NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

JANUARY 2025

Dec. 29-Jan. 4: A series of cold fronts delivered incrementally colder air across the central and eastern U.S., setting the stage for a late-week storm system that ultimately resulted in a substantial, west-to-east band of snow and ice accumulations from the central Plains to the mid Atlantic.

Elsewhere, unfavorably dry weather persisted in the Southwest, with correspondingly abysmal mountain snowpack. With warmth lingering for much of the week in the Northeast, weekly temperatures broadly averaged at least 10 to 15°F above normal. Texas was also notably warm, with temperatures averaging as much as 10°F above normal in southern and western sections of the state. Warm weather extended to many parts of the western U.S., especially the southern Rockies and parts of the Great Basin and Intermountain West. In contrast, cold air first arrived across the northern Plains, helping to lower weekly temperatures to near- or below-normal levels. In fact, readings averaged more than 5°F below normal in parts of Montana and North Dakota. Early-week temperatures topped 90°F in parts of southern Texas, with Del Rio (91°F on December 30) tying a monthly record originally set on December 14, 2019. Readings above 70°F were observed throughout the South, from southern California to the southern Atlantic Coast. On December 29, Eastern daily-record highs soared to 71°F in Morgantown, WV; 65°F in Reading, PA; and 61°F in Burlington, VT. The late-month warmth came with showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, which in West Virginia on the 29th were clocked to 67 mph in Wheeling and 60 mph in Parkersburg. Two days later, on New Year’s Eve, West Virginia peak gusts included 63 mph in Morgantown, 55 mph in Clarksburg, and 53 mph in Bluefield. Back in Texas, McAllen tied a station record (from 1950, 1951, and 1987) with 3 days of 90-degree heat in December. Unlike the previous instances, McAllen’s 90-degree readings occurred on 3 consecutive days, with highs of 91, 90, and 94°F, respectively, on December 28, 29, and 30. By December 31, New Year’s Eve, daily-record highs were set or tied in Eastern locations such as Miami, FL (84°F), and St. Johnsbury, VT (47°F). As 2025 began, record-setting warmth shifted into the Southwest. In Arizona, record-setting highs for January 2 climbed to 68°F in Prescott and 63°F in Flagstaff. Through January 4, Flagstaff’s season-to-date snowfall totaled just 2.7 inches (9 percent of normal). Prescott (67°F) posted another daily-record high on January 3, while Phoenix, AZ, logged 81°F. Other Western daily-record highs for January 3 included 58°F in Salt Lake City, UT, and 52°F in Laramie, WY. A day later, Albuquerque, NM, collected a record setting high (63°F) for January 4. Farther north, however, plunging temperatures led to a January 4 low of -23°F in Garrison, ND.

Jan. 5-11: On the night of January 7-8, Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 mph across the coastal ranges of southern California in Los Angeles County fanned new fires into deadly infernos, eventually incinerating more than 40,000 acres of terrain, including heavily populated areas in the path of the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Thousands of homes and other buildings, including businesses, were destroyed, with full damage assessments pending. The fires also resulted in at least two dozen fatalities.

Cold weather deepened its grip on the central and eastern U.S. In fact, weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F below normal in a broad area stretching from the central and southern Plains into the mid-South, as well as the central Appalachians and environs. In the eastern half of the U.S., only northern Maine observed significantly above-normal temperatures. Elsewhere, readings averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of the western U.S., with the broadest concentration of warmth stretching from northern California into the Northwest. As the week began, lingering warmth in the western Gulf Coast region led to daily-record highs in Texas locations such as McAllen (93°F) and Corpus Christi (88°F). Thereafter, warmth shifted into California, where record-setting highs for January 7 included 72°F in Santa Rosa and 69°F in Merced.

By January 9, another round of West Coast warmth led to daily-record highs in San Francisco, CA (71°F), and Astoria, OR (60°F). In California’s Central Valley, record-setting highs for January 10 included 72°F in Bakersfield and 68°F in Fresno.

5-11: 0n the night of January 7-8, Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 mph across the coastal ranges of southern California in Los Angeles County fanned new fires into deadly infernos, eventually incinerating more than 40,000 acres of terrain, including heavily populated areas in the path of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

Back-to-back winter storms traversed the central and eastern U.S., with the second system striking areas farther south. By the morning of January 11, snow covered a season-high 56 percent of the Lower 48 States, with fresh snow on the ground as far south as a band stretching from northeastern Texas to northern Georgia. Some areas also received significant ice accretions due to freezing rain, with scattered to widespread power outages reported during the initial storm from southeastern Missouri into southern Virginia. Areas closer to the Gulf Coast received rain, especially from coastal Texas to western Florida.

