Winter Storm's Impact on US Bitcoin Mining Revealed Through Production Metrics
Fresh analysis from CryptoQuant demonstrates the extent to which Bitcoin mining operations were affected by January's severe winter weather, with miners reducing electricity consumption during power grid strain.
Fresh analytical data is shedding light on the degree to which Bitcoin mining activities across the United States were impacted by the severe winter weather event in January, with figures revealing a significant decline in daily output among publicly listed mining companies throughout the period of disruption.
As the severe weather system moved through substantial portions of the US mainland, mining enterprises reduced their operations in response to electrical grid pressure, hazardous snow and ice conditions, and exceptionally frigid temperatures, underscoring the increasingly interconnected relationship between cryptocurrency mining activities and broader energy sector dynamics.
In the weeks preceding the weather event, publicly listed mining companies monitored by CryptoQuant consistently produced an average daily output ranging from 70 to 90 Bitcoin (BTC), but this figure plummeted to approximately 30 to 40 BTC daily during the peak intensity of the weather-related disruption, based on information provided by Julio Moreno, CryptoQuant head of research.
Output levels subsequently demonstrated partial recovery from their lowest points as meteorological conditions began to stabilize, indicating that the reduction in production was primarily attributable to temporary and predominantly voluntary operational curtailments.
Earlier Cointelegraph coverage explored how the weather event aligned with a decrease in United States Bitcoin hashrate alongside an increase in mining company stock valuations. The most recent production figures provide additional granular detail regarding the scope of the operational interruption.
The mining operations monitored by CryptoQuant encompass Core Scientific (CORZ), Bitfarms (BITF), CleanSpark (CLSK), MARA Holdings (MARA), Iris Energy (IREN) and Canaan (CAN), which also operates a self-mining business.
Among them, miners with major US operations include Core Scientific, CleanSpark, Marathon, Riot Platforms, TeraWulf and Cipher Mining.
A more challenging environment for miners
The disruption caused by the winter weather event arrives at a time when Bitcoin mining enterprises are already contending with a challenging operational landscape, demonstrating how unexpected external disruptions can exacerbate pre-existing pressures facing the industry.
Although mining operations have historically been acknowledged for their capacity to contribute to electrical grid stability through load balancing mechanisms and demand response capabilities, wider economic forces and market dynamics have placed considerable strain on profitability metrics. Weakening Bitcoin valuations and network hashrate, coupled with consistently increasing operational expenditures throughout 2025, have compressed profit margins industry-wide.
Last year, industry publication The Miner Mag described the situation as the "harshest margin environment of all time," citing elevated energy costs, capital constraints and post-halving revenue compression.
Cointelegraph previously reported that these pressures are expected to intensify heading into 2026, as miners grapple with thinner margins, consolidation and a growing shift toward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing as alternative revenue streams.