January 2022 Summary – Sixth Snowiest on Record
Blue Hill Observatory January 2022 Summary:
January was colder and much snowier than average. The 24-hour adjusted mean temperature for the month of 24.9 deg F was 1.0 degrees colder than the 1891-2020 130-year average for January, and it was 2.3 degrees colder than the 1991-2020 30-year average. After a warm start during the first week, the month finished with 18 days colder than average. The coldest mean temperature was just 7F on the 15th with a high of 13F and a low of 1F on that day. The highest temperature observed all month was 51F on the 1st, and the lowest temperature during January was 0F on the 16th. The total precipitation was 4.59 inches, which was only slightly more than the 130-year average and the 1991-2020 30-year mean. The greatest liquid equivalent precipitation in 24 hours was 1.84 inches on the 28th-29th, during the Blizzard of 2022. Snowfall for the month totaled 45.4 inches, which was almost 30 inches more than the long-term average. Most of this snow, 27.6 inches, fell during the historic Blizzard of 2022 on the 28th-29th, which brought many hours of heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzard conditions to Blue Hill, including a peak wind gust to 55 mph from the north. This was the second greatest snowstorm ever observed in January at Blue Hill, and the calendar day snowfall of 27.1 inches on the 29th surpassed the previous record for the date of 8.0 inches in 1943 and it was the largest for any calendar day in January. The storm total of 27.6 inches was also the seventh greatest snowstorm ever measured at Blue Hill for any month of the year. Much of the rest of the monthly snowfall fell on the 7th during a storm that brought 15.7 inches of snow. The mean wind speed for the month was 13.0 mph, which was the fifth lowest on record for January, and the prevailing wind direction was from the northwest. The highest wind gust was 65 mph from the east-southeast during moderate rain on the morning of the 17th. January sunshine was above average with a total of 149.1 hours of bright sunshine, or 52 percent of possible, which was six percent more than the long-term average for January.
BHO Greatest January Snowfall, inches (1891-2022):
1) 56.3 in 1948
2) 48.2 in 2011
3) 48.0 in 1904
4) 47.6 in 1996
5) 46.0 in 1966
6) 45.4 in 2022
7) 44.8 in 2005
8) 44.5 in 1923
9) 42.9 in 2015
10) 38.3 in 1987
BHO Greatest January Snowstorms inches (1891-2022):
1) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan 2015
2) 27.6 on 28-29 Jan, 2022
3) 20.5 on 22-23 Jan, 2005
4) 19.0 on 20 Jan, 1978
5) 18.2 on 7-8 Jan 1996
6) 17.6 on 23-24 Jan, 1966
7) 16.7 on 22-24 Jan, 1935
8) 16.5 on 4 Jan, 2018
9) 16.3 on 2-4 Jan, 1996
10) 16.2 on 7-8 Jan, 1977
11) 15.5 on 15-17 Jan, 1965
12) 15.0 on 28 Jan 1897
BHO Greatest January Calendar Day Snowfalls, inches (1891-2022)
1) 27.1 on 29 Jan, 2022
2) 25.2 on 27 Jan, 2015
3) 19.0 on 20 Jan, 1978
4) 16.5 on 4 Jan, 2018
5) 16.0 on 7 Jan, 1977
6) 15.0 on 28 Jan, 1897
7) 14.6 on 23 Jan 1966
8) 14.0 on 16 Jan, 1965
9) 13.4 on 17 Jan, 1956
10) 13.0 on 18 Jan, 1948
BHO Greatest Snowstorms, inches (1891-2022):
1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb, 1969
2) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan, 2015
3) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar, 1960
4) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb, 1978
5) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr, 1997
6) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar, 2013
7) 27.6 on 28-29 Jan, 2022
8) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb, 2013
9) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb, 2003
10) 24.3 on 5-7 Dec, 2003
BHO Lowest January Mean Wind Speed, mph (1885-2022):
1) 11.7 in 2021
2) 12.2 in 2001
3) 12.8 in 2011
12.8 in 2020
5) 13.0 in 2022
Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory
