January Thaw

January, 2006 - Oceanside, CA (approx. 85 degrees)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warm_spell

I think that this is a fascinating weather phenomenon. I've been thinking about this since tomorrow's temperature is supposed to reach close to the record high here in NH. Last year in NH, while I was home for Christmas, it reached close to 70 degrees one day in early January. The year before in San Diego, almost to the day, I went to the beach with Lanie when temperatures reached the upper 80's. That isn't as impressive as high temps in New England but it was definitely an unseasonable increase in temperature for that area. The other four years before that, living in San Diego, I always noticed a similar increase in temperature in early January (average temps that time of year are in the mid-upper 60's, so 80 degree weather is a significant change). Interestingly, the above article from Wikipedia talks about the January Thaw being in late January. My records always indicate early-mid January, but either way, it is odd.