NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JANUARY 2018

1-6: A major winter storm grazed the southern Atlantic Coast with rare snowfall before slamming the Northeast with wind-driven snow and heavy surf. Records for January 2 were tied with a trace of snow in Texas A trace of snow in College Station, TX,
tied a locations such as Houston, Galveston, and Beaumont-Port Arthur. In Louisiana, a daily record-tying trace of snow occurred on January 3 in Lafayette and New Iberia. Meanwhile, major accumulations occurred in the southern Atlantic region. With 5.
3 inches of snow on January 3, Charleston, SC, experienced its third-highest daily total on record. January 3 was the seventh-snowiest day in Savannah, GA, where 1.2 inches fell. For both Charleston and Savannah, it was the snowiest day since December
23, 1989, when respective totals reached 6.0 and 3.2 inches. Elsewhere in Georgia, Alma’s 3.0-inch snowfall on January 3 marked its second-snowiest day on record, behind only 4.4 inches on February 10, 1973. And, Tallahassee, FL, received 0.1 inch on
the 3rd, representing a first-ever January accumulation and first measurable snowfall since December 23, 1989. Farther north, January 3-4 snowfall totaled 10.3 inches in Norfolk, VA, and 9.4 inches in Salisbury, MD, along with wind gusts to 46 mph in
both locations. On January 4, a rapidly intensifying coastal storm resulted in heavy snow and high winds along the middle and northern Atlantic Coast. Near North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a wind gust to 78 mph was reported on January 4 at the Diamond
Shoals buoy. On January 4, locations reporting at least 10 inches of snow and wind gusts in excess of 50 mph included Worcester, MA (16.8 inches and 57 mph); Providence, RI (14.1 inches and 55 mph); Atlantic City, NJ (13.2 inches and 53 mph); and Boston,
MA (13.4 inches and 51 mph). Caribou, ME, received 18.8 inches of snow on January 4-5, and clocked a peak wind gust to 45 mph. Farther west, however, several record-setting dry spells continued. For example, January 6 was the 115th consecutive day
without a drop of rain in Las Vegas, NV (previously, 101 days from July 2 – October 10, 1944). Similarly in Texas, Amarillo’s longest streak without measurable precipitation reached 85 days (October 14, 2017 – January 6, 2018), easily surpassing
the former record of 75 days set from October 21, 1956 – January 3, 1957.

7-13: Pounding rains struck California on January 8-9, contributing to mudslides and debris flows in Montecito that left at least 20 people dead. California hillsides that were scorched and scarred by recent wildfires will remain especially vulnerable
to such mudslides and rockslides during heavy rain events as the winter progresses. Precipitation also fell in other areas of the western U.S., providing high-elevation snow in the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies, as well as boosting soil
moisture in previously parched sections of southern California and the southern Great Basin. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation spread across California on January 8, when daily record totals included 3.15 inches in downtown San Francisco and 2.55 inches in
Sacramento. The following day, when mudslides devastated Montecito, record-setting amounts for January 9 totaled 3.80 inches on Palomar Mountain, 2.70 inches in Oceanside Harbor, 1.57 inches in San Diego, and 1.40 inches in Palm Springs. With 1.19
inches of precipitation and 4.7 inches of snow on January 9-10, Flagstaff, AZ, received its first accumulating snow of the season and first measurable precipitation since November 17. Later, precipitation developed in several areas, most notably across
the South, East, and Midwest. Rochester, MN, measured a daily-record snowfall (3.6 inches) for January 11. A day later, record-setting snowfall totals for January 12 included 4.3 inches in both Evansville, IN, and Paducah, KY. Simultaneously, daily-
record rainfall totals for the 12th reached 2.98 inches in Wilmington, NC; 2.37 inches in Williamsport, PA; 1.88 inches in Providence, RI; and 1.64 inches in Charleston, WV. Heavy precipitation lingered across Maine into January 13, when daily-record
amounts totaled 1.85 inches in Bangor and 0.92 inch in Caribou. Bangor’s January 12-13 total climbed to 2.80 inches.

