January's weather provided "no lack of excitement," Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Steele said in a synopsis for the month.
There was "heavy snow, significant rain events, strong wind events and then the big chill to round out the month."
But no records were set.
After a mild start, typical winter weather settled in during the second week. That all changed on midway when mild Pacific air riding over top of the cold air at the surface produced significant snow over the region, delivering a "whopping" 30 centimetres of snow over Jan. 16 and 17.
Some 22.5 cm of that fell on Jan. 16, still below the record for the month of 30.8 cm, set on Jan. 30,1990.
Beginning on Jan. 20, milder air pushed the cold arctic air to the north but significant moisture arrived with the pattern, dropping 2.4 millimetres of rain on Jan. 24.
Not to be outdone, winter pushed southward to round out the month, making Jan. 31 the coldest day with a high of -15.8 C and a low of -25.9. Jan. 27 was the warmest day with a high of 6.2 C, still well below the record of 12.8 C set on Jan. 22, 1968.
The average daily high of -5.6 C was near the normal of -5.5 C, while the average daily low of -11.1 C was above the normal of -13.6 C and the mean temperature of -8.4 C was above the normal -9.6 degrees C.
Total precipitation of 50.4 mm was 96 per cent of the normal of 52.4 mm, total snowfall of 62.7 cm was 112 per cent of the normal of 55.8 cm and total rainfall of 5.9 mm was 95 per cent of the normal of 6.2 mm. The record monthly snowfall for January is 174.7 cm, set in 1982.
"With all the ups and downs, the mean temperatures ended up just above normal with precipitation coming in just a little short of normal," Steele said.
