Annandale - Lowell reports:"
January was the coldest January since 1994 and was a little below average
in precipitation. The lowest temperature was 7° on the 18th that was the
lowest minimum temperature to occur since 1-19-1997 when 6° was recorded.
January's mean monthly temperature averaged - 5.1° colder than the average
January but no new record lows were set for the date. January had 27 days
with the temperature at or below freezing that is the most since 1996 which
also had 27 days.
The daily temperature range of 13.3° was the lowest since 1980 that
was 13.1°. The maximum daily temperature range was 24° on the 13th
that was the lowest daily temperature range since 22° occurred in 1980.
The January rainfall had a -0.35" departure although there were 12 days
with precipitation the most since 1998. The new-year started out with a
bang as we observed lightning and thunder heard about 1620. The 1.69"
of rain was the second greatest daily rainfall amount for any day of
the month. The record is 2.25" on January 11, 1991. I never remember
having heard thunder on New Year's Day before. The total snowfall for
January was 7.5" and was two inches less than the 23-year average
which is 9.5". There were eleven days with snow or flurries and
8 days with measurable snow but all were minor except the 4.2"
snow on the 5th. The 8 days with measurable snow is the most since
the record of 9 days was set in 1985.
The January average mean temperature was 29.15° with a
departure of -5.1° and was 12° colder than last January
that was +7.0 above the mean and had the greatest
positive temperature departure for any month in 2002.
January 23rd was an unusually cold disagreeable
day. The maximum temperature was 19°, a new 22
year LOW maximum temperature record for the date;
the old record was 31° in 2000. The maximum was 12°
lower than the record for the date a very rare
event. This was not just a record for the date as
it was the coldest for any day since January 18,
1997 or the coldest day in six years. Today had
the lowest wind chill (new Scale) for the winter
of -5.6° at 2021. Today also had the lowest dew
point for the winter of negative 10.8° at 1247
and snow squalls brought 0.2" of snow between
2135 and 2340. The wind run was 208 that was t
he highest wind run of the winter and the
heating degree days were 50 also a daily record
for the winter so far.
The maximum gust of 33 mph from the west
on the 23rd at 2021 was the strongest
wind gust recorded this month.
The minimum barometer reading of
29.16 inches on the 9th was the lowest
recorded since 3-19-1996 when 29.09
inches was recorded.
Note there were very few daily records set!
January DAILY Records Tied or Broken- (23-Years of records):
January had 2 daily LOW maximum 23-year temps. record/s for the date, 23,27;
January had 3 daily LOW range 23-year temps. record/s for the date, 29, 30, 31;
January had 1 daily HIGH 23-year precip. record/s for the date, 1."
You can view Lowell's Annandale Year 2002 summary at our website.
Simply click here.
- [ - - ]
Arlington - NWS WBC reports:"
...RECORDS...
ON THE 1ST...1.52" OF RAIN FELL. THIS BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD
OF 1.40" WHICH WAS SET IN 1948.
...SUMMARY...
THE YEAR STARTED WITH A BANG AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVED
NORTHEAST OVER THE REGION ON NEW YEAR'S DAY. THE LOW HAD PLENTY OF
MOISTURE FROM THE ATLANTIC AND GULF OF MEXICO...AND THAT MOISTURE
OVERRIDING RELATIVELY WARM AIR OVER THE AREA PRODUCED A RECORD
RAINFALL FOR THE DAY. THERE WERE EVEN SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS
DUE TO A STRONG LOW COMBINED WITH WARM TEMPERATURES. OTHER THAN A
THREE DAY WARM SPELL FROM THE 8TH TO THE 10TH...THE FIRST WAS THE
ONLY OTHER DAY THAT ROSE ABOVE 50 DEGREES ALL MONTH.
THE 8TH THROUGH THE 10TH WAS THE ONLY MULTI-DAY WARM SPELL OF THE
MONTH. THOSE THREE DAYS AVERAGED ALMOST 11° ABOVE
AVERAGE. THE NINTH WAS THE WARMEST DAY OF THE MONTH...AND OF THE
WINTER SO FAR. IT REACHED 62° DURING THE AFTERNOON.
