January was warm and dry in Los Alamos, White Rock

January was a scorcher, relatively speaking, in Los Alamos and White Rock, with temperatures well above average and no recorded precipitation. It also was a return to a pattern that has been in place over much of the southwest recently.

"Persistent high pressure ridging over the southwest had a hand in keeping our skies clear," said Scot Johnson, a meteorologist in Meteorology and Air Quality (RRES-MAQ). The high pressure in place also directed storms away from the state.

However, the three-month National Weather Service forecast still bodes well for the area, with average temperatures and greater than normal precipitation forecasted. "Cautious optimism is in order for the remainder of this winter," said Johnson.

According to Johnson, the mean maximum daily temperature in Los Alamos in January was 48 degrees Fahrenheit, or 8 degrees warmer than normal. The mean and mean minimum temperatures also were at least 8 F above average. But no temperature records were established last month in Los Alamos despite the general warmth.

Likewise in White Rock, the mean maximum temperature soared to 52 F in January, a full 10 F above normal. The mean and mean minimum temperatures also were well above normal in January. And five temperature records were established in White Rock last month.

The high temperature of 55 F on Jan. 4 broke the previous record of 51 F set in 1994. Jan. 27 and 28 also saw new high temperature marks set, 59 F and 60 F, respectively, said Johnson.

The other two temperature records in January in White Rock included high minimum temperatures of 28 F on Jan. 9 and 35 F on Jan. 24, breaking the old mark of 29 F in 1999.

Johnson said that through January 17 inches of snow has been measured in Los Alamos, slightly more than half (32.6 inches) of the normal.

Winds gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour were recorded on New Year's Day and Jan. 15 in Los Alamos, while a wind gust of 41 miles-per-hour was recorded on Jan. 1 in White Rock. The windiness in January, as measured by average wind speed and average maximum daily gust speed, was about 10 percent calmer than normal in Los Alamos and slightly calmer than normal in White Rock.

More information about weather in the region can be found at http://weather.lanl.gov online.

-- Steve Sandoval

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