Snow, cold, January exiting
Four daily snow and temperature records set in a month; 8 degrees colder than Juneau, Alaska.
With temperatures above freezing today and due to warm into the 40s during the weekend, the appearance of bare ground is imminent.
But even as the snow and January disappear, this season already has secured a place among elite Philadelphia winters -- even if not another flake falls.
In terms of snow before Feb. 1, the 37.1 inches of snow recorded officially in Philadelphia is No. 5 among the 130 winters in the period of record, not far behind 1995-96, 2010-11, 1917-18, and 1960-61.
As for entire-season totals, this one stands at No. 15, and February on average is Philadelphia's snowiest month.
Philadelphia had two 8-plus-inch snowfalls this month, something that had never occurred in January. Those marked the second and third 8-plus snows of the winter, and Philadelphia had never had three of those before Feb. 1.
As for temperature, assuming it does reach 40 this afternoon, the average temperature will finish at 28.2, the coldest January in 10 years.
That's about the average January temperature for Juneau, Alaska, but through yesterday, the Juneau January temperature stood at a balmy 36.8, and the lowest reading of the month had been 27.
By contrast, Philadelphia bottomed out at 4 on Jan. 7, a record for the date – and that was the day after it went up to 60. On Jan. 22, it also set a record for the lowest maximum temperature for the date, 16.
Two daily snow records fell on Jan. 21 and Jan. 3, and the monthly total of 25.9 inches mad this the third-snowiest January.
All this might mean absolutely nothing for February? We mentioned that February is typically the snowiest month, but the region has had plenty of snow-less Februaries, and Marches.
The computer models are having a hard time figuring out what's going to happen with the next storm, which could affect the region Sunday night into Monday, or not at all.
In its two-week outlook, the Climate Prediction Center calls for continued below-normal temperatures in much of the nation, but we've seen too much volatility to bank on anything other than uncertainty.