National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

Power Pacific system will continue to bring significant impacts for Pacific Northwest into northern California the remainder of the week. Dangerous coastal affects, heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow continues. Meanwhile, a storm across the east is set to bring the first accumulating snow to many higher elevations of the Catskills into the central Appalachians. Read More >


Valentine New Year's Day Climatology

 

As we enter a new year, the National Weather Service in North Platte will move into another year of collecting and providing weather information to the public and media. Records have been kept at Valentine since June 1889. A wide range of weather has been experienced for the first day of the new year. Below is a summary of New Year's Days of the past. (snow depth information not available prior to 1901)

 

NEW YEAR'S DAY IN VALENTINE
PERIOD OF RECORD 127 YEARS: 1890-2016

TEMPERATURE DATA

Highest 63 degrees (1943)
Lowest -30 degrees (1924)
Lowest Maximum -4 degrees (1911)
Highest Minimum 37 degrees (1918)
Average High 32.8 degrees
Average Low 8.0 degrees
30 year Normal High 36 degrees
30 year Normal Low 10 degrees
Average Temperature Range 24.8 degrees
Largest Range
between High and Low
50 degrees
High 57, Low 7 (1959)
Smallest Range
between High and Low
4 degrees
High 14, Low 10 (1906)

 

High Temperature by 10 Degree Ranges

-0s 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s
2 9 13 24 38 24 14 3
1.6% 7.1% 10.2% 18.9% 29.9% 18.9% 11.0% 2.4%

 

Low Temperature by 10 Degree Ranges

-30s -20s -10s -0s 0s 10s 20s 30s
1 3 10 18 34 30 29 2
0.8% 2.4% 7.9% 14.2% 26.8% 23.6% 22.8% 1.6%

 

PRECIPITATION DATA

Maximum Precipitation 0.36 inches (1916)
Maximum Snowfall 5.7 inches (1976)
Number of Times Precipitation 54 Occurrences or 42.5%
Number of Times
Measurable Precipitation
(more than a Trace)
25 Occurrences or 19.7%
Number of Times Snowfall 49 Occurrences or 38.6%
Number of Times
Measurable Snowfall
(more than a Trace)
25 Occurrences or 19.7%
Number of Times No Precipitation 73 Occurrences or 57.5%
Most Snow on Ground
at Observation Time
16 inches (1988)

 

WHITE NEW YEAR'S DAY IN VALENTINE
PERIOD OF RECORD 116 YEARS: 1901-2016

White New Year's Day = 1 inch or more of snow on ground
at observation time on January 1
(snow depth rounded to nearest whole inch or trace if 0.4 inches or less)

Number of Years with a
White New Year's Day (116 years)
50 Years (43.1%)
Number of Years with a
White New Year's Day (last 25 years)
9 Years (36.0%)
Number of Years with a
White New Year's Day (last 10 years)
6 Years (60.0%)
  2007 - 3 inches
2008 - 1 inch
2010 - 1 inch
2011 - 6 inches
2015 - 3 inches
2016 - 4 inches
Number of Years with trace or
more snow on Ground (116 years)
74 Years (63.8%)
Number of Years with trace or
more snow on Ground (last 25 years)
12 Years (48.0%)
Number of Years with trace or
more snow on Ground (last 10 years)
8 Years (80.0%)
Consecutive Years with a
White New Year's Day
8 Years (1967 - 1974)
Consecutive Years without a
White New Year's Day
7 Years (1954 - 1960)
Current Streak Consecutive Years
White New Year's Day
2 Years

 

White New Year's Day Occurences by Decade
* incomplete decade

1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s
3* 5 4 2 6 2
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
4 9 5 3 3 4*

 

DAILY WEATHER SUMMARIES PAST 5 NEW YEAR'S DAYS

Date High Low Precip Snow Snow Depth Remarks
2012 35 6 0.00 0.0 0  Sunny
2013 29 1 0.00 0.0 T  Sunny
2014 22 8 T 0.1 0  Cloudy, light snow showers through
 early afternoon
2015 27 6 0.00 0.0 3  Mostly sunny, mostly cloudy evening
2016 34 10 0.00 0.0 4  Sunny

 

YEAR BY YEAR WEATHER FOR PAST NEW YEAR'S DAYS
CLICK ON GRAPH FOR LARGER IMAGE

Temperatures - High & Low with Averages

Precipitation

Temperatures - High & Low with Averages

Precipitation

ALSO VISIT NORTH PLATTE NEW YEAR'S DAY CLIMATOLOGY

For more holiday climate studies see the main menu
Holiday Climate Studies for North Platte and Valentine

 

  Page composition by
Matthew Masek
  Update includes 2016