January 2025 was nation’s 6th driest on record
January 8, 2025: A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck to battle the Palisades Fire while it burns homes on the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles, California. Dry conditions and near-hurricane-force Santa Ana winds contributed to the rapid spread of wildfires in the area. (Image credit: Getty Images)
The new year began with destructive wildfires burning across parts of California, and a deep freeze that covered much of the southern and eastern U.S.
January 2025 was also notable for its dryness, ranking as the sixth-driest January on record for the U.S., according to data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Below are highlights from NOAA’s January U.S. climate report:
Climate by the numbers
January 2025
The nation’s average precipitation across the contiguous U.S. was 1.39 inches (0.92 of an inch) below average, ranking as the 6th-driest January in NOAA’s climate record.
Precipitation was below average across much of the West and from the northern Plains to the Northeast, as well as across portions of the Southeast. Pockets of above-average precipitation fell across the Rockies and portions of the Central and Southern Plains. Meanwhile, Alaska had a record-wet January, exceeding the record set in January 1949.
The average January temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 29.2 degrees F (0.9 of a degree) below average, ranking in the coolest third of the national climate record. January 2025 was the nation’s coldest January since 1988.
January temperatures were below average from the Central and Southern Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Above-average temperatures were present across parts of the West Coast, Northern Tier and Northeast. Alaska’s January temperature ranked as the state’s eighth-warmest January on record.
Other notable climate events
- Deadly wildfires ravaged parts of California: The Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Southern California destroyed more than 16,000 structures near Los Angeles, and were responsible for at least 29 fatalities. Dry conditions and near-hurricane-force Santa Ana winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fires.
- Arctic air mass brought frigid temperatures, record-breaking snow: The coldest Arctic air mass of the season-to-date plunged as far south as southern Florida the week of January 19, 2025. Some of the more significant snowfall amounts ranged from six inches in eastern Texas, to record amounts of 10 inches in parts of the Florida Panhandle, as well as more than 10 inches in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- Drought conditions intensified: According to the February 4 U.S. Drought Monitor report offsite link, approximately 42.4% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up approximately 4.3% from the end of December. Drought conditions expanded or intensified across much of the Southwest, parts of south central Texas, as well as in portions of the Carolinas. Drought contracted, or reduced in intensity, across parts of the northern Rockies and Hawaii.
More > Access NOAA’s January 2025 climate report and download the images.
