January’s Temperature and Precipitation Outlook Depicts a “Mixed Bag” for Mid-Missouri’s Weather

On December 31st, the Climate Prediction Center issued its temperature and precipitation outlooks for the month of January. This year’s strong El Nino pattern is a clear driver of January’s weather pattern, with a wet and cooler month on tap for the southern United States, but a dry and warmer month forecasted for the northern tier of our country.

Mid-Missouri has equal chances of seeing above or below average values for both temperatures and precipitation for the entire month of January. However, the short-term outlook (6-10 day) shows Mid-Missouri in the above average temperature and above average precipitation category. On the other hand, the medium-range outlook (8-14 day) predicts below average temperatures for Mid-Missouri, but still keeps with the above average category in terms of precipitation. Thus, while Mid-Missouri may have a warm start to the new year, the Climate Prediction Center’s outlook implies that cooler temperatures will move in by mid month.