By SALINA POST
Salina was warmer and wetter than normal in January 2023.
For Salina, January 2023 tied for the 34th warmest January since records began in 1900 and was the warmest January since 2021.
According to Salina Regional Airport weather reporting, the average monthly temperature in January 2023 was 32.9 degrees, 2.1 degrees warmer than average. The warmest daily temperature in January 2023 was 61 degrees on Jan. 16 and the coldest was 7 degrees on Jan. 31.
The all-time record high for Salina was 78 degrees on Jan. 10, 1990, while the all-time low was -28 on Jan. 8, 1913.
Salina's recorded precipitation also was above average in January. According to information from the National Weather Service in Wichita, 1.21 inches of precipitation was recorded at the Salina Regional Airport, the official reporting station for the city. That amount was a half inch above the average for Salina.
January 2023 tied for the 23rd wettest January on record and was the wettest since 2017. Salina's wettest January came in 1949 with 3.45 inches of precipitation. The city's driest January came in 1986 when no measurable precipitation was recorded.
As for the wind, the average wind speed for Salina in January was 9.4 mph. The highest wind speed was 33 mph and the highest gust was 43 mph, bit on Jan. 11.
Additionally, the number of days of particular weather conditions in January 2023 were as follows.
Thunderstorm: 1
Heavy rain: 1
Rain: 2
Light rain: 3
Snow: 2
Light snow: 4
Fog: 13
Fog with visibility less than a quarter mile: 4
Haze: 2