NOUS42 KILM 151626
PNSILM

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1126 AM EST FRI JAN 15 2010


...AN ARCTIC START TO 2010...

AN ARCTIC AIRMASS HAS GRIPPED THE COUNTRY THROUGH THE FIRST TWO 
WEEKS OF 2010 CREATING RECORD AND NEAR-RECORD COLD ACROSS MUCH OF 
THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THE CAPE FEAR REGION HAS BEEN NO 
EXCEPTION. ALTHOUGH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ARE NOT TOO UNCOMMON IN 
JANUARY...AND IN FACT ONLY 3 DAILY RECORDS HAVE BEEN SET DURING THIS 
ARCTIC OUTBREAK...IT IS THE DURATION OF THE COLD THAT MAKES THIS 
JANUARY STAND OUT. 


THROUGH THE FIRST 14 DAYS OF 2010...

...WILMINGTON AIRPORT HAS AVERAGED ONLY 34.2 DEGREES. 
          THIS IS 12 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR JANUARY AND WILMINGTON 
HAS NOT SEEN ONE DAY ABOVE AVERAGE SO FAR THIS YEAR. 
          THE 34.2 DEGREE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THROUGH THE FIRST 14 
DAYS IS THE 2ND COLDEST FIRST 14 DAYS OF A NEW YEAR ON RECORD. THE 
RECORD WAS SET IN 1981 WHEN THE SAME TIMEFRAME AVERAGED 32.6 
DEGREES. 1981 WAS SKEWED BY A FEW RECORD COLD LOWS HOWEVER...SO IN 
SOME WAYS THE 2010 AVERAGE IS MORE IMPRESSIVE.
          DURING THIS STRETCH...THE AIRPORT HAD 10 STRAIGHT DAYS 
WITH LOWS OF 28 OR BELOW. THIS IS 1 SHORT OF THE RECORD LAST SET IN 
1960. 

...FLORENCE AIRPORT HAS AVERAGED 32.7 DEGREES.
          THIS IS 13 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR JANUARY AND FLORENCE 
HAS ALSO NOT SEEN ONE DAY ABOVE AVERAGE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
          THE 32.7 DEGREE AVERAGE THROUGH THIS PERIOD IS THE RECORD 
COLDEST START TO A NEW YEAR AT FLORENCE. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS 
RECORD OF 32.8 DEGREES SET IN 1981.
          DURING THIS STRETCH...FLORENCE SAW 10 STRAIGHT DAYS WITH 
LOWS OF 26 OR LESS. THIS IS ALSO 1 SHORT OF THE RECORD SET IN 1960.


ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THAT THE TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE THROUGH THE 
MIDDLE OF THE MONTH...WE CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AHEAD AT THE ALL TIME 
RECORD COLD JANUARY AT WILMINGTON AND FLORENCE.

FOR WILMINGTON...THE TOP 5 COLDEST JANUARY MONTHLY AVERAGE 
TEMPERATURES ARE...

35.7 IN 1977
36.9 IN 1940
37.4 IN 1981
39.0 IN 1893
39.2 IN 1970

AND AT FLORENCE...

34.5 IN 1977
37.4 IN 1981
38.4 IN 1985
38.8 IN 1966
39.0 IN 1948

...IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TO GET 2010 INTO THE TOP 5 AT BOTH OF THESE 
STATIONS.

$$

JDW