A Mild Start to the Year, Despite One Frigid Week: January 2013 Report
By mid-winter standards, January 2013 was not an exceedingly memorable one in the New Jersey weather and climate annals. But like every month, there were certainly events worthy of mention. This included the state's coldest week since 2007 and a surge of warmth late in the month that was broken by a squall line with strong winds and heavy rain.
Statewide, the January temperature averaged 33.7°, which is 2.5° above average. This ranks as the 27th mildest January since 1895 (119 years). Of the past 24 months, only one (November 2012) has averaged below normal. Going back a bit further, since March 2010, 30 of the past 35 months have been above average, one month was exactly average, and four months were below average.
The first three weeks of the month were mostly on the mild side. On five of the first 20 days, one or more station topped out at 55° or higher.
