“January Thaw” is Coming This Week

Happy Martin Luther King day and get ready for a warm up.  After a brutally cold weekend, you can expect a temperature spike for Bismarck Mandan this week.  High's today will be around 10, but then the fun begins.  Expect a high of 35 on Tuesday, 33 on Wednesday.  Then, Thursday & Friday high's will be in the upper 20's.  Before we enjoy a warm weekend with highs in the mid to upper 30's for the weekend.  After wind chills around minus 40 and temps over the last week well below zero, 30 degrees or better is going to feel so nice.

The January Thaw, like Indian Summer, is more than just another piece of fanciful weather lore. Annual averages really do show a slight temperature increase, and subsequent dip, during the final week of January. On average, January 23 is the coldest day of the year in much of the Northern Hemisphere. Almost exactly six months later sits July 24, the warmest day of the year, on average. Between those two dates, average daily temperatures show a fairly predictable rate of increase. While there may be deviations from that pattern during any given year, the model holds true when looked at over a period of several years.

During the January Thaw, which usually lasts for about a week, temperatures rise an average of 10° F higher than the previous week, then drop back down in time for February’s arrival according to the NWS.

So enjoy the longer days and warmer weather this week.