Much of New Hampshire had above-normal snowfall in January 2023, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center. This photo shows the Beaver Trail for cross-country skiing, hiking and walking in Hebron on Jan. 31, 2023. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger

A Super Warm January 2023 in New England and the Northeast

6 min readFeb 2, 2023

January won a climate Super Bowl of sorts in the Northeast.

It was super warm — much warmer than the normal. Temperatures averaged 6 degrees to 12 degrees above the norm. And it was the warmest January on record at 10 of 35 major climate sites, including in Portland, Maine, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Northeast Regional Climate Center says. Most sites recorded unusually warm high temperatures and unusually warm lows, on average.

Weather and Climate Highlights Last Year in New England and the Northeast

February may also be warmer than normal in much of the Northeast. But first, a “near record cold airmass” with “dangerously cold” wind chills will invade the region.

“By Friday, the frigid temperatures are forecast to engulf the Northeast and northern Mid-Atlantic,” the Weather Prediction Center says in a forecast discussion. “The core of the cold will pass over the Northeast and more specifically, northern New England. Wind chills into the minus 50s for northern parts of this region could be the coldest felt in decades.”

“Wind Chill Warnings have been issued to further highlight the dangerous cold. Residents and visitors are urged to limit time outdoors and wear proper clothing. These wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” the discussion says.

Updated Snowfall Totals in the Eastern U.S. and Arctic Air Invasion Outlook

More January highlights, courtesy of the Northeast Regional Climate Center and National Weather Service:

— It was the third warmest January on record in Providence, Rhode Island, and Hartford, Connecticut; the fourth warmest in Concord, New Hampshire, as well as in Caribou and Bangor, Maine; and the fifth warmest in Boston, Massachusetts, and Burlington, Vermont.

—Snowfall was below normal in most of the Northeast. It was the first January on record without measurable snow in Bridgeport. But parts of Maine and New Hampshire had above-average snowfall, thanks to two storms. It was the ninth snowiest January on record in Caribou and the 18th snowiest in Concord.

—Most of the Northeast was wetter than normal. Several areas, including coastal Maine and southeastern Massachusetts, received more than double their normal precipitation. It was third wettest January on record in Caribou, fourth wettest in Portland, fifth wettest in Worcester and sixth wettest in Concord.

Colorful Sunrise and Sunset Photos at Newfound Lake in New Hampshire

More images, including NOAA climate outlooks for February and February through April, plus nine of my recent photos in New Hampshire: