January 2017 Summary – Ninth Warmest on Record

Blue Hill Observatory
January 2017 Summary:

January started off the new year on a very warm note, and it brought more precipitation and clouds than average. The 24-hour mean temperature for the month of 32.7 deg F was 7.0 degrees warmer than the 120-year average for January and six and a half degrees warmer than the 1981-2010 30-year average, making the month the ninth warmest January on record and the warmest since 2006. Much of the warmth was due to high minimum temperatures, and the average minimum temperature of 26.4 deg F was about eight degrees above average and the eighth warmest on record for January. The highest temperature for the month was 59F on the 12th, which was a new record for the date surpassing 57F set in 1913 and 1975. The low temperature of 4F occurred on the 9th, which was the last of four consecutive cold days, the only extended cold period all month.  In all, there were 25 days during January than were warmer than normal, including 11 straight days from the 17th to 27th that were ten or more degrees warmer than average. January brought a total of 5.50 inches of precipitation, which was over an inch more than both the long-term 120-year average and the 30-year mean. The greatest amount in 24 hours in January was 1.87 inches on the 23rd-24th, during a coastal storm that also brought 0.3 inches of snow and sleet and strong winds to the Observatory and more snow and sleet to interior New England. Snowfall for the month totaled 13.0 inches, which was three inches less than the long-term mean and the 30-year normal. Much of this total, 9.5 inches, fell in less than 24 hours during the largest snowfall of the month on the 7th-8th. The mean wind speed was 13.5 mph, which was the sixth lowest on record for January, and the prevailing direction was from the west-northwest. The peak gust was 62 mph from the northeast during the coastal storm on the 24th. January was cloudier than average with only 39 percent of the possible bright sunshine, which was seven percent less than the long-term mean.

Photo Credit- Lee Toma

BHO Warmest January 24-hour Mean Temperature, deg F (1886-2017):

1) 35.6 in 1913
2) 35.0 in 1932
3) 34.6 in 1937
4) 33.9 in 2006
5) 33.8 in 1933
   33.8 in 1950
   33.8 in 1990
8) 33.5 in 2002
9) 32.7 in 2017
10) 32.1 in 1967
   32.1 in 1995

BHO Warmest January Average Minimum Temperature, deg F (1886-2017):

1) 28.7 in 1932
2) 28.0 in 2002
3) 27.7 in 1913
4) 27.2 in 1937
5) 26.9 in 2006
6) 26.6 in 1990
7) 26.5 in 1933
8) 26.4 in 2017
9) 25.6 in 1995
10) 25.3 in 1949

BHO Lowest January Mean Wind Speed, mph (1886-2017):

1) 12.2 in 2001
2) 12.8 in 2011
3) 13.1 in 2009
4) 13.3 in 1984
5) 13.4 in 2005
6) 13.5 in 2017
7) 13.7 in 2012

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory