Is It Warm In Here? January the Fourth Warmest on Record

Here’s something you probably already knew: The past twelve months have been hot as you-know-what.

A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that last January was the fourth warmest ever for the contiguous United States. (Globally, it was the 19th hottest January on record.) Moreover, the previous six months, from August 2011 to January 2012, were the fifth warmest on record. 

Oh, and Maryland is one of seven states that experienced a “record warm” year in 2011. (The other six are Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.)

Across the states, the average temperature for January was 36.3 degrees, which is about 5.5 degrees above the long-term average, according to NOAA. It’s the warmest January we’ve had since 2006.

The maximum temperature at BWI airport averaged 47.9 degrees, which makes last month the 15th warmest on record for the Baltimore region. At Reagan National airport in D.C., the average temperature was 40.7 degrees, making January the 17th warmest for the Washington region.

What made this winter so warm for some states? Something called a “jet stream pattern,” according to AccuWeather.com Senior Meterorlogist Michael Pigott.

"Generally, for the most part of the winter, it has been on a west-to-east pattern,” he said. “Meteorologists refer to this as a 'zonal flow.' Essentially, we've seen a lot of storms moving from west to east, and not a lot traveling northward or southward.

“So, anything in the Arctic is staying up there, and anything in the U.S. is staying put as well,” Pigott continued.

Although the old saying goes no one knows when March weather will change, Jack Boston, another meterologist with AccuWeather.com, predicts the weather will stay slightly warmer than usual. 

"The average will be somewhat above normal, though it won't be as above normal as January. But, it will be closer to normal," he said.