National Weather Service Text Product Display

Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Versions: 1
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NOAK48 PAFC 030054
PNSAFC
AKZ101-061615-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
354 PM AKST Tue Feb 2 2021

...Anchorage International Airport Climate Highlights for
January 2021...

...Record Wettest Martin Luther King Jr. Day...
...7th Least Snowiest January...
...Least Snowiest January Since 2005...
...11th Warmest January...
...11th Deepest Average Snow Depth in January...
...Deepest Average Snow Depth since 2012...
...33rd Driest January...

The period of record includes 69 Januarys.

...Temperature...

January 2021 was the 11th warmest January on record with an
average temperature of 22.3 degrees. This is 5.2 degrees above
the normal of 17.1 degrees.

The average high in January was 28.2 degrees, which was 5.1
degrees above the normal of 23.1 degrees. The average low was
16.3 degrees, which was 5.2 degrees above the normal of 11.1
degrees.

January 2021 was the warmest January since 2016.
January 2021 had a very similar average temperature as December
2020, despite the normals falling about 2 degrees from December to
January.

January 2021 was the second consecutive month that ended with an
average temperature that was above the climatological normal
average temperature.

21 days in January had above average temperatures.
1 day in January had normal temperatures (within 1/2 degree).
9 days in January had below average temperatures.

There were 15 days in January that were more than 10 degrees
warmer than their respective daily normals. 4 of those days were
more than 15 degrees warmer than its daily normal.

There were 3 days in January that were more than 10 degrees
colder than their respective daily normals.

The most above normal day in January occurred on the 17th, which
was 18.8 degrees warmer than the daily normal.

The most below normal day in January occurred on the 2nd, which
was 13.7 degrees colder than the daily normal.

The warmest daily high in January occurred on the 17th, when the
high reached 41 degrees. This ties several years for the 33rd
warmest monthly high in January. The average monthly high in
January is also 41 degrees. This was the warmest January monthly
high since 2019.

The coldest daily low in January occurred on the 2nd, when the
low dropped to 3 below. This ties 1992 for was the 12th warmest
monthly low in January. This was the warmest January monthly low
since 2018. The normal monthly low for January is 12 below.

January had 1 day with highs of 40 or more. Average: 2 days.
January had 15 days with highs of 33 or more. Average: 7 days.
January had 23 days with highs of 20 or more. Average: 18 days.

January had all 31 days with lows at or below freezing. Average: 30
days.
January had 16 days with lows in the teens and colder. Average: 22
days.
January had 8 days with lows in the single digits and colder. Average:
15 days.
January had 1 day with a low below zero. Average 8 days.

...Precipitation...

January 2021 was the 33rd driest January on record, with 0.67
inches of precipitation measured for the month. The normal
precipitation in January is 0.73 inches. Thus, January had 92% of
its normal precipitation.

The wettest day in January was on the 18th, with 0.44 inches of
precipitation measured, setting a daily record. This also set a
record for the wettest Martin Luther King Jr. Day since the
holiday was established in 1986. The previous record wettest
Martin Luther King Jr. Day recorded 0.32 inches of precipitation
on January 16, 2017.

17 of 31 days in January had a trace or more of precipitation.
7 days had measurable precipitation.
1 day had 1/10 inch & 1/4 inch or more of precipitation.

...Snowfall...

January 2021 was the 7th least snowiest January on record with
3.0 inches of snow measured during the month. The normal snow in
January is 11.3 inches. Thus, January had 27% of its normal
snowfall.

January 2021 was the least snowiest January since 2005.

The snowiest days in January 2021 occurred on both the 3rd and
the 24th, when 0.8 inches of snow were measured.

Fun Fact: More snow had fallen in January 2020 by 3am on January
1st (3.6 inches), than fell for the entire month of January 2021.

17 of 31 days in January recorded a trace or more of snowfall.
9 of those days recorded measurable snowfall.
0 days recorded 1" or more of snowfall.

...Snow Season...

39.1 inches of snow have been measured for the snow season
through the end of January.

The normal snow season snow through the end of January is 49.4
inches. Anchorage has had 79% of its normal snow season snowfall
so far, and is 10.3 inches below normal for snow season snowfall
through the end of January.

Snow Season 2020-2021 is the 24th least snowiest snow season
through the end of January. This is down 10 places from the end
of December.

...Snow Depth...

January 2021 had an average snow depth of 16.7 inches. This is the
11th deepest average snow depth in January, and the deepest
average snow depth since 2012.

...January 2021 vs. January 2020...

January 2021 was much warmer, similarly wet, but much less
snowy than January 2020.

Temperature: 22.3 degrees in 2021 vs. 6.2 degrees in 2020.
Precipitation: 0.67 inches in 2021 vs. 0.70 inches in 2020.
Snowfall: 3.0 inches in 2021 vs. 15.8 inches in 2020.
Snow Season: 39.1 inches in 2020-2021 vs. 46.7 inches in 2019-2020.

...Daily Records Set in January 2021...

Type............Date...New Record....Old Record (Year)

Precipitation...18th...0.44 inches...0.23 inches (2010)

...Daily Records Count for 2021 (Change) [Most Recent Previous]...

High Maximum....0      [October 3, 2020]
High Minimum....0      [October 7, 2020]
Low Maximum.....0      [November 8, 2015]
Low Minimum.....0      [May 30, 2017]
Precipitation...1 (+1) [January 18, 2021]
Snowfall........0      [December 19, 2020]

...Climate Highlights for February 2021...

Normal High: 26.6 degrees.
Normal Temperature: 20.2 degrees.
Normal Low: 13.8 degrees.
Normal Precipitation: 0.72 inches.
Normal Snowfall: 10.9 inches.

Warmest February: 32.7 degrees average temperature (1977).
Warmest Day: 49 degrees on February 27, 2014.
Coldest February: 3.8 degrees average temperature (1990).
Coldest Day: -28 degrees on February 4, 1999.
Wettest February: 3.07 inches (1955).
Wettest Day: 1.16 inches on February 8, 1956.
Driest February: 0.07 inches (1958).
Snowiest February: 52.1 inches (1996).
Least Snowiest February: 0.3 inches (2003).
Snowiest Day: 13.0 inches on February 11, 1996.

...Calendar of Astronomy and Federal Holidays...

Beginning of the Month Daylight: 7 hours 50 minutes.
First Day With More than 8 Hours of Daylight: February 3rd.
Third Quarter Moon: February 4th at 8:37am.
Sunrise at 9am: February 8th.
New Moon: February 11th at 10:05am.
First Day with More than 9 Hours of Daylight: February 14th.
Washington`s Birthday (Presidents` Day): February 15th.
First Quarter Moon: February 19th at 9:47am.
First Sunset After 6pm: February 20th.
First Day with More than 10 Hours of Daylight: February 25th.
Full (Snow) Moon: February 26th at 11:17pm.
First Sunrise Before 8am: March 1st.
End of the Month Daylight: 10 Hours 22 minutes.
Total Monthly Daylight Gain: 2 hours 32 minutes.

Next Eclipse Viewable in Anchorage:
Total Lunar Eclipse- May 26, 2021 at 3:18am.

$$

Wegman
National Weather Service National Headquarters
