Bad News For Skiers And Skaters––

January Thaw Comes Early This Year

By Dottie Evans

During this past week, daytime temperatures have remained between 40 and 50 degrees — warm enough to melt the snow and ice and provide a brief respite from mufflers and thick down parkas.

Streams are running, grass is poking through the slush, dogs are getting muddy, and people are venturing out to do a few outside chores like taking down their Christmas lights, stacking wood, or propping up the mailbox that was ravaged by the plow guy during the December snowstorms.

Connecticut Weather Center meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says the 2006 January thaw — though it came a bit early — is no surprise. He saw it coming in November.

“This is typical of the six-week weather pattern set in motion by the jet stream. It began in late November, where a mild period was followed by a very cold period and snow. Then came a period of transition, then very mild weather, then very cold, etc.

“Expect that by Sunday, the cold will be back again. And if we get moisture, it’ll be in the form of snow,” warned Mr Jacquemin.

“It all averages out. So if you are happy about saving fuel this week, you’ll be using more than normal next week,” he cautioned.

Town highway departments do not necessarily save money during a winter like this one where there are frequent fluctuations in temperature, he noted.

“The snow is wetter and heavier and they’ll have to add more salt to the sand because of the ice. Continual snow pack without the melting is easier on town budgets,” Mr Jacquemin said.

The storied “January Thaw” that usually occurs during the third week of January across the Great Lakes/St Lawrence Valley, New England and the maritime provinces holds a special place in North American weather lore that is nearly as prominent as Autumn’s “Indian Summer.”

As far as can be determined, the January Thaw phenomenon is unique to this continent and particularly to the aforementioned regions that are east of the Mississippi River and between 40 and 50 degrees North latitude.

It may last a day or a week, but some years it does not happen at all.

“Last January [2005] was one example of  a nonthaw year,” Mr Jacquemin said.

“If you remember, there was a three-day blizzard of snow and wind that closed airports and highways from Maine to Washington, D.C.”