January 2026 – Cold with Near Normal Precipitation Across Delaware

January Temperatures

Preliminary data indicates that the statewide average temperature in January was 32.0^o F, which is 3.2^o F below the 1991-2020 mean value of 35.2^o F (Figure 1).  January 2026 was the 49^th coldest January since observations began in 1895.  

January Precipitation

Delaware’s statewide precipitation for January 2026 averaged 3.25 inches, 0.1 inches below the 1991-2020 mean of 3.35 inches (Figure 2).  Precipitation in January 2026 was near the average of all 132 January precipitation observations since 1895.

Statewide Spatial Anomalies

Data from the Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) show that temperatures were uniformly cold across the State, with many locations seeing negative departures of greater than 4^o F, especially in Kent and New Castle Counties (Figure 3). A significant snowfall event took place across Delaware on January 25^th, dropping over 6 inches of snow across much of the northern one-half of the State (Figure 4).

National Anomalies

Temperatures were below normal across much of the eastern portions of the United States, except for northern New England (Figure 5), while the western United States saw above normal temperatures, with portions of Montana and Wyoming seeing positive temperature departures more than 9^o F above normal.  Precipitation was generally below normal along both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts (Figure 6), while the central portion of the country had near or just above normal precipitation.  The 500 hPa height pattern for January showed an anomalous jet stream trough covering the eastern one-half of the United States (Figure 7), and a jet stream ridge along the Pacific Coast contributing to the temperature anomalies across those regions.

Global Anomalies

January 2026 ranked as the 5^th warmest January on record for the globe since 1850.  Global temperatures were 2.02^o F above the 1901-2000 mean.  Particular warmth was found across much of the Arctic, with very cold conditions stretching from eastern Europe across much of Asia (Figure 8).

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