The new year started off on a very warm note across the U.S., with the nation seeing its sixth-warmest January on record, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
The month was also plagued by a series of atmospheric rivers that brought historic rainfall and snow to the West, as numerous tornadoes struck other parts of the country.
Below are highlights from NOAA's U.S. climate report for January 2023:
Climate by the numbers
January 2023
The average January temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 35.2 degrees F (5.1 degrees above average), ranking as the sixth-warmest January on record.
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont each had their warmest Januaries on record. Indiana, New York and Pennsylvania saw their second-warmest Januaries on record, with 17 additional states experiencing a top-10 warmest January.
The nation's average precipitation across the contiguous U.S was 2.85 inches (0.54 of an inch above average), ranking among the wettest third of Januaries on record.
Nebraska saw its third-wettest January on record, with Massachusetts ranking fourth wettest and Rhode Island ranking seventh. Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire and Utah each had a top-10 wettest January on record.
read more www.noaa.gov/news/january-2023-was-nations-6th-warmest-on-record
