January 2021 was not as cold or as snowy as in the past. Yes, people said it was cold and it was by twenty-first century standards. Since the turn of this century, the mean January has temperature increased by a degree and a-half. And as I have said many times, because of global warming it’s the low temperatures that are not as low as they used to be. The month’s average lows were 5 degrees warmer than this century’s average. This is the second straight January and third in the last five years with no below zero readings. We’ve had single digit above zero readings and that may be our coldest.
Yes, I have had reports of single digit out of town below readings from places like Alford, Egremont, Richmond and Stockbridge, but not at my location in town Great Barrington.
Snow totals were also down for January. Usually, my raised garden beds are covered with snow by this time. Not this time. Precipitation totals were well below average for the month.
Of course, that changed on February first, and I got to use my electric snow blower for only the third time in two winters. But many February’s in the past have been colder with much more snow. Maybe this will be one of them.
I hope this is the month you get your COVID vaccine. If not, just be patient and observe the protocols so you won’t be a patient.
January 2021 weather data