around mid-month. Snow, albeit mostly light, also fell in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Meanwhile, mild weather prevailed in the West and returned to the northern Plains and upper Midwest. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal
in parts of the interior West. Significant precipitation, confined for much of the week to the Pacific Northwest, eventually overspread other sections of the western U.S. Despite the late-week precipitation, abysmally low snowpack continued to plague
many river basins from California to the central and southern Rockies. Elsewhere, mostly dry weather accompanied a warming trend on the Plains. Across the southern half of the Plains, stress on winter wheat has been compounded by a variety of factors,
including poor establishment, intensifying drought, and temperature extremes. On January 16-17, sub-zero temperatures were noted as far south as northern Oklahoma; by January 20, readings on the southern Plains approached or reached 80°F. At week’s
end, snow developed across portions of the northern High Plains in advance of an approaching storm system. On January 15, a dusting of snow (0.3 inch) in Wichita, KS, marked the first accumulation in that location since December 17, 2016, when 2.0
inches fell. Therefore, Wichita’s longest-ever streak without measurable snow ended at 393 days. Farther east, however, snow blanketed parts of the mid-South and lower Midwest. For example, January 15 was the fifth-snowiest day on record in Paducah,
KY, where 8.1 inches fell. Other daily-record snowfall totals for January 15 included 2.8 inches in Evansville, IN, and 2.2 inches in Springfield, MO. A day later, snow spread into the central Appalachians. In West Virginia, daily-record totals for
January 16 reached 4.3 inches in Charleston and 4.0 inches in Elkins. Meanwhile, wintry precipitation (snow, sleet, and freezing rain) affected the Deep South. January 16 featured daily-record snowfall totals in locations such as Shreveport, LA (1.8
inches); Meridian, MS (0.3 inch); and Houston, TX (0.1 inch). (Houston also received 0.7 inch on December 7-8, 2017; as a result, the city has experienced measurable snow in consecutive months for the first time since January-February 1985.) Record-
setting snowfall totals in Georgia for January 17 reached 2.0 inches in Columbus, 1.1 inches in Athens, and 1.0 inch in Macon. Similarly, daily-record amounts in North Carolina for January 17 included 7.0 inches in Greensboro and 5.9 inches in Raleigh-
Durham. Later, significant precipitation arrived in parts of the West. Alturas, CA, netted a daily-record total (0.53 inch) for January 18. In Nevada, Ely received daily-record precipitation and snowfall totals (0.93 and 14.4 inches, respectively) on
January 19. That represented Ely’s greatest calendar-day snowfall since January 13, 1907, when 15.0 inches fell. Meanwhile in Utah, 24-hour snowfall totals on January 19-20 included 10 inches in Tooele and 8 inches in Spanish Fork. Finally, January
2021 snowfall totals in Wyoming reached 11.3 inches in Casper and 9.9 inches in Lander. In advance of the Western storminess, record-setting warmth prevailed. On January 15, Seattle, WA (64°F), tied a monthly record high originally set on January 20,
1981. Another surge of Northwestern warmth on January 17 resulted in daily-record highs in locations such as Roseburg, OR (71°F), and Walla Walla, WA (66°F). Farther east, however, dailyrecord lows for January 16 plunged to -6°F in Joplin, MO, and 1Â
°F in Dalhart, TX. Consecutive daily-record lows were established on January 16-17 in several locations, including Batesville, AR (6 and 4°F);
Greenwood, MS (9 and 5°F); and Waco, TX (15 and 8°F). On January 17 in Arkansas, temperatures plunged to their lowest levels since December 1989 in locations such as Mena (-1°F); El Dorado (3°F); and Texarkana (6°F). Similarly, Longview, TX (8°F
on January 17), reported its lowest reading since December 23, 1989, when it was 2°F. In Louisiana, minimum temperatures on January 17 fell to 16°F in Lafayette and 20°F in New Orleans; it was the coldest day in both locations since February 5, 1996.
Lafayette also achieved a daily-record low (17°F) the following day, on January 18. From January 16-18, Vicksburg, MS, posted a trio of daily-record lows (13, 11, and 8°F). By January 18, daily-record lows in Florida plunged to 25°F in Lakeland and
29°F in Tampa. For Tampa, it was the first freeze since January 13, 2011, and the lowest temperature since January 11, 2010, when it was 25°F. Elsewhere, late-week warmth expanded across the western and central U.S. Salt Lake City, UT, logged
consecutive daily-record highs (56 and 58°F, respectively) on January 18-19. On the central High Plains, daily-record highs for January 19 reached 74°F in Goodland, KS, and Burlington, CO. On the 20th, daily-record highs in Texas surged to 81°F in
Childress and 80°F in Borger, and in Iowa rose to 52°F in Mason City and 50°F in Waterloo. Uncommonly mild weather dominated Alaska, with weekly temperatures averaging at least 20°F above normal in many eastern locations—and averaging more than 10Â
°F above normal nearly statewide. Sunday the 14th was the warmest January day on record in Alaska communities such as Annette Island (66°F; previously, 61°F on January 19, 1961, and January 14, 1981) and Sitka (63°F; previously, 60°F on January 1,
1946). Sitka also posted four consecutive daily-record highs (53, 63, 60, and 54°F) from January 1316. In some parts of Alaska, significant precipitation accompanied the mild conditions. For example, weekly snowfall in Fairbanks totaled 10.8 inches,
aided by a daily-record sum of 6.1 inches on January 17. From January 12-16, rainfall in Yakutat totaled 5.47 inches. Farther south, warm, mostly dry weather prevailed in Hawaii. Honolulu, Oahu, received its first measurable rain of the month—0.06
inch—on January 20. Through the 20th, month-to-date rainfall at the state’s major airport observation sites ranged from a trace (1.90 inches below normal) in Kahului, Maui, to 2.31 inches (41 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island. However,
Hilo’s rain intensified late in the week, when 1.52 inches fell from January 18-20.

