Nature Note - January Thaw

Maple branch in our backyard

I'm happy to report today's daylight increase: seventeen minutes! This morning I noticed dawn's pale light glowing in the east just before 6 AM.

I'm happier to report that the frigid temperatures are behind us - for a few days. We're entering an early January thaw. According to an online website, forecast.weather.gov, a January thaw is "a period of mild weather popularly supposed to recur each year in January." A thaw usually occurs after a bout of cold weather; we've certainly experienced that in the past several days! Temperatures may reach the 50's by Friday.

The Farmers' Almanac, on its website, states: "Annual averages really do show a slight temperature increase, and subsequent dip during the final week of January. [However,] they [January thaws] don't happen every year."

I rejoice.