Graham County, Arizona’s Hottest and Coldest January on Record

Severe Cold Weather Starts 2024 in the US

The new year kicked off with harsh cold and significant weather impacts across much of the United States. The storm brought flooding to the Northeast, tornadoes to the South, and heavy snowfall in the Midwest and New England.

Minneapolis recorded a low of -8°F over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Meanwhile, Dallas, usually warmer, faced temperatures that might seem more fitting for teens—certainly unusual for a city where January averages around 45.2°F.

Even as global average temperatures climb over time, the effects of climate change aren’t leading to consistently warmer winters compared to summers. Extreme weather events can still disrupt these long-term trends. This also contributes to rising global temperatures, enhances atmospheric moisture, and fuels storm systems.

This frigid January follows a December where approximately 14% of the country experienced the hottest conditions on record, and another 20% saw their second warmest December.

So, what triggered this unusual winter weather at the start of 2024? Scientists find it challenging to link specific weather patterns to one cause. However, a recent Arctic event called “sudden stratospheric warming” has affected the Polar Vortex—typically a high-pressure system that keeps extremely cold air contained within the Arctic. This disruption has led to a broader spread of cold air into parts of Canada and the US, resulting in lower temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere.

January temperatures have fluctuated over the last century. Between 1901 and 2000, the average monthly temperature was 30.12 degrees.

By comparing the annual average temperatures in the US to this long-term average from the 20th century, one can assess how out of the ordinary this year’s climate patterns are. For reference, the warmest January on record was in 2006, with an average of 38.93 degrees—8.81 degrees above the long-term average. In January 2023, the average was 35.15 degrees, marking the sixth highest on record.

In Graham County, Arizona, the January average temperature from 1901 to 2000 was 42.6 degrees. It raises a question: when did Graham County experience its warmest January? And what about the coldest one? To answer this, we used data from the National Center for Environmental Information. The temperatures for that year are incorporated alongside the 1901-2000 averages to pinpoint the highest and lowest average temperatures since 1895.

As January comes to a close, we’ll quickly see how the average temperatures settle for 2024. For now, it’s worth looking back from 1895 to 2023 to explore these trends.