14-20: Significant precipitation, confined for much of the week to the Pacific Northwest, eventually overspread other sections of the western U.S. Despite the late-week precipitation, abysmally low snowpack continued to plague many river basins from
California to the central and southern Rockies. Elsewhere, mostly dry weather accompanied a warming trend on the Plains. Across the southern half of the Plains, stress on winter wheat has been compounded by a variety of factors, including poor
establishment, intensifying drought, and temperature extremes. On January 16-17, sub-zero temperatures were noted as far south as northern Oklahoma; by January 20, readings on the southern Plains approached or reached 80°F. At week’s end, snow
developed across portions of the northern High Plains in advance of an approaching storm system. On January 15, a dusting of snow (0.3 inch) in Wichita, KS, marked the first accumulation in that location since December 17, 2016, when 2.0 inches fell.
Therefore, Wichita’s longest-ever streak without measurable snow ended at 393 days. Farther east, however, snow blanketed parts of the mid-South and lower Midwest. For example, January 15 was the fifth-snowiest day on record in Paducah, KY, where 8.1
inches fell. Other daily-record snowfall totals for January 15 included 2.8 inches in Evansville, IN, and 2.2 inches in Springfield, MO. A day later, snow spread into the central Appalachians. In West Virginia, daily-record totals for January 16
reached 4.3 inches in Charleston and 4.0 inches in Elkins. Meanwhile, wintry precipitation (snow, sleet, and freezing rain) affected the Deep South. January 16 featured daily-record snowfall totals in locations such as Shreveport, LA (1.8 inches);
Meridian, MS (0.3 inch); and Houston, TX (0.1 inch). (Houston also received 0.7 inch on December 7-8, 2017; as a result, the city has experienced measurable snow in consecutive months for the first time since January-February 1985.) Record-setting
snowfall totals in Georgia for January 17 reached 2.0 inches in Columbus, 1.1 inches in Athens, and 1.0 inch in Macon. Similarly, daily-record amounts in North Carolina for January 17 included 7.0 inches in Greensboro and 5.9 inches in Raleigh-Durham.
Later, significant precipitation arrived in parts of the West. Alturas, CA, netted a daily-record total (0.53 inch) for January 18. In Nevada, Ely received daily-record precipitation and snowfall totals (0.93 and 14.4 inches, respectively) on January
19. That represented Ely’s greatest calendar-day snowfall since January 13, 1907, when 15.0 inches fell. Meanwhile in Utah, 24-hour snowfall totals on January 19-20 included 10 inches in Tooele and 8 inches in Spanish Fork. Finally, January 2021
snowfall totals in Wyoming reached 11.3 inches in Casper and 9.9 inches in Lander.

