We just experienced the coldest day here in Lafayette in about 3 years. While this stat is impressive on its own, it is once we take a look at this January so far that we can see how different this year has been.

As we pull up the temperatures from last winter and compare them to this winter so far we can already see some differences. The winter of 2020 started off with temperatures that were above average; this would be a trend that would continue into the early spring. As for this winter, We have been closer to average but also seen many more days that fall below average. This really becomes apparent when taking a look at January.

Between this year and last year, things have really taken a "180". For the time period of January 1-12, 2020 saw temperatures average around 5° above normal. This year has been the exact opposite with temperatures averaging around 5-6° below normal!

This trend will not likely continue this month though, taking a look at the Climate Prediction Center Forecast, we will likely see a mix of cold and mild conditions to end out the month. What this means is it is unlikely we see the type of cold we have seen over the first two weeks of the year.