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Frigid and below-average temperatures could hang around for weeks

It has been a very cold start to the New Year, and the chill and below-average temperatures look to linger for days or even weeks.

By: Katie McGraw

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It has been a very cold start to the New Year, and the chill and below-average temperatures look to linger for days or even weeks.

And, of course, it is winter and early January — it is supposed to be cold! However, we are running even colder than what is typical for this time of the year. Plus, the last couple of winters have been fairly mild! For example, on Jan. 9, 2024, it was 49 degrees outside!

Since January 2025 started, except for New Year's Day, high temperatures have been sub-freezing. Most days have not even cracked 30 degrees!

For perspective, highs in the 20s are five to 10 degrees below average for the beginning of January. Typically, the high for Feb. 9 is 36 degrees, and the low is around 23 degrees.

As of Thursday afternoon, it appears temperatures will *try* to moderate this weekend and get back into the low 30s. However, that is still a couple of degrees below average—the next chance we could warm slightly and also briefly looks to occur around Jan. 18 or so. However, brief is the keyword there. The temp trend looks to drop again after that and remain below average for a while.

The Climate Prediction Center shows a strong signal for below-average temperatures during the 6 to 10-day and 8 to 14-day windows. That means there will likely be more days that are colder than normal into at least the end of the month.

Keep in mind that this doesn't mean we will have temperatures in the single digits for highs every day. There could even be a few days that do get milder or above average, but it does suggest that the bulk average will be below normal. And that will be true not only for Northeast Ohio but for nearly the entire United States!

Furthermore, long-range data suggests the below-average temperatures could linger well into FEBRUARY!!

Below are two different computer models, the GEFS Extended and the ECMWF Extended. These are two examples (of many) that suggest the below-average temperatures continue until at least the middle or even the end of February.

The Power of 5 Weather Team will continue to monitor trends for the days and weeks to come. This is looking pretty far into the future, and we always know that the weather can be wild and change on a dime. Be sure to tune in daily for your latest local forecast!