January was quite the unusually warm month. Over half the days featured above average high temperatures. Most of those days were at least 50 degrees and above.
Comparing this January to last January, we doubled the amount of above average days this year, and last January had many more days with highs in the 30s and below.
While the month was extremely warm, it did have a few below average days mixed in. January 3-4 was our first arctic invasion. It didn't last long. The next noticeably cooler period came January 13-15 with temperatures in the upper 30s/lower 40s. Clouds and rain left January 22nd cooler than average with a high of only 37 degrees.
20 out of 31 days featured above average high temperatures
17 days had highs 50 degrees and above (compared to 6 last year)
6 days had highs above 60 degrees (Last January had 1 day above 60)
3 days had highs in the 30s or lower (compared to 11 last year)
JANUARY 2012 PRECIPITATION
ROANOKE
Monthly Rain: 1.69
Departure: -1.23
LYNCHBURG
Monthly Rain: 2.22"
Departure: -0.92
DANVILLE
Monthly Rain: 1.99"
Departure: -1.43"
BLACKSBURG
Monthly Rain: 2.09"
Departure: -.99"
JANUARY 2012 SNOWFALL
As you might suspect, the January snowfall numbers look pitiful. This is due in part to a very strong La Nina, among other things.
ROANOKE: 0.4"
LYNCHBURG: Trace
DANVILLE: 0"
BLACKSBURG: 1.7"
Typically, by this point the "average" snow should be around 7" for Roanoke/Lynchburg, 11" for Blacksburg and a 1-2" for Danville.
Again, this is "average" which means you take the odd years with heavy snow, and mix them in with the years with hardly any snow (this year qualifies), and you take the average.
The averages account for the last 30 years worth of snow data.
