JANUARY, 2022 Monthly Weather and Climate Summary:  

January, 2022 was cold and snowy in Canaan Valley and much of the surrounding WV High Country.  The weather was a complete flip-flop from the very mild, nearly snow-less previous month (December, 2021).

Notable events included;

1)  two new all-time minimum temperatures of -31 F recorded for Canaan Valley at the new VA Tech research frost hollow station in the wild, undisturbed north end of the valley floor.  Both occurred in one week. 

2) two 16 inch-plus snowfalls, including a powerful two-foot blizzard mid-month.    

The most intense period of the blizzard, according to the Canaan Heights NWS weather observer, included 5-plus hours of near-zero visibility and wind gusts of 35 MPH or greater  Thirteen hours with wind gusts clocked at 50-to 58-MPH also occurred at VA Tech Cabin Mountain summit (Dolly Sods) weather station (operated by instructor David Carroll).

Those visibility and wind criteria easily exceeded National Weather Service (NWS) blizzard criteria which is;

"sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; considerable falling and/or blowing snow (i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than a quarter mile)"

Note with the NWS definition, it does not have to be snowing to have blizzard conditions.  The snow can be a result of either falling snow or snow blowing (off the ground) that greatly reduces visibility.

Some noteworthy January, 2022 monthly statistics for the official NWS Valley floor station included:

-  21.0° F,  about 3° F below the seasonal January average (~24° F).  This was a whopping 17° F colder than the mild previous December (38° F).

-  8 days with minimum temperatures ≤  0° F including three of -10° F or lower on the valley floor with the lowest being -21° F. The average number of such days is four.  That is the highest number of such days since 2018 (10).  

-  the extreme monthly low of -21° F at the official NWS valley floor station (near Deerfield Village) tied for the 4th coldest all-time lowest reading in the Valley's 77-year official consecutive temperature record.  The coldest temperature ever recorded in the populated southern end of the valley occurred on January 21, 1985.  That record low NWS recorded temperature occurred with an intrinsically much colder Arctic air mass and was accompanied by very low wind chills, unlike this month's extreme lows, which occurred with calm winds.

-  the 57.9 inches of snowfall measured is about 38 percent above the long-term average of about 42 inches.  That was the greatest January snowfall in 19 years (2003) when 82.5 inches was measured (2 yrs. data missing).  Ironically, that amount followed the second lowest snowfall amount (1.1") ever recorded for a December (2021).

-  the maximum snow depth measured was 15 inches, about average for January.

Shout-Out to Our NWS Canaan Weather Observers:  All of our weather and climate discussion is only possible because we have two dedicated official volunteer NWS Canaan Valley area weather observers (and several historical predecessors). 

We all should give thanks to them (located in Canaan Heights & Canaan Valley).  Without their dedicated, laborious daily efforts to accurately measure, record, and transmit daily temperature, rainfall, snowfall, liquid equivalent of frozen precipitation, and other special phenomena (days with thunder, hail, etc.) for decades, this dialogue would not be possible.  

Comments on the New All-Time Record Low Temperatures Being Set:  It should be noted that the new VA Tech weather station setting record low temperatures for the Valley is clearly in a colder location under certain conditions (clear skies, calm wind, and dry air) (north end) than the official NWS stations (present & historical) located in the populated, southern end of the Valley for the last 77 years.  

We know this because the new VA Tech station has been running concurrently with the current official NWS valley station for three years now.  Comparisons of low temperatures between the 2 stations during the specific conditions that produce extremely low temperatures prove that fact. 

Thus, the all-time new record lows being set at the VA Tech weather station should not be misconstrued as suggesting the Valley is getting colder. It isn't.  To the contrary, long-term official NWS temperature data sets in the southern populated valley end clearly show several degrees of warming  over the last half century roughly, similar to the warming seen in surrounding lower elevation stations throughout the region. The new VA Tech station is simply not compatible with current and historical NWS sites for comparing extreme minimum temperatures. 

Other temperature data collected in recent years by local researchers also suggests that the extremely low VA Tech low reading are similar to low temperatures experienced in Canaan valley at other low spots adjacent to the Blackwater River and it's tributaries.
Next Fearless Forecast update:  9 am Thursday (2-3-22) (I still expect all rain Wednesday evening despite some forecasts suggesting snow).
Your Fearless Canaan Weatherman