Chicago and much of northern central Illinois start the day under an extreme cold warning, transitioning to a cold weather advisory by noon that runs into Saturday morning.

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Wind chills of -20 degrees to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Accumulating snow late Saturday into Sunday will likely create slick travel.

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North Carolina Eastern North Carolina is under a winter storm watch from Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

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The NWS highlights potential for significant ice in parts of the watch area with power outages and tree damage possible.

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North Dakota Extreme cold warnings continue this morning across portions of the state with life threatening wind chills.

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Oklahoma A high impact winter storm arrives today into the weekend with Snow north of I40 and a wintry mix.

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South icing could create hazardous travel Friday night through Saturday.

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ODOT crews are pre treating and urging motorists to carry winter kits if travel is unavoidable.

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Separately, the state extended emergency hours of service for propane deliveries through at least January 27th to support heating needs during the cold spell.

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th,:

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Property owners in Creswell, Cottage Grove, Eugene and nearby areas should review their preliminary zones, understand insurance implications and file appeals or comments if warranted.

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Wyoming USGS confirms a magnitude 4.7 earthquake about 40 km south of Evanston on Thursday with light shaking reported.

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No damage or aftershock concerns from officials at this time.

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DHS CISA added four known exploited vulnerabilities to its kev catalog on January 22.

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Public sector and critical infrastructure admins should validate exposure and apply mitigations per kev.

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All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.

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That's the brief for Friday, January 23rd.

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Source links are in the show notes below.

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Stay safe.

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