AS FOR SNOW...THE 5TH PRODUCED OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE MONTH. THAT
WAS DRIVEN BY A MUCH STRONGER THAN NORMAL ALBERTA CLIPPER ROLLING
OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. THE CLIPPER BROUGHT THREE INCHES OF SNOW
DURING THE DAY OF THE 5TH.
OTHERWISE...JANUARY WAS DOMINATED BY COLD AND DRY NORTHWEST FLOW IN
THE ATMOSPHERE. SEVEN DAYS OF THE MONTH DID NOT MAKE IT ABOVE
FREEZING. OUR COLDEST DAY WAS A BLUSTERY COLD DAY ON THE 23RD. AFTER
SOME SNOW FLURRIES IN THE EARLY MORNING...COLD NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15
TO 30 MILES AN HOUR KEPT TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS MOST OF THE DAY
AND WIND CHILLS BELOW ZERO. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE MADE IT ONLY TO 22°.
MANY DAYS WERE BLUSTERY AND COLD WITH SNOW FLURRIES FROM TIME TO
TIME. PRECIPITATION AS A WHOLE WAS BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTH BY
NEARLY AN INCH. SNOWFALL WAS ALSO A BIT BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE MONTH.
ALTHOUGH NOT ONE OF THE COLDEST EVER...IT WAS COLDER THAN AVERAGE.
MAKING IT FEEL MUCH COLDER WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS MUCH COLDER THAN
ANY RECENT JANUARY. IN FACT...IT WAS OUR COLDEST JANUARY SINCE THE
BRUTAL JANUARY OF 1994 NINE YEARS AGO. SINCE THAT FRIGID MONTH...
EVERY JANUARY EXCEPT ONE HAS EITHER BEEN WARMER OR MUCH WARMER THAN
NORMAL. SO A RELATIVELY COLD MONTH FELT EVEN COLDER."
Rainfall for the month was 0.80" below normal while
average temps were 3.8° below normal. The average
wind speed was 10.5 mph.
[ - - ]
Ashburn - Gary Oldham checks in:
"
January set a couple of records at my station. The low barometric
pressure for the month (29.164") is a record low. January also had a
record number of heating degree days - 1059.1 using the integration method,
or 1120.7 using the high/low method. January was also the second month in a
row with no cooling degree days. We also saw a record low dew point of -12°.
The 4.7° low on the 18th was only 0.02° above the all time record low set
in December 2002. Temperatures were a full 2.5° below normal, and
precipitation was only .35" below normal. Humidity averaged 34.3% and the
average dew point was 15°. The 2.05" of rain received on New Year's Day
(along with rare January thunder!) was the highest single day rainfall
since September 24th, 2001, when 3.06" of rain fell. Precipitation for
the rest of the month didn't quite live up to the promise of the 1st,
but was well spaced throughout the month. The 11 days of at least trace
snowfall was certainly the most since I have been recording this data.
" [ - - ]
Blacksburg - NWS Blacksburg reports the monthly mean temp
was 2.5° below normal while rainfall was 1.18" below normal. [ - - ]
Bridgewater - "
The average temperature was 1.6° below normal, and the
precipitation was .74" below normal.The snowfall was much below normal.
The first three days gave us 1.61" of precipitation. For the
last twenty-eight days, only .25" fell. We could use a lot more
precipitation, either rain or snow.
No big snows occurred during the month. There were seven days in
which snow fell, with an average for this period of .4" per snow. I
call these snows mini-snows.
January was a very windy month. In some areas, wind caused some damage.
Weather-wise, January was quite boring! I enjoy the active winter
weather. Maybe things will get going in February."
- notes from Clayton [ - - ]
Centreville -
"
Yes Virginia, there really is a winter! Some of the best news to help keep
a smile on Frosty's face was the 5° recorded as our lowest temperature for
the month of January on the 18th. That was nearly 17° below our 22°
historical average monthly low, and I'm sure that it played a major role in
setting our recorded average daily temperature of 29.5° a full two degrees
below normal. 62° for a high for the month on the ninth was just one of
among eight days that had recorded highs of 40° or more in January.
