Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY
461
CXUS51 KBUF 060446
CLMROC
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1025 AM EST SAT FEB 01 2025
...................................
...THE ROCHESTER NY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2025...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2025
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 74 01/25/1950
LOW -17 01/16/1994
HIGHEST 44 01/01 52 01/09
01/10
LOWEST -2 01/22 5 01/17
AVG. MAXIMUM 30.0 33.4 -3.4 35.0
AVG. MINIMUM 18.6 19.0 -0.4 25.2
MEAN 24.3 26.2 -1.9 30.1
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 18 15.7 2.3 11
DAYS MIN <= 32 30 27.2 2.8 21
DAYS MIN <= 0 1 2.3 -1.3 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 8.05 1878
MINIMUM 0.52 1921
TOTALS 1.72 2.55 -0.83 4.18
DAYS >= .01 21 23
DAYS >= .10 5 13
DAYS >= .50 0 1
DAYS >= 1.00 0 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.38 01/31 TO 01/31 1.16 01/26 TO 01/26
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 61.3 2004
TOTALS 34.1 27.4 6.7 25.6
SINCE 7/1 55.3 57.9 -2.6 MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 2 2
DAYS >= 1.0 11 8.3 2.7 8
DAYS >= 0.1 25 18
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 5 01/08 9 01/21
01/20
24 HR TOTAL MM 5.5 01/20 TO 01/21
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 1255 1203 52 1073
SINCE 7/1 3238 3470 -232 MM
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 MM
................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 12.5
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/240
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/260 DATE 01/27
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.85
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 0
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 6
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 25
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 67
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 1
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 4 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 2 SNOW 7
LIGHT SNOW 30 SLEET 0
FOG 17 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3
HAZE 6
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
&&
... COLD WITH SNOW TO START THE NEW YEAR ...
THE NEW YEAR BROUGHT CHANGES WITH ARCTIC AIR GRIPPING THE GREAT
LAKES REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY. THESE COLD
AIRMASSES SENT BOUTS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW, PREDOMINATELY ON A WEST TO
NORTHWEST FLOW, DOWNWIND OF THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. THE COLD AIR,
COUPLED WITH A BREEZE THROUGH THE MONTH ALLOWED FOR SHORELINE ICE TO
FORM ON LAKE ONTARIO THE FINAL WEEK OF THE MONTH.
THE TEMPERATURE AVERAGED 24.3F THIS MONTH WHICH FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN 14 MONTHS AVERAGED BELOW THE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AVERAGE. THE 1.9
DEGREE DEPARTURE IS THE LARGEST NEGATIVE DEPARTURE SINCE AUGUST OF
2023. THE COLDEST DAY WAS THE 22ND OF THE MONTH WHICH FEATURED A
SUBZERO READING OF -2F. THIS WAS THE FIRST SUBZERO TEMPERATURE
SINCE FEBRUARY 4TH 2023 (-8F).THERE WERE 18 DAYS AVERAGING BELOW
THEIR DAILY NORMAL, AND 13 DAYS ABOVE THEIR DAILY NORMAL THIS MONTH.
PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.72 INCHES THIS MONTH WHICH IS ALMOST AN INCH
BELOW NORMAL. EVERY DAY BUT ONE HAD AT LEAST A TRACE OF
PRECIPITATION, WITH JUST THE 10TH OF THE MONTH PRECIPITATION FREE.
THE PRECIPITATION THIS MONTH WAS MAINLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW, OUTSIDE
OF THE FIRST AND LAST DAYS OF THE MONTH WHICH FEATURED RAIN IN
ADDITION TO SNOW. THIS SNOW WAS ALSO PRIMARILY LAKE EFFECT, WITH THE
LACK OF LARGE SCALE SYNOPTIC SYSTEMS THIS MONTH AIDING IN A MONTH
FEATURING BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. SNOW TOTALED 34.1 INCHES WHICH
IS 6.7 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. JANUARY 2025WAS THE SNOWIEST MONTH IN
THREE YEARS. THE PERSISTENT COLD THROUGH THE MONTH ALLOWED FOR AT
LEAST A TRACE OF SNOWFALL ON EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH EXCEPT FOR THE
10TH, AND THE 25 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE SNOWFALL IS TIED FOR 5TH
GREATEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY.
A WEAKENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM STARTED THE EARLY HOURS OF THE NEW
YEAR WITH LIGHT RAIN, BEFORE COLDER AIR TRANSITIONED THE RAIN TO
SNOW THROUGH THE PRE-DAWN HOURS. THIS PLUNGE OF COLDER AIR BROUGHT
THE FIRST OF FIVE LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENTS FOR THE MONTH. INITIALLY,
SYNOPTIC SNOW FELL ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK, BUT AS THE COLD AIR
DEEPENED BANDS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW MOVED OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER, AND
SLOWLY PUSHED NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE BUFFALO SOUTHTOWNS. NORTHWEST
FLOW BROUGHT LIGHT SNOW OFF GEORGIAN BAY AND LAKE HURON TO THE
ROCHESTER AREA. THE SECOND LAKE EFFECT EVENT OF THE MONTH OCCURRED
JANUARY 13TH TO 15TH THAT FEATURED PRIMARILY WESTERLY FLOW. THIS
AGAIN DIRECTED BANDS OF LAKE SNOW OFF LAKE ERIE ACROSS SW NYS, BUT
UPSTREAM CONNECTIONS TO LAKE HURON AND GEORGIAN BAY BROUGHT LIGHT
SNOW TO THE ROCHESTER METRO AREA. THE THIRD LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT
OF THE MONTH FEATURED A MESOLOW OVER THE WESTERN WATERS OF LAKE
ONTARIO. THIS FEATURE, FORMED ALONG A LAKE AGGREGATE TROUGH WHICH IS
COMMON IN ARCTIC AIRMASSES, AND BROUGHT AROUND A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS OF JANUARY 20TH FROM NIAGARA COUNTY TO MONROE
COUNTY. AT THE AIRPORT 5.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL THIS DATE, MAKING IT
THE SNOWIEST DAY OF THE MONTH. AS A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVED
OVER WESTERN NEW YORK IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE 22ND, THE
SKIES CLEARED AND ALLOWED FOR TEMPERATURES TO DROP TO BELOW ZERO FOR
THE ROCHESTER METRO AREA. THE -2F READING WAS THE COLDEST
TEMPERATURE AT THE AIRPORT IN NEARLY 2 YEARS. THESE COLD
TEMPERATURES ALSO ALLOWED FOR SHORELINE ICE TO FORM ON THE SOUTHERN
SHORELINE OF LAKE ONTARIO. THE FOURTH LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT OF THE
MONTH BROUGHT LIGHT SNOW OFF LAKE ONTARIO ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
SHORELINE THROUGH THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE 24TH. AS
THE WINDS BACKED TO SOUTHWESTERLY THIS SNOW LIFTED NORTHWARD, WITH
JUST LIGHT SNOW AND FLURRIES OFF LAKE ERIE THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY
FOR THE LOWER GENESEE VALLEY. SNOW FROM THIS EVENT ALONG THE
SOUTHERN LAKE ONTARIO SHORELINE DID AMOUNT TO CLOSE TO A HALF A FOOT
ACROSS NORTHERN MONROE COUNTY. THE LAST LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT OF
THE MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES ALOFT JUST MARGINALLY COLD ENOUGH TO
YIELD SNOW EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF LAKE ONTARIO DURING THE 26TH AND
27TH OF THE MONTH. LIGHT SNOW THAT FELL AT THE AIRPORT WAS FROM
EITHER A FRONTAL PASSAGE ON THE 26TH, OR UPSTREAM LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS
OFF LAKE HURON. A COLD FRONT THAT DROPPED SOUTHWARD ACROSS ROCHESTER
EARLY ON THE 28TH, TO BE RETURNED AS A WARM FRONT IN THE FINAL HOURS
OF THE DAY BROUGHT ADDITIONAL BURSTS OF SNOW THAT BROUGHT ANOTHER
FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW TO THE ROCHESTER AREA.
THE TEMPERATURE ON LAKE ONTARIO DROPPED FROM 42F AT THE START OF
THE MONTH DOWN TO 34 BY THE CLOSURE OF THE MONTH. SHORELINE ICE
DEVELOPED ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO. IT WAS A BREEZY
MONTH AS WELL WITH THE OBSERVED WIND SPEED FOR THE MONTH A BIT ABOVE
NORMAL, ALMOST AVERAGING 12.5 MPH. THE STRONGEST GUST OCCURRED ON
THE 27TH, WITH A 53 MPH GUST RECORDED AT THE AIRPORT. THIS WAS FROM
A VERY DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR HUDSON BAY THAT BROUGHT STRONG
WINDS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
IN ALL A RETURN TO CLASSIC WINTER WITH SNOW, COLD AND SHORELINE
ICE.
&&
$$