The average Indy temp in January was 20.1 That’s 8 degrees cooler than average, and the coldest January since 1982. It ties for the 11th coldest January on record.
Now – while the memory is fresh – imagine last month with about half as much heat. THAT is why Hoosiers still talk about the (dramatic sting) Winters Of The Late 70s. The average temp in Indy for January 1977 was 10.2 degrees. That was the year the Ohio River in southern Indiana froze over.
There are FOUR months of January from the 70s colder than last month. Good thing we guys had those ‘stashes to keep warm. The month of the famed “Blizzard of ’78” is still a little colder (and a little snowier) than last month.
Below is a National Weather Service table of the coldest January months of record at Indianapolis from 1872 through 2013.
Rank Value Ending Date 1 10.2 1/31/1977 2 14.6 1/31/1918 3 16.7 1/31/1940 4 17.2 1/31/1912 5 17.9 1/31/1970, 1/31/1979, 1/31/1893 8 18.2 1/31/1978 9 19.5 1/31/1963 10 19.8 1/31/1875 11 20.1 1/31/2014, 1/31/1982
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