A mid-winter steam bath such as that did little to bring our recorded
average daily high of 36.6° more in line with the 41.8° that we normally
set our battery powered mukluks for. On the other hand, our nighttime
temperatures averaged 3.3° above the 19.1° normal, so the night shift gets
the trophy once again. Almost half of out nightly lows were at or below
the 22.4° recorded average low, but it was the temperatures of the
remaining nights that skewed the average toward the warm side again.
Melted snow and routine rain events counted for 3.47" of watery stuff for
the month putting us on the plus side to start the new year by 0.22"
over our 3.25" normal. From rain alone, 2.94" fell, and a sobering 2.17"
accumulated on January 1st contributing 63% to our final monthly value.
A snowstorm of moderate portions developed on January 5th and managed to
settle 4.1" on the snowboards. Seven dwarf snow events throughout the
month brought us another 3" and increased our snowfall total for the
winter season to 13.9"; almost two inches above normal for this time of
the year. Finally, a more "normal" winter than in recent years past!!!
" - notes from Paul [ - + ]
Charlottesville - The monthly average temperature was 4.5° below
normal while rainfall was 1.18" below normal. The average wind speed
was 5.7 mph. [ - - ]
Dulles - The mean temp was 3.3° below normal. The monthly
rainfall was 0.36" below normal. Average wind speed, 7.9 mph. - from NWS WBC
[ - - ]
Falls Church - "
January 2003 was a colder than average month with slightly below rain and
snowfall. A strong cold front that came through on the 24th brought a wind
gust of 40mph and temperatures plummeted.
" - notes from Erica
[ - - ]
Hampton - Report from Dave: "
ONE OF THE COLDER JANUARYS SINCE 1996 AND 1994 AND THE COLDEST EXTENDED
PERIOD SINCE 1977. SEVERAL SNOW EVENTS THAT PRODUCED ONLY 1 INCH,
HOWEVER A SYSTEM DID PRODUCE A 5 INCH EVENT ON 16-17. A 1 INCH FALL ON THE
15 CAUSED SEVERE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS WITH ICE COVERED ROADS.
" - [ - M ]
Harrisonburg - Terry sends these remarks:
"Temperatures for January averaged 1.0 degrees below normal. Total
precipitation for the month was 1.14" which was 1.10" below normal.
" [ - - ]
Herndon Bob notes: "
My precip was close to "normal;"
Average max temp was 6.6° below the Dulles "normal"; the
average min was 5.2° below. Dulles is about 4 miles WSW.
"
[ - +/- ]
Herndon -
"
The monthly temperature was 3.4° below
average, rainfall was 0.78" above average, snowfall was 2.6" below average.
We had measurable snow on the 5th (3.5"), 6th (.2"), 16th (1.4"), 21st (.25"),
23rd (.1"), and 26th (.1"). Sleet fell on the 29th, for a short period.
Freezing rain fell on the 31st and fog later added to the hazardous
conditions.
" - report from Russ [ - + ]
Lynchburg -
Rainfall for the month was 2.01" below normal while
the mean temp was 2.4° below normal. - from NWS Blacksburg
[ - - ]
Newport News - Gary reports: "8 days with at least a trace of snowfall-
storm on the 16th and 17th left a total of 5"- an overall cold month... brrrrrr."
Norfolk - NWS AKQ reported the mean temp at ORF was 3.9° below normal.
Rainfall was 1.59" below normal. The average wind speed was 9.4 mph. Sky cover
was 50%. [ - - ]
Norfolk - The Fred Heutte Center, in Historic Ghent, noted a mean barometer reading
of 30.033". The mean relative humidity was 58%. The average wind speed was
5.0 mph from a dominant NW direction.
Portsmouth - In January, we experienced some of the coldest weather
known for the month in quite some time. The month was tied for the
5th coldest on record with database to July 1976. Temps
averaged below normal (-3.5°)
and rainfall (including snow melt) was 1.31" below normal.
