At least, January 2000 finally looked a bit like winter in St. Cloud.
Three snowstorms at mid-month gave St. Cloud its first long-term snow cover of 
the season. The January snowfall of 10.8 inches again helped to keep January's
reputation as the snowiest month of the year. However, the snowfall was only
slightly above the normal total of 10.1 inches. 
	St. Cloud even tied a snowfall record this past month. The 5.0 inches
of snow on January 12 tied the highest snowfall for the date, set originally
in 1993. However, when that snowfall accounts for nearly 1/3 of the seasonal 
snowfall (16.4 inches), then we know that we're not exactly having a winter
wonderland this year. The seasonal snowfall remains nearly 10 inches below 
normal, but we now seem sure to pass the most recent, relatively snowless 
winters: the winter of 1980-1981, which only produced 16.5 inches for the 
season, and the winter of 1986-1987, which only had 16.7 inches for the season.
        After getting a snow cover, which reflects more sunshine out to space,
temperatures began to get more winter-like. Immediately after the first two
snowstorms, St. Cloud began a streak of 13 sub-zero lows in 17 days, including
-22 on the 21st, the coldest night of the season thus far. Still, the cold
could not entirely offset the mild conditions early in the month, so St. Cloud
ended up more than 3 1/2 degrees above normal for the month. This average 
temperature was even warmer than January 1999, the only near normal cold season
month last year. It would take a February with temperatures averaging nearly
8 degrees below normal to give St. Cloud a normal winter average temperature.
So much for La Nina!

SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 2000               JAN 2000         NORMAL
TEMPERATURE
Average high temperature ( F)            22.3            18.5
Average low temperature ( F)              1.0            -2.4
Average temperature ( F)                 11.7             8.1
Warmest high for this month ( F)          42 on the 8th       
Coldest high for this month ( F)           5 on the 21st
Mildest low for this month ( F)           27 on the 10th
Coldest low for this month ( F)           -22 on the 21st

Record temperatures ( F):                none

MELTED PRECIPITATION (in)
January                                   0.76           0.74
Greatest in 24 hours                       .26 on the 12th, 19th

SNOWFALL (in)
January                                   10.8           10.1
Greatest in 24 hours                       5.0 on the 12th (tied record; see
                                                            below)
Season (1997-1998)                        16.4           26.3

Record snowfall:
Daily records - maximum daily snowfall     5.0 on the 12th (tied with 1993)

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All climate data provided courtesy of NOAA/NWS

and Minnesota Climatology Working Group, including the Minnesota State Climatologist's Office, University of Minnesota-Saint Paul Campus.

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