21-27: Early-week snow blanketed areas from central portions of the Rockies and High Plains into the Great Lakes region. The snow, which locally totaled a foot or more, provided beneficial moisture and insulation for winter wheat in Nebraska and
portions of neighboring states, but increased stress on livestock and caused significant travel disruptions. However, unlike several earlier storms, relatively mild weather trailed the January 21-22 event. Meanwhile, generally beneficial rain fell in
much of the South, East, and lower Midwest. Toward week’s end, a second storm brought additional rain to most of the same areas, preceded by a surge of unseasonable warmth. From the two storms, weekly rainfall totaled 4 inches or more in scattered
locations near the central Gulf Coast, and topped an inch in portions of the mid-South and Northeast. Farther west, negligible precipitation was observed across the northern and southern Plains. As a major storm traversed the central Plains and upper
Midwest, wind-driven snow fell just north of the low-pressure system. In Goodland, KS, an 8.3-inch snowfall on January 21-22 was accompanied by a peak wind gust to 57 mph. On January 22, snowfall topped a foot in locations such as Norfolk, NE (14.6
inches); Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (12.4 inches); and Sioux City, IA (12.1 inches). Norfolk also clocked a wind gust to 60 mph. Elsewhere in Nebraska, storm-total snowfall (and wind gusts) reached 11.4 inches (and 42 mph) in North Platte and 7.4 inches (
and 54 mph) in Grand Island. Peak gusts of 54 mph were also reported on January 22 in Hill City, KS, and McCook, NE. In Rochester, MN, where 8.1 inches of snow (0.91 inch of liquid equivalent) fell on the 22nd, it was the seventh-wettest January day on
record—and wettest since January 22, 1982. Meanwhile, at least a dozen tornadoes were spotted on January 21-22, primarily from the mid-South into the middle Mississippi Valley. In addition, daily-record rainfall totals for January 22 reached 2.83
inches in Montgomery, AL, and 2.01 inches in Waterloo, IA. Heavy precipitation lingered into January 23 across Maine, where daily record amounts included 1.72 inches in Caribou and 1.16 inches in Houlton. Caribou’s January 23-24 snowfall totaled 11.7
inches, along with more than one-third of an inch of ice accretion (freezing rain). Meanwhile, the average water content of the high-elevation Sierra Nevada snowpack increased to 5 inches (nearly 30 percent for late-January average) by week’s end, up
from 3 inches at the beginning of the month. Farther north, weekly rainfall totaled 4.82 inches in Quillayute, WA, and 4.78 inches in Crescent City, CA. At week’s end, locally torrential rain developed along and near the Gulf Coast. On the 27th,
totals of 6.68 inches in Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX, and 5.00 inches in New Iberia, LA, represented the highest respective January daily amounts on record. Previously, records had been 4.30 inches (on January 9, 1984) in Beaumont Port Arthur and 4.04
inches (on January 4, 2007) in New Iberia. Elsewhere in Louisiana, Lake Charles collected a daily-record total (4.37 inches) for January 27.

28-31: Multiple storms eased cold-season precipitation deficits in the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast States. Weekly precipitation totals in excess of 2 inches were common across the Southeast. Periods of wintry precipitation occurred from the Great
Lakes into the Northeast, and in the central Appalachians. The week opened with some heavy rain in the southern Atlantic States. In Florida, Tampa netted a daily-record rainfall (3.31 inches) for January 28. Similarly, St. Simons Island received 2.03
inches on January 29, a record for the date. In South Carolina, daily-record totals included 0.89 inch (on January 28) in Florence and 0.83 inch (on January 29) in Charleston. Later, windy weather developed across parts of the northwestern and north-
central U.S. On January 30, wind gusts were locked to 68 mph in Lander, WY, and 56 mph in Grand Forks, ND. Meanwhile in Texas, January 31 was the 110th consecutive day without measurable precipitation in Amarillo and the 84th such day in Lubbock.
Amarillo’s 1956-57 former record of 75 consecutive days was broken weeks ago, while Lubbock’s 200506 record of 98 days is being threatened. Farther north and west, periods of heavy precipitation was mostly confined to the northern Rockies and the
Pacific Northwest. Quillayute, WA, tallied a daily-record rainfall of 4.21 inches on January 29, helping to boost its monthly total to 22.10 inches (151 percent of normal). On February 1, snowfall in the central Appalachians resulted in a daily-record
total of 5.0 inches in Beckley, WV. Snow also blanketed the northern High Plains, where daily-record totals in Montana included 4.5 inches (on February 3) in Havre and 2.4 inches (on February 2) in Glasgow.

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