January warmth didn't produce much snow here

By RALPH ANSAMI

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Ironwood — January weather in Ironwood was marked by half the normal snowfall and above average temperatures.

In his monthly report for the National Weather Service office in Marquette, Kevin Crupi noted readings during the first half of the month were about 15 degrees below average, but the last two weeks were 20 to 25 degrees higher than normal.

As a result, the average January reading of 16.4 degrees was above the long-term average of 11.8 degrees.

Snowfall totaled just 23.3 inches, compared to the 116-year norm of 44.2 inches.

Crupi noted the period from Aug. 1, 2016, through Jan. 31 was 4 degrees above normal, or the 11th warmest on record in Ironwood.

There was a 66-degree upward tick in the temperature within one week. The highest temperature was 50 degrees on Jan. 19 and the low of minus-16 was recorded on Jan. 13. That 50-degree reading broke the old mark of 48 degrees set for Jan. 19 in 1908 and 1981.

Another rarity was that the top 24-hour snowfall total was just 5.5 inches on Jan. 10.

Elsewhere across the Upper Peninsula, snowfall was below normal, although Painesdale, in Houghton County, had 71.7 inches. Painesdale had 39 inches of snow on the ground on Jan. 11. A total of 59.1 inches fell there Jan. 3-14, impacted by a large-scale low pressure system for two days and nearly continuous lake-effect snows from Lake Superior.

Menominee totaled only 4 inches for the entire month.

The U.P.’s high January temperature was 55 at Big Bay in Marquette County on Jan 18. The low was minus-30 at Amasa in Iron County on Jan. 13.