January fifth coldest on record, professor says

Yes, January was cold and, according to a Shippensburg University professor, was the fifth coldest since record keeping began in 1932.

January’s average temperature was 22.6 degrees, according to Dr. Timothy W. Hawkins, professor and graduate program coordinator in Shippensburg University’s geography-earth science department.

“We’ve had an extended period this winter where the jet stream has dipped relatively far to the south over the eastern United States,” Hawkins said.

"This has allowed for below average temperature air to move into the eastern United States from Canada causing the relatively cold month we just had.”

Three record lows were also set, he said. Record low temperatures were set on Jan. 4 of 4 degrees, Jan. 6 of 0 degrees and Jan. 7 of -4 degrees.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Shippensburg , -16 degreees, was Jan. 19, 1994. The coldest January was 1977 with an average temperature of 17 degrees.

For January, the monthly precipitation totaled 1.63 inches, the 14th driest. Monthly snowfall was 8 inches, the 39th snowiest.

The geography-earth science department maintains weather readings and data at http://webspace.ship.edu/weather.