Quite a few station records set this month including:
1st - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM 55° [PREVIOUSLY 53° IN 1979];
2nd - TEMPARATURE - MAXIMUM 67° [PREVIOUSLY 66° IN 1998];
2nd - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM 50° [PREVIOUSLY 48° IN 1998];
23rd - TEMPERATURE - MINIMUM 15° [PREVIOUSLY 16° IN 1985];
23rd - SNOWFALL - 2.0" [PREVIOUSLY 0.6" IN 2000];
24th - TEMPERATURE - MINIMUM 15° [PREVIOUSLY 17° IN 1987];
25th - TEMPERATURE - MINIMUM 19° [PREVIOUSLY 21° IN 1982];
29th - PRECIPITATION - TIED 0.22" [PREVIOUSLY IN 1990];
30th - PRECIPITATION - 1.27" [PREVIOUSLY 1.19" IN 2000].
We saw an unusually high number of days with snow of some sort (9) and noted
freezing temps on 20 days with two days of temps in the teens, a rarity so close
to the ocean and considering they were accompanied by snow, albeit light.
Just as in December, we saw yet another quite low barometric reading with
29.373" on the 9th.
Sky cover for the month was 43%.
The average wind speed was 4.7 mph from a dominant 250° direction.
[ - - ]
Richmond - NWS AKQ reported the mean temp at RIC was 2.7° below normal.
Rainfall was 1.37" below normal. The average sky cover was 60% while the average relative humidity was 68%.
The average wind speed was 8.4 mph. [ - - ]
Mechanicsville - Glenn notes: "
Periods of snow and sleet on the 17th and the 21st.
"
New Market = "
2002 in Review: The annual rainfall was 38.38" which was 3" above normal while
the annual mean temp was 55.3°.
January to December snowfall totaled 15". The temp ranged from 5° below zero
to 99° on the 2, 3, and 23 of August.
" - notes from Joyce
Roanoke - Wendell notes: "
Slightly colder amd drier than normal. Rainfall was 0.93" below normal.
Snowfall was 1/10th inch below normal. Average temps were 0.5° below normal.
- [ - - ]
Roanoke - NWS Blacksburg reports that the monthly mean temp was
2.7° below normal. Rainfall was 1.78" below normal. [ - - ]
Woodstock -
"
January was the second coldest in 17 years and the third
coldest month I have recorded in that period. Quite a change from the
mild winters we have been having recently. The month was a little
below average for preccpitation (10th of 17), and almost all of it
fell on the first, second and third as rain. However periodic light
snows on the frozen ground locked up most of the water.
" - notes from Lauck [ - - ]
North Carolina:
Asheville - from NWS GSP: The monthly mean temp was 2.2° below
normal and the rainfall was 2.87" below normal. The average wind speed was
9.2 mph. Average relative humidity 67% while the average sky cover was 40%.
[ - - ]
Brevard - ACON Member-Emeritus Bob Keehn revisits us with the following:
"Dry conditions prevailed in January with the month being the 2nd driest
I have recorded. (4.39"). The driest in my records was 3.77" in 2000."
Charlotte - NWS GSP reports the mean temp here was 4.4° below normal
and precip was 2.04" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.4 mph.
Of particular interest was the snow to water ratio on the 23rd. Only 0.18" water
equivalent was measured from the 8.5" of snow! Keep in mind, blowing snow was
also reported. (Editor's note: But from where did it come!!??)
The average sky cover and relative humidity were 59% and 50% respectively.
[ - - ]
Elizabeth City - The Elizabeth City Coast Guard Station [ECG]
reported an average wind speed of 9.8 mph. The mean temp was 5.5° below normal
while rainfall was 1.74" below normal. The average relative humidity was 74% while
the average sky cover was 50%. - from NWS AKQ [ - - ]
Fayetteville - NWS RDU reports the average wind speed was 7.9 mph and
the average relative humidity was 61% while the average sky cover was 30%.
