Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rainfall Up In January

It was a rainy month in Nevada County.

According to John W. Teeter, local meteorologist, rain fell 16 days during January, and for 10 straight days from Jan. 3-13. Davis Benton, the Cale weatherman, agreed with Teeter on how often the rains fell in the county.

Teeter said this isn't a record, but it is an unusual weather occurrence. In addition, there were five watches or warnings posted during January, which is two more than normal.

January 12 was the wettest day of the month as 2.18 inches of moisture fell from the heavens, finding its way to Prescott and Nevada County.

According to Teeter's figures, the normal amount of rain for this area in January is 3.76 inches. However, the region saw 8.31 inches of rain fall, giving it a "surplus" of 4.55 inches. This will change during the year. Benton said the Cale area received 8.32 inches of rain during the month.

Still, while 8.31 inches of rain is a lot of wet stuff, Teeter said it isn't a record. The record rainfall for January is 14.76 inches, recorded in 1937. The record low is 0.78 inches, in 1911.

Along with the abundance of rain in January, Teeter said, there were also 10 days of fog during the month.

The average temperature was 46 degrees, or 4.5 degrees above normal. Normal temperature for the month would be 41.5 degrees, Teeter said. Benton said the low temperature for Cale was 25 degrees, while the highest recorded temperature for the month was 65.

There were six days in the month, he said, when the mercury dropped below freezing. The record is 30 days in 1941.

"Global warming?" he said. "Maybe, but I remember about 30 years ago scientists were warning about a soon to come return of the Ice Age."

As we turn our attention to February, he said, the normal amount of rain to be expected is 4.27 inches. Residents can also expect to see four watches or warnings issued during the shortest month of the year as well. The mean temperature should be 41.9 degrees also.

"February is often one of our most erratic weather months," Teeter said. "The El Nino year of 1983 produces above average rainfall and four days of ice and snow. So pay attention to the watches issued and be prepared for any (weather) event."