much of the remainder of the country was dry, as cold weather deepened its grip on the central and eastern U.S. In fact, weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F below normal in a broad area stretching from the central and southern Plains into the mid-South, as well as the central Appalachians and environs. In the eastern half of the U.S., only northern Maine observed significantly above-normal temperatures. Elsewhere, readings averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of the western U.S., with the broadest concentration of warmth stretching from northern California into the Northwest. As the week began, lingering warmth in the western Gulf Coast region led to daily-record highs in Texas locations such as McAllen (93°F) and Corpus Christi (88°F). Thereafter, warmth shifted into California, where record-setting highs for January 7 included 72°F in Santa Rosa and 69°F in Merced. That was the same day the Palisades and Eaton Fires—eventually growing in size to nearly 24,000 and more than 14,000 acres, respectively— were ignited, driven by winds gusting from 50 to 100 mph. Official gusts late on the 7th included 83 mph in Burbank and 67 mph in Van Nuys. Early on the 8th, a gust of 100 mph was reported on Mount Lukens, while official gusts included 81 mph in Sandberg and 69 mph in Oxnard. By January 9, another round of West Coast warmth led to daily-record highs in San Francisco, CA (71°F), and Astoria, OR (60°F). In California’s Central Valley, record-setting highs for January 10 included 72°F in Bakersfield and 68°F in Fresno.

12-18: Despite ongoing dry weather in southern California, firefighting crews made progress in containing the deadly and apocalyptically destructive Palisades and Eaton Fires, which collectively scorched nearly 38,000 acres of terrain; destroyed more than 15,000 homes, businesses, and other structures; and resulted in more than two dozen fatalities.

Farther east, late-week precipitation from the eastern Corn Belt southward into the Tennessee Valley occurred mainly on January 17-18 in advance of a strong cold front. There was a transition to snow by January 19— which will be reflected next week—with accumulations noted from the central Appalachians to the northern Atlantic Coast. Although much of the country stepped into a colder weather regime, weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in scattered locations across the nation’s northern tier, mainly in northern Montana and from northern New York into northern Maine. However, readings averaged at least 5°F below normal in several areas, including much of the central and southern Rockies and parts of the Southwest. Temperatures also averaged at least 5°F below normal in portions of the middle Atlantic States, as well as snow-covered areas of the central Appalachians, Ohio Valley, and east central Plains.

As the week began, gusty, offshore winds returned across southern California. On January 12, official easterly to southeasterly wind gusts in California were clocked to 69 mph in Palm Springs and 61 mph in Chino. Southern California’s gusty winds lingered through the middle of the week but diminished thereafter, allowing containment of the 14,021-acre Eaton Fire to approach 90 percent. Meanwhile, the 23,448 acre Palisades Fire was nearly two-thirds contained by the end of the week, despite lingering hot spots. Still, southern California’s record setting dry start to a wet season continued, with San Diego reporting rainfall totaling just 0.14 inch (3 percent of normal) from October 1, 2024 – January 18, 2025. San Diego’s previous record during that 110-day span had been set in 1962-63, when 0.24 inch fell. Similarly, several locations in the Los Angeles area—including LAX Airport (0.03 inch, or less than 1 percent of normal), Woodland Hills (0.16 inch, or 3 percent), and Camarillo (0.31 inch, or 6 percent)—reported record-low rainfall from October 1 – January 18. Previous records at LAX Airport and Woodland Hills had been set in 1962-63, while the former mark in Camarillo had been set in 1975-76. Meanwhile, Phoenix, AZ, last reported measurable rain on August 22, 2024, when 0.24 inch fell. The dry spell in Phoenix, which reached 150 days on January 19, is rapidly approaching the city’s longest such streak on record—160 consecutive days without measurable precipitation from December 30, 1971 – June 6, 1972. Elsewhere in Arizona, season-to-date snowfall through January 18 in Flagstaff totaled just 2.8 inches (7 percent of normal).

19-25: Farther north, there were a few periods of mid-January snow across northern sections of the Rockies and Plains. In Montana, daily-record snowfall totals for January 12 included 5.0 inches in Grass Range and 3.5 inches in Stanford. Later in Wyoming, Lander received 8.0 inches of snow on January 17-18, aided by a daily-record, 6.7-inch sum on the initial date. Lander’s snow fell in conjunction with the passage of a strong cold front, which raced eastward and contributed to a daily-record snowfall (9.8 inches) in Elkins, WV, on January 19. The temperature in Elkins fell 55°F, from a high of 42°F on January 18 to -13°F on January 20. Lander, WY, noted a similar plunge, from 33°F on January 17 to -18°F by January 20. Cold weather also made a southward push across the Plains, with Guymon, OK, collecting a daily record low of 1°F on January 19. (Sub-zero temperatures affected Guymon and other areas on the southern High Plains on January 20 and 21.) Several days earlier, temperatures had briefly soared in advance of the approaching cold front. Grand Forks, ND, noted 39°F on January 15, tying a record for the date. That marked the highest reading in Grand Forks since December 7, 2024. Two days later, record-setting Midwestern highs for January 17 included 54°F in Rockford, IL, and 48°F in Oshkosh, WI. By January 19, however, Montana minimum temperatures of -12°F in Great Falls, and -17°F in Havre came with the benefit of only an inch of snow on the ground Starting January 19, wheat’s exposure to sub-zero temperatures broadly extended southward into the northern panhandle of Texas. bitterly cold weather dominating the country, especially from the Rockies eastward, the main precipitation highlight was historic snowfall across the Deep South on January 21-22. Accumulating snow fell along and near the Gulf Coast from southeastern Texas to northern Florida, with many communities from Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX, to Pensacola, FL, experiencing their snowiest day on record. Snow also grazed the southern Atlantic Coast, except Florida’s peninsula, where chilly rain fell.

