Monthly Summary

The first month of 1998 was warm and wet in the Northeast. Temperatures for the Northeast region of the United States averaged 7.7 degrees warmer than normal, making it the 10th warmest January in the last 104 years of record. The state of Maine reported a monthly average temperature departure that was 3.8 degrees warmer than the normal of 13.7 degrees. Each of the region's other eleven states had monthly departures that ranged between 5.5 and 10.5 degrees warmer than normal. New Jersey reported their third warmest January on record with a statewide monthly average that was 10.5 degrees warmer than the January normal. It was the 5th warmest January in Delaware with a plus 9.7 degree departure. Several stations established daily temperature records between the 3rd and 9th. On the 8th, Newark, NJ climbed to a high of 70 degrees and Binghamton, NY equalled their warmest temperature ever during the month of January when the mercury hit 63 degrees. Temperature departures for that week ranged from around 9 degrees warmer than normal in northern Maine to over 27 degrees warmer than normal in parts of Pennsylvania.

Monthly Temperature Departure Map

Excessive amounts of precipitation were reported across the twelve-state region during January. Unfortunately, some of the precipitation fell in the form of freezing rain for an extended period of time between the 4th and 9th from northern New York to central Maine. This resulted in one of the most catastrophic ice storms ever to have occurred in the region. Ice accumulations reached 2 to over 3 inches in some areas and as many as 350,000 homes lost electricity, according to media reports. Flooding was also a problem, as record flows were reported on the 9th along the Hudson River near Newcomb, NY and along parts of New York's Black River.

Precipitation totals for the month exceeded 5 inches in six states (ME, NH, VT, RI, NY and DE). It was the 3rd wettest January on record in New York (198% of normal) and the 4th wettest in Vermont (225% of normal). Overall for the Northeast, it was the 5th wettest January since comparable records began in 1895. The regional area-weighted average of 4.78 inches was 167% of the normal January precipitation allotment.

Monthly Percent of Normal Precipitation Map

Summary of State Temperature and Precipitation Averages.

New Weather Records

Maximum Temperature Record for Month of January (degrees F)

City	Date	New	Previous
Binghamton, NY (tie)	8th	63	63 on 1/25/1967

Daily Maximum Temperature Records (degrees F)

City	Date	New	Previous
Atlantic City Marina, NJ (tie)	3rd	56	56 in 1997
Binghamton, NY	3rd	48	47 in 1997
Milton, MA	3rd	59	58 in 1930
Montpelier, VT	3rd	49	48 in 1950
Newark, NJ (tie)	3rd	62	62 in 1997
Portland, ME	3rd	54	49 in 1979
Providence, RI	3rd	62	58 in 1913
Atlantic City Marina, NJ	4th	67	56 in 1951
Bridgeport, CT	4th	59	56 in 1950
Providence, RI (tie)	4th	61	61 in 1950
Binghamton, NY	5th	55	54 in 1993
Morgantown, WV	5th	68	65 in 1993
Rochester, NY	5th	65	59 in 1997
Allentown, PA (tie)	6th	60	60 in 1929
Binghamton, NY	6th	56	45 in 1962
Morgantown, WV (tie)	6th	61	61 in 1950
Beckley, WV (tie)	7th	56	56 in 1989
Binghamton, NY	7th	57	44 in 1962
Harrisburg, PA	7th	64	62 in 1946
Morgantown, WV	7th	68	61 in 1989
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA	7th	63	62 in 1907
Williamsport, PA	7th	61	56 in 1930
Allentown, PA	8th	67	61 in 1930
Atlantic City AP, NJ (tie)	8th	60	60 in 1949
Binghamton, NY	8th	63	51 in 1978
Harrisburg, PA	8th	68	60 in 1978
Morgantown, WV	8th	68	63 in 1965
National Airport, DC (tie)	8th	69	69 in 1997
Newark, NJ	8th	70	60 in 1949
NY Central Park, NY	8th	65	64 in 1937
Philadelphia, PA	8th	69	67 in 1930
WB-Scranton, PA	8th	66	61 in 1907
Williamsport, PA	8th	64	56 in 1930
Wilmington, DE	8th	66	65 in 1930
Allentown, PA (tie)	9th	65	65 in 1930
Binghamton, NY	9th	56	52 in 1978
Harrisburg, PA	9th	64	60 in 1978
Newark, NJ	9th	67	66 in 1937
Williamsport, PA	9th	61	53 in 1949

Daily Minimum Temperature Record (degrees F)

City	Date	New	Previous
Syracuse, NY (tie)	1st	-9	-9 in 1918