State Climatologist Harry Hillaker say the first month of the new year got of to a warm start before plunging into a cold spell that continues with the start of February. Hillaker says January was about three-and-a-half degrees above normal. He says things got off to an above normal start that allowed the numbers to average out to above normal despite the cold weather later.
Hillaker says the coldest temperature in January was 25 degrees below zero on the 16th in Spencer. The warmest temperature was 57 in Leon on January 4th. Hillaker says the cold weather later in the month kept furnaces running. Hillaker says the heating requirement was about 34-percent greater than last January — which tied the record for warmest January on record.
January also saw more snow after a record low for snowfall in December. Hillaker says it was the snowiest month since December of 2005. The statewide average was about 10-and-a-half inches, which is two inches more than normal for January. Hillaker says most of the snow came in two storms, one at mid-month and another one week later. Hillaker says the current cold trend isn’t expected to warm anytime soon.