Cape Hatteras -
The average temperature was 43.0°. This was -3.3° cooler than the 1895-2003
average, the 25th coolest January on record (1895-2003).
2.56" of precipitation fell in January . This was -2.50" less than the
1895-2003 average, the 16th driest such month on record (1895-2003).
- from NCDC [ - - ]
Greensboro - NWS RDU notes a mean temp here of 1.3° below normal.
Rainfall was 1.19" below normal. The average wind speed was 8.1 mph.
The average relative humidity was 58%. The average sky cover was 50%.
- [ - - ]
Lumberton - The average wind speed was 7.6 mph. The average monthly
temperature 2.6° below normal while rainfall was a huge 3.35" below normal - from NWS ILM
[ - - ]
Raleigh - NWS RAH reported the monthly average temp was 3.0° below
normal while rainfall was 2.20" below normal. The average relative humidity
was 61% while the average sky cover was 40%.
- [ - - ]
Raleigh - Bob reports: "
January temperatures were 3.3° below normal; in fact this was the coldest
January since 1994. There were two snowfall events during the month,
including 1.5" on the 17th and 3.7" on January 23rd. Neither storm
caused a major impact, as did the ice storm in December.
"
- [ - M ]
Roxboro - Merriell writes: "
January was generally wintry with chilly winds and widely mixed precipitation.
Temperatures averaged 1° less than normal. Precipitation was more than two
inches below normal.
"
- [ - - ]
Wilmington - From NWS ILM:
The average temp was 4.9° below
normal while rainfall was a 2.83" below normal.
The average wind speed was 7.8 mph. Record low temperatures were
set on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. On the 23rd, the 17° reading surpassed
the 18° reading in 1985. On the 24th, the 16° surpassed the 1963 record
of 17°. And on the 25th, the previous record in 1963 of 17° was broken
by the 15° reading.
[ - - ]
South Carolina:
Charleston - NWS CHS reports the monthly mean temp was 3.2° below
normal. Rainfall was 3.04" below normal. The average wind speed was 8.8 mph.
- [ - - ]
Columbia - NWS CAE reports that the mean temp here was 2.5° below
normal. Rainfall was a 3.23" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.6 mph.
Average relative humidity was 58% while the average sky cover was
40%. [ - - ]
Florence - The mean temp here was 4.1° below normal
while rainfall totals were 3.39" below normal. The average wind speed was 8.0 mph.
Records set this month include a record low temperature tied on the 18th with
17°, previously recorded in 1959. On the 24th a new record low was set with
13°, surpassing the old record of 16° set in 1963. On the 25th, the record
low of 16° first set in 1963 was tied.
- from NWS ILM [ - - ]
Greenville-Spartanburg - The monthly mean temperature was 1.0°
below normal while rainfall was 2.50" below normal. The average wind speed
was 8.0 mph.
The average relative humidity was 62% and the average sky cover was 30%.
- from NWS GSP [ - - ]
North Myrtle Beach - The mean temp was 2.3° below normal while
rainfall was 2.73" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.0 mph.
Record low temperatures were set as follows: 23rd - 19° [old record 24° 1991];
24th - 16° [old record 26° 1991]; 25th - 15° [old record 26° 1995];
28th - 19° [old record 20° 2000].
- from NWS ILM [ - - ]
Orangeburg - NWS CAE reports the average wind speed was
7.5 mph.
Nearby Cities:
Tri-Cities -
The average monthly temperature at Tri-Cities was 30.6°, which was 3.6°
below normal. It tied with 1963 as the 10th coldest January on record at
Tri-Cities, but no daily records were broken. The coldest January at
Tri-Cities was back in 1977, when the average temperature was only 22.1°
Tri-Cities received 2.47" of precipitation during January, which was
1.05 inches below normal. It was the 20th driest January on record at
Tri-Cities. Measurable precipitation fell on 13 days of the month.
The heaviest precipitation was on the 29th, when 1.01 inches was recorded.
The driest January at Tri-Cities was back in 1940, when only 1.06 inches
fell. - from NWS MRX [ - - ]
