January looks to be about average temperature wise despite late cold

While the temperature is struggling to get about zero today in Iowa, this January hasn’t been much colder than normal overall. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the snowfall is about the only thing that’s been unusual in this first month of “aught-four.” He says Iowa’s running about one to two degrees above normal, but should be right at normal when today and tomorrow are factored in. He says the snowfall is a little above normal, and will give us the snowiest month since December 2000. Hillaker’s been tracking temperatures for the month.He says the normal temperature is 17-point-eight degrees, and we’re about one-point-eight degrees above that, but he says, again, that today and tomorrow will likely bring the average temperature down a bit. If it seems like this winter has been colder, Hillaker says the two previous winters might be the reason. He says two years ago was much warmer than normal, and last year was slightly above normal. He says you have to go back three years to find a good, old-fashioned snowy winter, but he says the last few days have probably been the coldest string we’ve seen in the last few years. Hillaker says human nature makes the extremes of mother nature feel colder, or warmer than what it really is.He says people get used to whatever type of weather we’re having, so if it has been mild, the cold weather seems to feel worse. A good example is last week’s 50-degree days and then most of the state won’t get above zero today. The good news is Hillaker says January is most often the coldest month in Iowa.