WeatherWatcher: January 2011, compared to the last two years

Overall it was wetter this January than it was in 2010, or 2009. In 2009 we had just under 3 inches of rain for January, in 2010 it was about 4 and a half inches, this year we got 5.8 inches of rain in January! So if it seems wetter this winter, that’s because it is. You can thank la Nina for these effects. However it would be interesting to note that in 2009, it was also a la Nina year, yet it is the driest of the last 3 years for January. I will write more on this in a different article.

Monthly rainfall graph for 2009, 2010, 2011 for January. (Small image)

Rainfall graph by day for 2009, 2010, 2011 for January.  (Larger image)

Temperatures in January this year overall averaged colder than last year. The total average temperature for January in 2009 was 45.1ºF which is pretty close to normal I believe. This year the total month average temperature was 41.9ºF! Much cooler than last year.

Here’s the average temperature graph for January 2010 compared to January 2011. (Larger image)

In summary, if it feels colder and wetter, that’s because it is. And this isn’t just for January. So far beginning in November we’ve been colder and wetter than normal, so the effects of this winter’s la Nina have been what was expected by most experts.