Earlier, rain and snow had accompanied the initial blast of frigid air on January 19 20, mainly from the central Appalachians to the northern Atlantic Coast. Snow also affected areas downwind of the Great Lakes, at least where open water remained. Elsewhere, negligible precipitation occurred, except across parts of the northern and central Rockies and adjacent High Plains.

Southern California endured several more days of dry weather, with low humidity levels and gusty, offshore winds contributing to a rash of new wildfires, including the 10,425-acre Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake and the 6,625-acre Border 2 Fire in southern San Diego County. Weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 20°F below normal from the Rockies to the Atlantic Coast, except across parts of the northern Plains, southern Florida, northern New York, and New England. Sub-0°F temperatures occurred along and north of a line from the northern panhandle of Texas into the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians.

Farther west, a new burst of offshore winds on January 20-21 across southern California led to local gusts ranging from 80 to 100 mph or greater. On the evening of the 20th, an automated gauge on Sill Hill, near Lake Cuyamaca, recorded a gust to 102 mph. Official southern California gusts on January 20 included 74 mph in Sandberg and 62 mph in Ontario.

By January 20, frigid air had fully engulfed the Rockies and Plains, with daily-record lows falling to -34°F at Lake Yellowstone, WY; -22°F in Alliance, NE; and -4°F in Guymon, OK. On the southern Plains, temperatures fell even lower in many areas on January 21, when Guymon reported a low of -10°F. In Kansas, record-setting minima for the 21st included -13°F in Salina, -12°F in Topeka, -11°F in Garden City, and -10°F in Medicine Lodge. Farther north, Hibbing, MN, posted a daily-record low of -35°F on January 21. Cold weather across the Deep South generally peaked on January 22, with post-snowfall daily records of 6°F in Mobile, AL, and 7°F in Gulfport, MS. In Louisiana, single-digit, daily-record lows for the 22nd included 2°F in New Iberia, 4°F in Lafayette, 6°F in Lake Charles, and 7°F in Baton Rouge. For Lafayette, it was the lowest temperature ever recorded, eclipsing 6°F on February 13, 1899. For Lake Charles, it was the lowest reading since February 12, 1899, when it was 3°F, and the lowest January temperature on record (previously, 12°F on January 24, 1948). Baton Rouge also set a monthly record (previously, 9°F on January 21, 1985) and endured its coldest day since 1899. In Deep South Texas, low temperatures on January 22 fell to 24°F in Harlingen, 26°F in McAllen, and 30°F in Brownsville. Farther north, sub-zero, daily-record lows for January 22 included -12°F in Mansfield, OH, and -9°F in Morgantown, WV. Cold weather lingered for several days in the southern Atlantic States, where Brooksville, FL, notched a record-setting low (23°F) for January 25. Interestingly, dry conditions in southern California led to large diurnal temperature fluctuations, with Lancaster tallying a trio of daily-record lows (15, 17, and 17°F) from January 22-24—along with high temperatures ranging from 59 to 64°F. During the same period, several daily-record highs were set in southern California, including January 22 readings of 86°F in Escondido and 83°F in Santa Ana. Alaska experienced a second consecutive week of record-setting warmth, although late-week storms delivered heavy rain and snow.

Jan. 25-Feb. 1: Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 to 15°F above normal across the northern Plains and upper Midwest, with warmth broadly covering the central and eastern U.S., except northern New England. The sudden warmth followed a frigid week from the Rockies eastward. In contrast, near- or below-normal temperatures covered much of the West, with some of the coldest weather (more than 5°F below normal) affecting the northern Rockies and environs. Several light freezes were noted as far south as California’s San Joaquin Valley. In late January, cold air settled into parts of the West and relaxed its grip on the central and eastern U.S. Eureka, CA, noted its lowest reading of the month (29°F) on January 26, a record for the date. Lake Yellowstone, WY, experienced sub-0°F minimum temperatures on each of the last 15 days of the month, including a low of -26°F on January 26. A few days later, record-setting warmth arrived across the Midwest and neighboring areas. January 28 featured daily-record highs in locations such as Sioux City, IA, and Omaha, NE, with both cities registering 61°F. On the same date, daily-record highs topped the 40-degree mark as far north as Grand Forks, ND, where it was 42°F. Midwestern warmth generally peaked on January 30, with Mason City, IA (62°F), tying a monthly record previously achieved on January 25, 1944, and January 26, 2002. La Crosse, WI, experienced its warmest-ever January day with a high of 58°F on January 30; the previous mark of 57°F had been attained most recently on January 25, 1981. Late in the week, warmth returned across the South, where record-setting highs for January 31 included 86°F in Punta Gorda, FL, and 83°F in Savannah, GA. 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com