Forget the Polar Vortex: January Wasn't That Cold

So much for the "polar vortex." Even with the cold air outbreaks in the Midwest and East during January, the month wound up being just 0.1 degree Fahrenheit below the 20th century average in the lower 48 states, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday in its January climate report. Unusually mild and dry conditions in the West helped balance out the cold in the East, NOAA said.

Notably, although January was the coldest such month since 2011, not a single state had its coldest January on record.

The month featured a split screen nation, with almost everywhere east of the Rockies experiencing colder-than-average conditions, and areas west of the Rockies experiencing unusually warm conditions. For example, while Michigan and Georgia had a top 10 coldest January, Arizona, California, and Nevada had a top 10 warmest January. Read more...