January is normally the coldest and driest month of the year in Geary County. Pleasantly, January 2023 was warmer and wetter than usual. The average daily high during January was 42.6, 2.8 degrees above normal. The average overnight low was 25.2, 5.8 degrees above normal. This resulted in a monthly mean temperature of 33.9, 4.3 degrees above average.
The highest temperature for the month was 59 degrees on the 10th and the 15th. The lowest temperature for the month was the morning low of 5 on the 31st. There were no temperature records set or tied during January. While it was a warm month, it was not record setting. It was the tenth warmest January on record though. The warmest January was in 2006 when we had a monthly mean temperature of 43.9 degrees. For the coldest January we venture back to the “mini ice age” period in the late 1970s. January 1979 had a frigid mean temperature of 12.1, with 1978 and 1977 coming in with strong second and third coldest Januarys on record at 14.4 and 17.0 degrees average temperature.
At 0.73 inches, average, of liquid precipitation, January is our driest month of the year. While it is also our snowiest month of the year (tied with February) at 4.2 inches of snow, we saw more liquid and less snow than average. Total precipitation for January was 1.88 inches. This is over 250% of normal for the month. But given the dry conditions of the past 18 months, it was a nice change. Average January snowfall is 4.2 inches but the area only managed about 1.4 inches. This brings the season to date total to 4.2 inches, less than half of the long term average of 9.4 inches.
February is our shortest month of the year and while still in the heart of winter, with brutally cold temperatures possible, it does generally show some nice improvement in temperature. Average daily highs at the start of the month are around 40 and four weeks later we are almost hitting 50. Overnight lows range from 19 on the 1st to 26 on the 28th. While subzero temperatures have been recorded clear into mid-March, there is a noticeable moderation in record low temperatures in the last week of February. February shares the title of snowiest month of the year with January at 4.2 inches. Total liquid precipitation does start to increase in February with long term average February precipitation of 1.10 inches.
By Chuck Otte
Special Weather Correspondent