January 2014 Monthly Climate Report for the Southeast
Produced by the Southeast Regional Climate Center (www.sercc.com)
Temperatures
January was an exceptionally cold month across much of the Southeast region. The greatest departures
were found across Alabama, central and northern sections of Georgia, and western sections of the
Carolinas and Virginia, where monthly temperatures were 6 to 8 degrees F (3.3 to 4.4 degrees C) below
average. Monthly temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees F (1.6 to 2.8 degrees C) below average across
central and eastern sections of Virginia and the Carolinas, southern Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle,
while much of the Florida Peninsula was near average to slightly below average for the month. Over 50
locations in the Southeast experienced one of their top 3 coldest Januarys on record, including
Montgomery, AL and Macon, GA. In contrast, monthly temperatures were above average across Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. San Juan, PR (1898-2013) experienced its warmest January on record
with a monthly temperature of 80.2 degrees F (26.8 degrees C), breaking the old record of 79.8 degrees
F (26.6 degrees C) set back in 1981.
Three significant cold outbreaks affected the Southeast region in January. A bitterly cold air
mass overspread much of the region on the 7th and 8th of the month, resulting in subfreezing
temperatures as far south as central Florida. For several locations, including Raleigh-Durham, NC and
Atlanta, GA, this event marked the strongest cold outbreak not associated with snow cover in nearly 20
years. Maximum temperatures failed to climb above freezing across southern Georgia and Alabama,
while windy conditions resulted in wind chill values below 0 degrees F (-17.8 degrees C) as far south as
Birmingham, AL. Over 350 daily minimum temperature records and over 200 daily low maximum
temperature records were tied or broken across the region over this two-day period. Mount Mitchell,
NC recorded a minimum temperature of -24 degrees F (-31.1 degrees C) on the morning of the 7th. This
marked the second coldest temperature ever recorded at the summit (since 1980) and tied for the 8th
coldest temperature on record in North Carolina. The unusually cold temperatures forced several
school districts across the Southeast to delay or cancel classes. A second cold outbreak occurred from
the 22nd to the 25th of the month, with temperatures across the northern half of the region running
between 20 and 25 degrees F (10 and 13 degrees C) below average. The final cold outbreak occurred
near the end of the month in the days following a major winter storm. Over 80 daily minimum
temperature records and over 250 daily low maximum temperature records were tied or broken on the
29th and 30th of the month.
Precipitation
Precipitation in January was below average across much of the Southeast region, except across the
Florida Peninsula where precipitation was generally above average for the month. The greatest deficits
were found across Alabama, where monthly precipitation totals were as much as 3 to 5 inches (76.2 to
127.0 mm) below average. Precipitation was also below average across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, where monthly deficits of 1 to 4 inches (25.4 to 101.6 mm) were observed. Monthly totals were
1 to 2 inches (25.4 to 50.8 mm) below average across much of Georgia and the Carolinas, except along a
swath stretching across central South Carolina and south-central North Carolina where strong
thunderstorms dropped between 2 and 4 inches (50.8 and 101.6 mm) of rain on the 11th of the month.
The wettest locations across the Southeast in January were found in Palm Beach County, FL, where an
incredible 22.21 inches (564.1 mm) of rain fell in the town of Hypoluxo on the 9th and 10th of the
month. Other locations in the county reported between 13 and 18 inches (330.2 and 457.2 mm) of rain
from the event, most of which fell over a period of just a few hours. The resulting flood waters forced
several road closures, including a stretch of I-95 near Boynton Beach.
Winter Weather
The Southeast was impacted by three winter storms in January. The first storm occurred on the 15th
and 16th of the month and produced up to 2 inches (50.8 mm) of snow across western portions of North
Carolina and Virginia and up to 1 inch (25.4 mm) of snow across central and northern portions of
Virginia. Trace amounts of snow were also reported in the mountains of Georgia. The second storm
occurred on the 21st and 22nd of the month and resulted in widespread snow across the northern half
of the region. The heaviest amounts were found along the higher elevations of the Southern
Appalachians and across northern Virginia, where 5 to 10 inches (127.0 to 254.0 mm) were reported.
Snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches (25.4 to 76.2 mm) per hour were reported in the Washington D.C. area.
In addition, central and eastern regions of Virginia and North Carolina reported between 1 and 5 inches
(25.4 and 127.0 mm) of snow, while snow showers were observed along the Outer Banks of North
Carolina.
The third storm occurred about a week later and resulted in mostly snow across the interior of
the region and a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain that extended across coastal sections of Alabama,
northern Florida, and across eastern and coastal sections of Georgia and the Carolinas. For many
locations along the northern Gulf Coast and southeast Atlantic Coast, this was the first major winter
storm in over a decade. In fact, some locations, such as Pensacola, FL, recorded their first measurable
snowfall in over 30 years. Freezing rain accumulations were highest across southern Georgia and
eastern South Carolina, where 0.5 to 1.0 inches (12.7 to 25.4 mm) were reported, while sleet
accumulations of 1 to 2 inches (25.4 to 50.8 mm) were reported across southern Alabama and
southeastern North Carolina. Snow totals ranged from 1 to 4 inches (25.4 to 101.6 mm) across much of
the interior of the region, while eastern sections of North Carolina and Virginia reported between 5 and
10 inches (127.0 and 254.0 mm) of snow. Icy conditions resulted in several road and bridge closures,
including a portion of I-10 west of Tallahassee, FL and the iconic Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC, where
a number of cars were damaged from ice breaking off of the bridge cables. In addition, numerous
school districts across the Southeast were closed for up to four days (from the 28th through the 31st).
The most notable impacts from this storm occurred in the cities of Atlanta, GA and Birmingham,
AL, where rapidly accumulating snowfall and the near simultaneous release of schools, business, and
government offices resulted in over 1,000 accidents and created massive gridlock on highways and
interstates beginning around mid-day on the 28th. Hundreds of injuries and several fatalities have been
reported, though official numbers have not yet been confirmed. Some motorists in Atlanta remained
stranded on the roads for over 24 hours, while others were forced to abandon their cars and take
shelter in nearby stores and offices. In addition, nearly 100 school buses were stranded on Atlanta-area
roads and highways, some for as many as 12 hours. In Birmingham, over 5,000 students were forced to
spend the night in schools due to traffic congestion and road closures.
Severe Weather
There were 169 reports of severe weather across the Southeast in January. Nearly all of these reports
occurred on the 11th of the month as a line of strong thunderstorms tracked across the region. High
winds were reported from central Alabama and northwest Florida to southeastern Virginia, resulting in
downed trees and power lines, as well as damage to numerous homes and buildings. The RaleighDurham, NC International Airport (KRDU) recorded a wind gust of 86 mph (75 knots) on the afternoon of
the 11th, which is the second highest wind gust recorded at that station since 1948. In addition, four
weak (EF-0) tornadoes were confirmed from this event. The first occurred early in the morning on the
11th in northern Cherokee County, GA, resulting in several downed trees. The remaining three
tornadoes occurred later in the afternoon across parts of southeastern Virginia, two of which were
reported in Isle of Wight County. The third tornado occurred near the city of Hampton and resulted in
major damage to several buildings in the Fox Hill community.
Drought
There were relatively few changes made to the Drought Monitor across the Southeast in January. The
lack of rain over the past few months across the Deep South resulted in an expansion of abnormally dry
(D0) conditions into northern, southern, and western sections of Alabama. Abnormally dry conditions
continued to persist across extreme southeastern North Carolina and parts of South Florida where
winter season precipitation deficits have been the greatest. According to the Florida State Climate
Office, the cold outbreak and high winds early in the month caused some damage to winter oats and
vegetable crops across the central and southern parts of the state, while the cold temperatures in the
wake of the winter storm at the end of the month resulted in more widespread damage to crops across
the Panhandle region.