The good news about the weather in January is that it wasn’t as bad as January can be in Iowa.
According to volunteer weather observer John Beltz, the average temperature was about four degrees warmer than usual. He reported the average high temperature as 31.3 degrees, compared to the normal average high of 27.6 degrees. He reported the average low temperature as 11.4 degrees, compared to the normal average low of 8.1 degrees.
High temperature for the month was 52 degrees (!) on Jan. 17. High temperature was 51 degree on two days, and 40 degrees or warmer on 10 days. Low temperature was -14 degrees on Jan. 8 and Jan. 21. There were nine days when the low temperature was below 0. Record high January temperature in Jefferson is 69 degrees on Jan. 27, 2002. Record low temperature is -37 degrees on Jan. 12, 1912.
Beltz reported snow was on the ground on 14 days in January. Normal snowfall is 7.5 inches. He reported 4.3 inches in January, for .32 inch of precipitation.
Note: Beltz records his observations at 6 am for the previous 24 hours. The snow that fell starting Saturday afternoon, Jan. 31, is reported as February snow. That storm totaled nearly 10 inches in Jefferson.
