January was warmest on record in Seattle
SEATTLE -- It's the worst-kept surprise party in Seattle -- the city officially set a record for the warmest January on record.
The average temperature was 46.97 degrees -- toppling the record of 46.56 degrees set in 2006, and a full six degrees above the normal average of 40.9 degrees. In fact, it's even warmer than a typical March! (which has an average temperature of 46.2 degrees.)
The average temperature is calculated by taking the high and low temperature for each day and averaging them together.
For warmest month in the average high temperature category, we came up just short. Our average high for January was 51.45 degrees, finishing in second place behind the 1995 record of 52.03 degrees.
Persistent El Nino conditions were a factor for most of the month, which typically keeps the Pacific Northwest in a warmer air flow. In addition, an unusually strong and stubborn area of low pressure parked off our coast for several days, streaming warm, moist air from the tropical Pacific into Western Washington.
January 27th's 35 degree low was the only day the temperature dropped to 35 or colder. There were only five days in the month with a low below 40. We also had 9 days at 55 or warmer with a four day string of 59, 60, 57 and 56 degrees between Jan 18-21.
Long range forecasts from the National Climate Prediction Center continue to show high chances of warmer and drier than normal conditions in the Northwest through the rest of winter and into early spring.
The average temperature was 46.97 degrees -- toppling the record of 46.56 degrees set in 2006, and a full six degrees above the normal average of 40.9 degrees. In fact, it's even warmer than a typical March! (which has an average temperature of 46.2 degrees.)
The average temperature is calculated by taking the high and low temperature for each day and averaging them together.
For warmest month in the average high temperature category, we came up just short. Our average high for January was 51.45 degrees, finishing in second place behind the 1995 record of 52.03 degrees.
Persistent El Nino conditions were a factor for most of the month, which typically keeps the Pacific Northwest in a warmer air flow. In addition, an unusually strong and stubborn area of low pressure parked off our coast for several days, streaming warm, moist air from the tropical Pacific into Western Washington.
January 27th's 35 degree low was the only day the temperature dropped to 35 or colder. There were only five days in the month with a low below 40. We also had 9 days at 55 or warmer with a four day string of 59, 60, 57 and 56 degrees between Jan 18-21.
Long range forecasts from the National Climate Prediction Center continue to show high chances of warmer and drier than normal conditions in the Northwest through the rest of winter and into early spring.