NWS Rapid City, SD - Climate Summaries > January, 2006 Climatic Summary

JANUARY 2006 CLIMATIC SUMMARY

January saw record warmth as no arctic air pushed into the region during the month. Temperatures were above normal every single day of the month, the first time since November of 1923 that this has happened. No location in western South Dakota or northeastern Wyoming reported a sub-zero temperature, the first time this has happened in the month of January since records began in 1888. No significant snowfalls occurred during the month, though freezing rain did fall on the 1st causing some power outages on the plains of northwestern South Dakota.

Temperatures averaged 13 to 17 degrees above normal as 70 percent of reporting sites recorded the warmest January on record. Winner and Camp Crook were the warm spots averaging 17.9 degrees above normal. Pactola Dam was the cool spot averaging 9.8 degrees above normal.

January was generally a dry month with precipitation averaging 40 to 70 percent of normal. Only 8 locations reported above normal precipitation. Snowfall was well below normal with several locations reporting no snowfall during the month. Faith was the only location with above normal snowfall, receiving 4.4 inches versus an average of 4.1 inches. Long Valley was the wet spot receiving 280 percent of normal precipitation. Lemmon was the dry spot where only a trace of precipitation was recorded during the month.

LOCAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date
Maximum Temperature	64 degrees	25th	59 degrees	25th	61 degrees	25th
Minimum Temperature	18 degrees	22nd	15 degrees	22nd	12 degrees	20th

Precipitation Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
Monthly Data	Amount	Data	Amount	Date	Amount	Date
Precipitation	.07 inches		1.09 inches		0.18 inches
Snowfall	Trace		8.8 inches		2.0 inches

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	0.04 inches	1st	0.30 inches	1st	.08 inches	19th
Maximum Snowfall	Trace	Several days	3.1 inches	31st	1.0 inches	19th, 31st

REGIONAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
	Temperature	Site	Date	Temperature	Site	Date
Maximum Temperature	72 degrees	Cedar Butte	15th	61 degrees	Gillette	25th
Minimum Temperature	1 degree	Rochford	22nd, 23rd	3 degrees	Upton 14 ENE	17th

Precipitation Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
Monthly Data	Amount	Site	Date	Amount	Site	Date
Maximum Precipitation	1.09 inches	Lead		0.55 inches	Upton 14 ENE
Minimum Precipitation	Trace	Lemmon		Trace	Moorcroft
Maximum Snowfall	8.8 inches	Lead		3.5 inches	Dillenger Sundance
Minimum Snowfall	0.0 inches	Several locations		0.0 inches	Moorcroft

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	0.60 inches	Bison	1st	0.24 inches	Sundance	1st
Maximum Snowfall	3.4 inches	Wind Cave NP	9th	2.5 inches	Dillinger	19th

MONTHLY RECORDS

LOCATION	DATE	NEW RECORD	OLD RECORD	DATE
Winner	January	40.6 degree Avg Temperature	32.8 degrees	1992
Spearfish	January	40.3 degree Avg Temperature	36.4 degrees	1986
Interior	January	39.3 degree Avg Temperature	35.9 degrees	1990
Long Valley	January	38.6 degree Avg Temperature	34.5 degrees	1990
Rapid City	January	38.4 degree Avg Temperature	35.2 degrees	1953
Newcastle, Wyoming	January	38.3 degree Avg Temperature	32.8 degrees	1953
Fort Meade	January	37.7 degree Avg Temperature	35.9 degrees	1992
Hot Springs	January	37.4 degree Avg Temperature	34.9 degrees	1981
Wood	January	37.3 degree Avg Temperature	33.1 degrees	1990
Oelrichs	January	37.1 degree Avg Temperature	34.0 degrees	1953
Camp Crook	January	36.6 degree Avg Temperature	30.8 degrees	1992
Mission 14S	January	36.5 degree Avg Temperature	32.2 degrees	1990
Milesville 5NE	January	35.2 degree Avg Temperature	30.4 degrees	1990
Faith	January	34.1 degree Avg Temperature	30.5 degrees	1939
Gillette 6SE, Wyoming	January	33.8 degree Avg Temperature	33.2 degrees	1981
Maurine 10SW	January	33.8 degree Avg Temperature	30.3 degrees	1992
Newell	January	33.8 degree Avg Temperature	31.4 degrees	1992
Dupree	January	33.5 degree Avg Temperature	28.7 degrees	1981
Devils Tower, Wyoming	January	33.0 degree Avg Temperature	30.4 degrees	1981
Bison	January	32.7 degree Avg Temperature	31.3 degrees	1992
Redig 11 NE	January	32.5 degree Avg Temperature	31.5 degrees	1992
Pactola Dam	January	32.2 degree Avg Temperature	31.5 degrees	1986
Lemmon	January	30.9 degree Avg Temperature	29.9 degrees	1992
Bison	January	0.0 inches of snowfall	Trace snowfall	Many Years
Lemmon	January	Trace of rainfall	Trace rainfall	1935
Lemmon	January	Trace of snowfall	Trace snowfall	1974,91
Mission 14S	January	Trace of snowfall	Trace snowfall	1954,80,89
Newcastle, Wyoming	January	Trace of snowfall	Trace snowfall	1952,54,64
Newell	January	0.0 inches of snowfall	0.0 inches snowfall	1990
Pactola Dam	January	Trace of snowfall	Trace snowfall	Many Years
Spearfish	January	0.0 inches of snowfall	0.0 inches snowfall	1964
Winner	January	0.0 inches of snowfall	0.0 inches snowfall	2002

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JANUARY 2006 CLIMATIC SUMMARY

LOCAL EXTREMES

REGIONAL EXTREMES

MONTHLY RECORDS