Finally some colder temperatures, but still not much snow

By Russell Russ

Here are the weather highlights from January as recorded at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2 SW, by the Great Mountain Forest Corporation.  Norfolk 2 SW has recorded weather observations since January 1, 1932.

The month’s high temperature of 62 degrees was recorded on January 6.  This was a record warm temperature for that date, beating the old record of 54 degrees set in 1993.  A high temperature of 56 degrees on January 5 was also a record warm temperature for that date, beating a record 54 degrees set in 1993.  The low temperature of 5 degrees below zero was recorded on January 26.  Cold for this winter, but really fairly typical for a Norfolk January.  A much warmer than normal first half of the month was followed by a normal to just below normal second half.  The average temperature was 26.4 degrees which was 6.1 degrees above normal, but not record setting.  Cold temperatures and high winds in the latter half of the month gave rise to numerous days recording wind chill values in the range of 10 to 30 degrees below zero.  On January 17, both Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake finally froze over for the season.  On January 26, Tobey Pond’s ice depth was almost 7 inches.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 3 inches, which was 1.01 inches below normal.  The month’s 4.1 inches of total snowfall was 17.6 inches below normal.  This was the second least amount of snowfall for a January in our 75 years of recording.  January 1980 recorded the least snowfall with 2.6 inches.  Had we not received 2.3 inches of snow on January 30, January would claim that least snow amount record.

Our winter (October through April) snowfall total so far is only 5.6 inches.  Comparing this season to date to the last 75 years, we are now 42.6 inches below a normal snowfall total.  We are most likely pushing another record, but let’s get through February and March first.  In the past, those two months have dumped some serious snow on Norfolk.