January was a statistically average month over the whole UK coming in at -0.3c below average (CET).
For Watford there was a warm start and end with a long cold spell of 14 days in the middle of the month but with only 1 ice day (18th).
It was a notable spell for January as we had snow falling on most days of the spell and with 9 days of snow laying on the ground. So far it is the coldest spell of the winter. The minimum temperature during the night hasn’t been that cold with the lowest reading of -5.8c. It has been a cloudy month keeping the night time temperature from falling too far.
January Statistics in detail (my own weather station)
Temperature (°C):
Mean (1 minute) 3.8
Mean (min+max) 3.8
Mean Minimum 1.2
Mean Maximum 6.3
Minimum -5.8 day 16
Maximum 13.2 day 29
Highest Minimum 9.0 day 03
Lowest Maximum -0.1 day 18
Air frosts 15
Rainfall (mm):
Total for month 61.2
Wettest day 9.6 day 26
High rain rate 273.6 day 26
Rain days 18
Wind (mph):
Highest Gust 16.8 day 28
Average Speed 0.5
Wind Run 341.7 miles
Gale days 0
Pressure (mb):
Maximum 1042.5 day 04
Minimum 994.7 day 20
Days with snow falling 12
Days with snow lying at 0900 9
Below is a satellite picture of the UK on one of the few sunny days at the end of the month. You can clearly see the extent of the snow cover mostly across the eastern part of the UK.
