January 2002 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

               The ridiculously warm weather of this non-winter continued

in January 2002. According to the statistics recorded at the Saint

Cloud Municipal Airport, the average January temperature was 21.2

degrees, 12.5 degrees above normal. This warm temperature tied 

January 1891 for the fourth warmest January in the 122 years of

Saint Cloud temperature records. January 2002 did fall 0.8 degrees short

of January 1990 which had an average temperature of 22.0 degrees. January

1990 was the second warmest January on record.

       There were only three days with below normal average temperatures

during the month: January 1, 2, and 18. There were also only 3 days with

below zero lows during the month. The normal is 16. It’s early, but we have

a chance to break the record for the fewest number of below zero lows. That

record is 16, set in 1997-1998. So far, we have had only 4 days with a low

below zero. In February, Saint Cloud averages 12 days with a below zero low;

the average for March is 3.5 days. So, just having near normal conditions

would bring us very close to this record, and we certainly haven’t been 

near normal so far this winter.

       January 2002 marked the third consecutive incredibly warm month.

November 2001 was the warmest November on record with an average temperature

12.1 degrees above normal. December 2001 was the thirteenth warmest on record

with an average temperature 9.8 degrees above normal. This sustained warmth

made the three-month period of November 1 through January 31 the warmest

November through January period on record in Saint Cloud. The average

temperature of 29.0 degrees beat November 1913 through January 1914

by 0.3 degrees. Our temperature for the past three months averaged 11.7

degrees above normal. 

        The warm weather came with very little snowfall. Only 3.5 inches

of snow fell in January 2002, the 19th lowest January snowfall total on

record. However, January 1990 was even browner. Only 0.1 inches of snow

fell during January 12 years ago, the lowest January snowfall on record.

Normally, January is the snowiest month of the year, averaging 10.1 inches

per month.

               The seasonal snowfall now stands at 18.6 inches. This is

not a record low, since we have had 5 years where the entire seasonal

snowfall was less than 18 inches. The most recent occurrence was 

the winter of 1986-1987 when 16.7 inches fell during the whole season.

The most recent relatively snow-less winter was in 1999-2000 when only

28.1 inches fell during the season. In a normal winter, we would double

our current seasonal snowfall by the end of April, but it certainly hasn’t

been normal.

               The melted precipitation for January 2002 totaled 0.28 inches, the

fourteenth lowest January precipitation on record. Again, January 1990

was drier, producing only 0.06 inches, the third lowest January total on

record.

        The net result is that we are having our fourth mild winter

in the past five years. In addition, there are signs that El Nino, the

anomalous current of warm ocean water in the tropical Pacific, has

begun to rise. El Nino has nothing to do with this mild winter, but

could affect next winter’s weather. Two SCSU students, Tina Fischer and

, recently researched conditions in Minnesota during an El Nino year.

Both showed that an El Nino event strongly favors a mild winter. 

So, if this El Nino gets strong enough, the odds strongly favor another

mild winter in 2002-2003.

SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 2002               JAN 2002         NORMAL

TEMPERATURE

Average high temperature (F)            30.0            18.6

Average low temperature (F)             12.3            -1.2

Average temperature (F)                 21.2             8.7

Warmest high for this month (F)          49 on the 8th (broke record;

                                                         see below)       

Coldest high for this month (F)          11 on the 18th

Mildest low for this month (F)           34 on the 9th (broke record;

                                                          see below)

Coldest low for this month (oF)           -9 on the 18th

Record temperatures (oF):

Daily record warm high:                   49 on the 8th (old record: 46 in 1990)

Daily record warm mean:                   35 on the 8th (old record: 34 in 1990)

                                          40 on the 9th (old record: 38 in 1900)                   

MELTED PRECIPITATION (in)

January                                   0.28           0.74

Greatest in 24 hours                       .17 on the 13th                                                    

SNOWFALL (in)

January                                    3.5           10.1

Greatest in 24 hours                       2.2 on the 13th 

Season (2001-2002)                        18.6           26.3