Assessing the Cold Start to 2025

The chill in the air this winter isn't record-setting by any stretch. As a matter of fact, we haven't even achieved a daily record low temperature this season (Albany hasn't set a single daily minimum temperature record in over two years). The remarkable thing about this winter is the lack of a true thaw - that day or two that can creep up close to, if not greater than 50 degrees.

So far this year, the highest temperature observed at the Albany Airport is just 43 degrees, which occurred back on New Year's Day. We have yet to record a high temperature of at least 45 degrees this year!

February has picked up where January left off - plenty of chilly days and nights. Since the first full week of the month, we've seen just one day with an above average high temperature! Now, we do anticipate several above-average high temps next week - check out Matt's forecast for more on that - https://www.news10.com/weather/02-21-2025-windy-cold-for-one-more-day/. That said, it appears February, like the two months before it, will finish with a below normal monthly average temperature.

Now, I'm not saying this type of cold is unprecedented - you don't even have to go back to the beginning of this decade for another year that made it through February 20th without Albany seeing a single 45 degree or higher temperature. However, the previous few years featured several such days, including 15 of them back in 2023! It is quite rare however, particularly when you look at a larger period of time.

Since 1969, this is only the third time Albany has failed to reach 45 degrees through the 20th of February. Again, it's not that we expect this to occur frequently during the dead of winter. After all, our average high temperature from the start of the year through February 20th ranges from 32 to 37 degrees... however, it's typical to get a handful of 45+ degree days through this point in the year, with the long-term average of such achievements through February 20th in Albany coming in at 4.9 times. In the past 30 years, we've averaged 6.2 45+ degree days through February 20th. What this comes down to is we've had the need to bundle up, day after day, week after week, over the past several months. We've been missing the rogue few days where you can get away with just a light jacket!