An active pattern of mostly above normal temperatures and precipitation is expected over the next 1-2 weeks. Could we see some snowfall during this time? Come on, it's winter. However, any significant snowfall like what we saw last week does not appear likely at this time, unless the first few days of February should have something to say about that.
But, that's still a ways away. So, let's talk a little more about winter. I am searching for some of the coldest winters. Now, some of the coldest winters can be found quite easily at the weather.gov website. Since I'm using Louisville NWS office, I simply click on the central part of the state. Next, click on the 'Climate and Past Weather' header.
Here, you will see the locations covered, like Louisville International, Lexington, Frankfort, and Bowling Green. Again, more headers are listed. I click on the 'Local Data/Records' header. You will see a lot of topics to choose from. Unfortunately, this page has not been maintained very well, since most links are either outdated or do not exist anymore. However, I am interested in what does work. You will see the list of cities again, like Frankfort, Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green. Click on one of those, and you will be taken to a page with lots of statistical data to choose from.
My personal favorites are from the Temperature Information and Precipitation Information sections. These include several Top Ten categories. I often use these on this forum when highlighting locations that may or have already reached levels that put them in a Top Ten category. Go ahead, give it a try. You will be surprised at how long you may find yourself looking into all of this information.
When I select Top Ten Warmest and Coldest Seasons in Louisville, I look at the Winter Season (which comprises December, January, and February) under Top Ten Coldest Seasons and find the information I need.
But, then I see the other seasons that were Top Ten Warmest and Coldest and was surprised (well not that surprised) to see that in the Top Ten Coldest Seasons, for example, there were not many years in the 2000's listed. 2003 and 2004 were pretty cool. Conversely, the Top Ten Warmest Seasons yielded several years, especially since 2010, that have been ranked in the Top Ten for all of the seasons of the year.
Personally, I like to use my own custom-designed tables to pinpoint how cold it has been this winter. For instance, looking at the month of January for Louisville. I set a parameter of how many days the temperature was less than 10 degrees for the years 1870ish to present.
Here is the list for January of...
| 1977 | 18 |
| 1940 | 14 |
| 1948 | 11 |
| 1918 | 11 |
| 1978 | 10 |
| 1912 | 10 |
| 1893 | 10 |
| 1963 | 9 |
| 1970 | 9 |
| 1994 | 9 |
Louisville, for this month, has recorded 9 days of single-digit readings. Looking at the chart above, that puts us in some pretty good company, not to mention the only year in the 2000's represented here.
However, January 2018 is not even ranked in the Top Ten Coldest of Each Month. It's actually not even close. Our (Louisville's) average temperature of 28 degrees is some 7 degrees below normal but way above Top Ten minimum entry of 26 degrees set in 1963...
| January | |
| 18.5 | 1977 |
| 19.6 | 1918 |
| 20.3 | 1940 |
| 22.9 | 1978 |
| 24.6 | 1979 |
| 24.8 | 1912 |
| 24.9 | 1893 |
| 25.4 | 1985 |
| 25.5 | 1948 |
| 26.0 | 1963 |
Of course, winter is not over. February has often brought surprises, and I'm certain we will see some surprises.
Louisville is on course to record its first back to back below normal months for temperatures since January thru March 2015.
In conclusion, it is extreme winter month time as January is prone to set many state records. Here is your list for the week ahead, and there are quite a number of them....
Alabama:
Snow Depth...22" (Reform) 01/24/1940
Alaska:
Minimum Temperature...-80 degrees (Prospect Creek) 01/23/1971
Arkansas:
24-Hour Snowfall...25" (Corning) 01/22/1918
Snow Depth...26" (Calico Rock) 01/22/1918
California:
24-Hour Precipitation...25.83" (Hoegees Campground) 01/22-23/1943
Connecticut:
Minimum Temperature...-32 degrees [tie] (Coventry) 01/22/1961
Georgia:
Minimum Temperature...-17 degrees (near Beatum) 01/27/1940
Hawaii:
24-Hour Precipitation...38.00" (Kilauea) 01/24-25/1956
Indiana:
Snow Depth...47" (Hammond) 01/28/1918
Michigan:
Snow Depth...117" (Eagle Harbor) 01/27-28/1948
New Hampshire:
Minimum Temperature...-50 degrees (Mount Washington) 01/22/1885
Puerto Rico:
Minimum Temperature...40 degrees (San Sebastian) 01/24/1966
West Virginia:
24-Hour Snowfall...35" (Flat Top) 01/27-28/1998
Make it a good week everyone.
MS
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