A look back at January

January 2012 will go down in the record books as a mild month.  As far as temperatures, January ended almost 6° above the monthly average and really wasn't too far behind in terms of precipitation.

There were six 50° days during the month, two in the beginning, two in the middle and two to round out the end of the month.  A few record highs were also tied.  So, is this any indication as to what the remainder of winter will be like?  Weather tends to continue what it has been doing in the past.  While we've had a few cold spells here and there, it has always warmed quickly after.  Going into February we're starting above average; temperatures will be in the upper 30s/low 40s today, the low 40s tomorrow and Friday.  There will be a cool down next week following the passage of an area of low pressure, but it's not expected to be a major one as the chilly air will be modified as it travels south.

The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for the month of February has above average temperatures for much of the U.S and above average precipitation near the Great Lakes.